Thousands of Coloradans endured freezing temperatures and snow flurries to demonstrate against the Trump administration today. Roughly 2,500 protestors rallied at the state Capitol and marched through downtown Denver, part of a coordinated national event that was organized by the 50501 Movement.
While President’s Day is a national holiday that many workers had off, there are plenty of service workers who did not. For one Aurora bagel shop manager, participating in the protest felt extremely personal and ultimately, more important than work.
Logan Holtz, a district shift lead for Einstein Bros. Bagels, was scheduled to be the manager on duty Monday, at the Einstein’s on 16495 E 40th Circle in Aurora, but said he felt compelled to take action against the Trump administration and decided to risk his job to draw attention to the rally. Holtz decided last week to close the store early or walk out if the district denied his request to close the location’s mobile orders.
Holtz reached out to his crew last week to let them know what he was planning.
“Essentially, I believe that closing down the store will bring much more attention to the cause and hopefully show people it’s more serious than they currently believe,” Holtz told the Colorado Times Recorder in an interview. “I could call out that day, my boss would gladly allow that for me, and there would really be no personal consequences – but then my impact is limited to being one body at a protest.”
“I am a trans man, and I have looked into the goals of Project 2025 so of course this personally affects me,” said Holtz. “If you have read Project 2025, it is extraordinarily clear that they intend on completely stripping away our rights. I would rather take serious action now, hoping that it might change something than be forced to take serious action later because I have no alternative. As is, as uncomfortable as it is to admit, quickly moving towards genocide. It is part of a larger scheme of the rich and powerful will make life for all marginalized people hell. Our best outcome is to stop it as early as possible. Many people believe that the government will protect them, but it is time to give up that collective hope and begin uniting our individual actions.”
Within the first few weeks of taking office, the Trump administration has issued a series of executive orders, including ones cutting federal funding for hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to minors and barring trans women from participating in women’s sports.
“I think that what’s happening in our country right now is something really serious that can only be stopped by all of us working together,” Holtz said. “I think that a dangerous number of people are unaware of just how serious this is. My hope is to draw attention to this issue and show that it is serious enough to risk the consequences of an action like this.”
Holtz said that when he called his district manager the day to request that online order systems be shut down, but were they had informed the location’s general manager and arranged for other employees to finish out the day. Holtz still went through with putting up a sign on the business door. Holtz said in his conversation with the district manager he was told he would be fired, although it is now in the hands of Einstein’s HR.
Although a different manager was on duty after 11 a.m., the sign that Holtz had put on the front door was still up.
The sign reads: “Things are not ‘business as usual’! That’s why the staff today are closing early to raise our voices at the capitol building. Please join us or send this to a friend who can! Last order will be taken at 11 AM.”
The sign notes that it is an individual action and “does not necessarily reflect the position of Eistein Bagel Bros, affiliates or parent companies, etc.” and that the location would resume regular hours tomorrow.
“I think we’ve been collectively gaslit, by generations of those in power, to believe that polite and peaceful reform is possible. But no successful reform in history reflects that,” Holtz said. “If the corrupt were sympathetic to us we wouldn’t be here. The only way to stop them is with true disruptive action. My hope is that my little act of resistance, in closing the store, will embolden others.”
Holtz said that a lot of his co-workers were supportive of the meaning of his act of protest.
“Obviously, this is personal for me as a trans man and I don’t want to drag anyone down with me. That’s not the intention of this; it’s purely to raise awareness, and I want the best for my co-workers whether that is marching with me or not, he said.”
After the interview, Holtz left to attend the rally downtown, bagel sandwich in hand.
The Colorado Times Recorder has reached out to Einstein’s corporate office and their regional manager for comment and will update this article if and when they respond.
Erik Maulbetsch contributed to this article.
