Protestors march by the Colorado Convention Center as part of a national day of protest on Presidents Day.

Story by Bert Ballard and Giles Clasen

Thousands took to the streets of Denver on Presidents' Day in protest of President Donald Trump’s executive actions and cuts that are upending the United States government.

Those gathered carried signs and chanted on Monday, directing their anger at Trump’s dismantling of America’s long-held domestic and international policies.

“We don't want to live in an oligarchy,” said protestor Chris Duvernay. “The amount of action being taken unilaterally to disenfranchise the poor and marginalized at the expense of everybody else, and the illegality of the administration to cut off support, is blatantly unconstitutional. We'll keep showing up until it stops.”

This was the third protest in as many weeks in Denver and another aligned with the nationwide grassroots 50501 movement – 50 protests, in 50 states on one day.

A protestor waives and upside flag, signaling the country is in distress during the 50501 protest on Presidents Day.

The protestors represented a broad coalition of voters angered by Trump’s maneuvers to reshape the government in a way never imagined by previous Republican or Democrat administrations. This includes ignoring federal court decisions, appointing alcoholics, vaccine deniers, and accused sex offenders into his cabinet, mass firings of federal employees, mass deportation of immigrants, seeking to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, attacking LGBTQ+ rights, dismantling women’s rights, destroying the Department of Education and destabilizing international relationships by making drastic cuts to USAID. and aligning with Russia and Vladimir Putin while diminishing the influence of NATO.

Many protestors also voiced horror at Elon Musk’s accessing private citizen information through US Treasury data and his masterminding historically unthinkable government cuts through his Department of Government Efficiency. DOGE is also responsible for publishing classified information and firing, without cause, hundreds at the National Nuclear Security Administration who safeguard the nation’s nuclear arsenal.

Musk used similar tactics to reshape Twitter, now X, after he purchased the company in 2022, driving down the company’s revenue and profitability significantly.

Bill Dennler said he was at the protest for one reason, “ We’re here to save democracy. That’s it.”

Photos by Giles Clasen

One of the most common themes on handmade posters at the protest focused on the firing of federal workers .Thousands of probationary federal workers were let go suddenly in the last week, but the exact numbers are unknown.

“The biggest surprise is the amount of federal employees that are getting fired without cause,” said protestor Rebecca Sposato. “[These are] people who have served our nation and made progress and provided benefits to all the people, and here we are not knowing if our government's gonna function six months from now or four years from now.”

For John Chandonais, the firings were personal. Chandonais is a former park ranger and is an Air Force Veteran.

“Donald Trump and Elon Musk cut 10% of the US forest service budget, and they cut over 2300 workers from the National Park Service. Many of them were coworkers and friends of mine,” Chandonais said.

It is not yet known how these cuts will impact communities that rely on national parks and federal lands for tourist and recreation dollars. But Chanonais said he was certain Trump’s cuts would have a negative impact on local and national economies, and on all citizens, regardless of whether they are Democrats, Independents, or Republicans.

“We’re talking about something that keeps hundreds if not thousands of communities across the country afloat, but they don't care about any of that. They don’t care who they hurt,” Chandonais said.

Photos by Jeff Tidwell, special to the Denver Voice

The peaceful protest in Denver was one of many held statewide and nationally. Colorado Public Radio reported protests in many Colorado cities, including Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, and even at the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.

The protests are growing into a national movement with widespread support not centered on one issue or demographic group, unifying across age, class, race, gender, and geographic boundaries.

The protest started at 12 p.m., and marchers took to the streets at about 1:30 p.m closing many downtown streets. The march stretched for more than a dozen blocks as the parade wound from the Capitol building down 15th Street to Arapahoe, and back up to 14th Street. in front of the Civic Center. An estimated three to four thousand participated in the march that closed downtown traffic.

A prominent refrain was “Which side are you on?,” with protestors taking on the role of the people paying for a corrupt government. Travis Chaney of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, called for a focus on organizing resistance and getting involved in nonprofit organizations serving those hurt by Trump's policies.

Kathie Cochran, holding a sign with two older women saying “I can’t believe we still have to protest this shit.”

Cochran said, “I’m 76 this week. And I'm out here because this is the most important thing. This is the scariest time I've lived through. It's not a war, but it is our country that is being taken. We can join together and overcome so much. But when they are taking our country from under our nose we may have nothing left.”

The rally was peaceful, and there were no reported incidents of conflicts with police, violence, or property destruction. Speakers reminded attendees to be peaceful.

Some waved American flags, many upside down, expressing that the country is in distress. Others waved Pride and Trans Rights flags. Previous protests had high numbers of Mexican flags advocating for immigrant rights.

“I moved out here from Missouri to keep myself safe, to make sure that I was protected in a state that supported me,” said Alexs Abreu who identifies as a trans male. “My fear is I’m going to lose access to my healthcare, protections in my career, and my home.”

Abreu said he knows Colorado is a blue state that has shown support for trans and LGBTQ+ rights. But Abreu worries that Trump will find ways to get around Colorado’s protections to hurt trans individuals, or that Colorado politicians will cower to Trump’s bullying ways.

“I’m just really kind of terrified to see what's gonna happen next. But I'm not gonna stop being out here. I'm not gonna stop being quiet so I'm just gonna keep using my voice and then making the impact of each step at a time,” said Alexx Aubreu.

Future protests and efforts, according to 50501, include a spending boycott on Feb. 28th, economic shutdown on March 15th, and future boycotts of large corporations including Amazon.

Thousands Rally in Denver Against Trump’s Radical Overhaul of Government

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