The “No Kings” rally in Rocky Ford, one of more than 3,100 events nationwide organizers say were planned for Saturday, was a little slow to start, with Marcia Menz standing solo in front of a bank.
But Menz said she felt compelled to hold up a sign reading “Protect the U.S. Constitution,” even if she had to stand alone on a corner of busy U.S. 50.
“I’m just exercising my First Amendment rights,” Menz said, as a few more people joined her at the rally, Rocky Ford’s first. “I feel like our rights are being stripped away from us.”
“Every single day there’s something new. The war he had no business starting. He’s just such a horrible human being,” she said, referring to the war in Iran and President Donald Trump.
The “No Kings” rallies are designed as a catch-all for people to protest a wide range of policies from the Trump administration, from immigration enforcement actions to attacks on free speech and LGBTQ rights.
Across Colorado, thousands of people crowded busy intersections and public parks to make their displeasure known, some carrying signs, others wearing their political feelings on flags draped over their shoulders. Even dogs and kids joined in.
Steve McKee joined the Rocky Ford protest from the bed of his pickup truck. He works on a 1,700-acre ranch “on the prairie” and said he gets his mail in Rocky Ford. Saturday was his first protest.
“The Constitution,” he said when asked what brought him out. “If I don’t stand up for it nobody will.”
LEFT: A group that described themselves as old friends, new friends and the next generation, carries signs designed Briah Freeman at the No Kings protest Saturday in Fort Collins. (Alyssa Pinkerton, The Colorado Sun) RIGHT: Several hundred people joined in the rally in Littleton. (Larry Ryckman, The Colorado Sun)
More than 200 miles to the north, hundreds of people streamed into Civic Center Park in Fort Collins, lining up at booths to make posters together before making a big loop through Old Town. By the time all the speeches were said and the marching was done, organizers estimated that more than 10,000 had participated in the event that included performances by local musicians and calls to action by community organizations rallying people to their causes.
Thousands of people joined in a cheerful rally in downtown Denver, overflowing from Civic Center park to the steps of the Denver City & County Building and near the state Capitol. People sat in the grass making signs and listening to live music, food trucks served the demonstrators and many people handed out water bottles and whistles.
Thousands also marched in Pueblo, led by Native American drums and chants. People held signs and waved flags along the march route on Union Avenue from the Rawlings Library to Sister Cities Plaza. Police eventually shut down roads downtown.
In Littleton, a swelling crowd chanted to the beat of a drum: “This is what freedom looks like.”
Maureen Supple was waving an American flag as she stood along Santa Fe Drive in Littleton with hundreds of demonstrators. It was a festive scene, with people complimenting each other’s signs, laughing and passing out water bottles as temperatures began to rise.
“This is my first No Kings,” Supple said. “But the war kind of tipped me over. And I have a friend whose birthday is today and this is what she wanted as a present — to come.”
She called the large turnout “quite amazing.”
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who is running for governor, skipped the state Democratic assembly in Pueblo to rally with people in Littleton who were waving signs, ringing bells and cheering as cars and trucks honked in solidarity.
“It’s just an incredible of demonstration of people power out here in Littleton, to see all these people of every age and I think every belief, out here to stand for the American Constitution, stand for the rule of law and stand against the idea that any politician should be a king,” said Bennet, who was wearing two strings of Mardi Gras beads, one red and one blue.
He said he was encouraged by the mood of the protesters. “The mood here today is not a mood of anger, it’s a mood of celebration, of celebration of our democracy. I mean, I think people can see that this is not going to last forever,” Bennet said. “It is always the American people that drag us out of situations like this. That is what people standing on these street corners in Littleton and all across Colorado are doing today.”
Sometimes it’s hard to stand up
But standing up in front of neighbors who may disagree can be uncomfortable, said Marge Morrison, who carried a sign reading “We the People say NO to War” in front of the bank in Rocky Ford. It was her first protest.
“What have I had to protest before?” she said. “I was too young for Vietnam protests. The bombing of innocent people made it rise to the top for me.”
At La Junta City Park, about 50 people gathered, some in wheelchairs, amid a festive, community feel. Bruce Springsteen’s new protest song, “Streets of Minneapolis,” played on speakers. One sign read: “Trump is a king wanna-be … but a real life felon.” Another read: “Hey Captain Bonespurs. Send Barron.”
LEFT: Russ and Julie Adams attend their first No Kings rally in downtown Colorado Springs on Saturday. RIGHT: Demonstrators participating in the rally in Colorado Springs walk along Nevada Avenue . (Stephanie Rivera, The Colorado Sun)
In Colorado Springs, Julie and Russ Adams said they were attending their first No Kings rally. Thousands lined the streets downtown, most of them in front of city hall. Some people wore inflatable costumes, including an American eagle and a frog. Others were in wheelchairs, and some people walked to the rally using canes and oxygen tanks.
“Enough is enough,” Russ said.
“It’s just too much going on,” Julie added. “I feel like everyone has to get out and show their support so more people know what’s going on. I have people at work that have no idea what’s going on. I said something about getting gas and they said, ‘Yeah I wonder what’s up with the gas prices.’ They don’t know why. We need to educate people.”
In Lafayette, demonstrators posted a large sign that read “Protest is patriotic” on a bridge over U.S. 287. Several hundred people joined in a rally that was significantly bigger than a similar event in October.
Several hundred people marched in Durango, carrying flags and waving signs. “We won’t bow down to Trump,” one read. “Trump, the lyin’ king,” another read.
The White House dismissed the national rallies. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson described the protests as the product of “leftist funding networks” with little real public support.
