Ten days after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, several hundred protesters gathered in Denver on the steps of the state Capitol on Saturday to express their outrage at the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda, and the violent tactics being used by officers to carry it out.
Grief, anger, and a need for organized resistance were common themes among the litany of signs and banners that packed the streets of downtown Denver as the protesters marched following the rally at the Capitol.
As has come to be expected from protests against the federal government in recent months, sparks of humor and community building were present as well — inflatable animal costumes dotted the crowd, and numerous signs included puns deriding President Trump and other members of his administration.
“This tyrannical, authoritarian government has to be stopped. I’m going to every protest I have time for now,” said one rollerblading protester, dressed as a punk rock clown, who identified themselves as Jazz Cabbage. “I’m out here as a clown trying to spread joy to other people and not just revel in personal joy.”
Organized by the Denver Coalition Against Trump, a group of immigrant rights and social justice groups operating in the Front Range, Saturday’s protest was one of several that have been organized in the Denver area following the killing of Renee Good, with another having been held at the Capitol on Jan. 9.
Good’s murder has served as a lightning rod for the frustration and outrage that many Americans are feeling about the way in which ICE is operating in communities across the country. Following her death, protests have been held nationwide.
“We’re so much stronger when we can pull out five different organizations that are all mobilizing their communities,” said Carl, an activist with Denver Anti-War Action (DAWA) who declined to give a last name.
Before the march through downtown, organizers set up tables on the steps of the Capitol, offering literature to attendees and highlighting opportunities to volunteer with the various groups present. Along with DAWA, Aurora Unidos, the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee, Colorado Immigrant Partnership Teams, Housekeys Action Network (HAND), and several other groups were in attendance.
While organizers were happy to see so many community members show up to the event, some also acknowledged that to make a difference, there is much more that needs to be done than just attending rallies and marches.
“I want to welcome people to this and also say, you know, you’ve got history to catch up on. We really need you to plug in and be serious about longevity and how you can fit into this movement,” said V Reeves, an organizer with the houseless advocacy organization HAND. “If you are in your community and in your neighborhood and you want to start something, that’s beautiful, but please make sure that you are first consulting those in need and check that you’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, trying to do something that already exists.”
