At least 100 demonstrators gathered Saturday afternoon on the steps of the State Capitol building to make their voices heard against white supremacy, oppression and discrimination.
Some held picket signs: “Strength through unity,” “Love unites,” “We will not be silent” and “Respect our existence or respect our resistance,” to name a few.
“This country is big enough, this country is rich enough, to honor everyone,” Rudy Gonzales told the crowd.
Many people weren’t able to say specifically what they were protesting, but with the new tax bill that the Senate passed early Saturday and President Trump tweeting links to three anti-Muslim videos, people are finding plenty of events to talk about.
Tay Anderson, a local activist, also spoke. He began his speech by saying if anyone in the crowd voted for Trump then they were at the wrong protest.
“We’re here to stand up against stupidity,” Mellisa Blea said. “Stop being so ignorant.”
She said that the main reason she came out to the protest was to bring awareness to those that are feeling oppressed in America right now.
“Stop living in a fantasy world,” she said. “Things need to change.”
Andrea Chavez, 38, came out with her son, Jaden Anderson, 12, to be seen and to make her voice heard.
“I’m here to stand in solidarity with my state, for equality for everyone,” she said. Chavez hopes the demonstration opens the eyes of community members in Denver and encourages them to come out as well.
“We need to be as one so government will not split us apart,” Chavez, who was born and raised in Colorado, said. “We are the people. I’m here just to fight for equality for everybody.”
Also on hand Saturday was Shane Reeves, 44, of Boulder, a self-proclaimed “right-winger.”
“I think it’s a protest for imaginary things,” Reeves said, who was forced by police to stand toward the back of the crowd Saturday afternoon because it was a permitted protest. “I think, honestly, it’s a giant snowflake protest. I don’t think that black lives matter or racism exists in the United States.”
When asked, “What did you come out here to do?” Reeves replied, “To be a jerk.”