Saturday was the third time in less than a year protests were organized nationwide. And there were more organized events in Colorado than the first two days last year.
The first protest against the administration was five months into President Trump’s second term when roughly a dozen protests were organized in June in Colorado.
In October, tens of thousands of protesters fanned out across Colorado to push back against the Trump administration’s policies in about 50 locations.
Rina and Todd Tilzer of Superior have been out for all the protests in the past year and stayed local this time. In June they were in Boulder, and Denver in October.
They’re concerned about the “degradation of the democracy institutions,” Todd said. Rina’s hot button issues are health care, vaccines and poor information. They are concerned people might be getting numb to the protest, but feel like standing on a corner means something in a bigger picture.
“I think there is a feeling of, ‘What does it do just showing up and standing on a street corner holding a sign?’” Rina said. “But I do think there is a lot of power in numbers, and I think it shows if we grow in numbers with each of these protests as we move, I think it shows a moment that is growing and growing stronger.
“I don’t think just standing here is changing anyone’s mind, but I think it’s showing a broader picture of our country as a whole and where people stand.”
The couple said on the drive to Saturday’s protest they were talking about fatigue setting in.
“It will be interesting to see the numbers from the big cities, like Denver,” Todd said. “It feels like people are slightly less engaged than they were, but we’ll see.”
Aubrey Freestone Garcia, 45, and Manny Garcia, 50, were out for the second time, this Saturday in Superior standing in front of a Tesla dealership, which has been the site of weekly protests since Elon Musk started DOGE at the beginning of Trump’s second administration.
Aubrey is an art teacher, and the Broomfield couple hoisted canvases that proclaimed “Make Art Not War” and “Art Evolves Humanity.” The couple said the negativity since Trump announced he would run for president a decade ago and attacks on marginalized communities need to change.
“Everything has turned so negative and so overwhelmingly stressful on a daily basis,” Manny said. “We need more and more people to come out, because if we don’t, if we don’t express and use our First Amendment rights how soon is it going to be before those are taken away?”
They feel like movement to protest and have a voice will continue to grow as more people are affected by the administration’s policies and decisions. They said family members across the country and local friends were going out Saturday.
“The more the darkness pushes forward, the more the people feel empowered to fight. I do think it’s rising,” said Aubrey, who was wearing rainbow sunglasses and earrings to support the LGBTQ community. “I think there is a rising happening of people coming forward because people are being impacted. Family members, they’re starting to see ‘Oh, it’s not just this population, it’s also people in my family or people I know, my neighbors are being directly affected, deported, marginalized.’ And then the financial situation is a burden on people right now.”
In Lafayette, Jill Geissler spun around her walker to sit in the shade to talk about why she continues to protest at the age of 85. Geissler came to the U.S. from England in 1966 and got her citizenship in 1996.
She’s joined protests throughout the decades, she said, including all three No Kings marches in Lafayette, where she lives.
“I have been protesting for a long time,” she said with a laugh as cars and trucks buzzing by on 287 honked their horns in support of the protesters. “And this time it’s really very important to protest.”
Her husband was a campus organizer in North Carolina during the Vietnam war, she said. After the Persian Gulf war started in the early 1990s, they were living in Maryland and traveled to Washington, D.C., to protest on the National Mall.
“So I have seen a lot of stuff in my life,” said Geissler, who was born in 1940 in South Hampton, England, during World War II. “So I’m one of those disgusting immigrants.”
Geissler said she thinks more people are getting involved in protest because they’re feeling the impacts of politics on their personal lives.
“I know people who’ve got kids in the military and it’s really starting to hit home now,” she said before joining the line of protesters.”I just wish I would see more younger people out, but it will affect them.”
More than 400 sign-waving protestors paraded south down Main Street in Gunnison. They chanted: “No justice, no peace, no secret police.”
The protesters stretched for longer than a block until they reached the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Park in the middle of Gunnison. Passersby by U.S. 50 laid on their horns as a DJ spun freedom anthems in English and Spanish.
Terry and Sue came from Illinois. They spent the morning “extreme spring skiing” up the valley at Crested Butte Mountain Resort and came to Gunnison with a car load of signs.
“We bring our Golden and our protest signs everywhere we go,” said Terry, his loyal retriever Sedona gathering ear scratches from fellow protesters. Terry was holding a sign urging people to “Know Your Parasites” with sketches of a dog tick, a deer tick and a “luna tick” beneath a cartoon of our pompadored president.
Terry and Sue were surprised to see more than 400 rallying in Gunnison.
“This is a big crowd,” Terry said. “I hope they are big like this all over the country.
Namaste Contreras, 11, was taking a more direct approach. Her sign read “Federal power without accountability is tyranny.” Why did she pick that one?
“Well, because it’s true,” she said, standing next to her mom, Mollie, at their third “No Kings” protest march in the last year.
“I think we are the majority. It’s refreshing to see everyone out here,” said Mollie Contreras, with her sign reading “The only dangerous minority is the rich.” “We need to show up like this. It’s important.”
Gunnison County Commissioner Laura Puckett Daniels roused the sign wavers by telling them how a public uprising helped push the federal government away from selling public lands and helped push immigration enforcement out of her home state of Minnesota.
“Your voice matters,” she said. “If you care about this country. If you care about democracy. If you care about your neighbors, it is up to you to raise your voice today.”
David Krause, Sue McMillin, Alyssa Pinkerton, Stephanie Rivera, Larry Ryckman, Claudia Garcia, Jason Blevins, Don Emmert, Cerys Hembury and The Associated Press contributed to this story.