In another round of protest against President Donald Trump's travel ban, hundreds of people showed up to Civic Center Park on Saturday to support Denver's Muslims at the Protect Our Muslim Neighbors Rally.
The demonstration was organized by local activist Queen Phoenix, aka Dezy, and featured the voices of refugees, immigrants and the allies fighting to help them.
It came on the heels of news on Friday that U.S. District Judge James L. Robart entered a temporary, nationwide stop to the president's order and the State Department said that the previously banned travelers will now be allowed to enter the U.S.
The Civic Center Park amphitheater was full to the brim, but the rest of the park was not occupied.
At 3:34, those in attendance who needed to take part in Islam's afternoon prayer, the Asr prayer, did so. Over the course of a half hour the audience shifted to the right as prayers moved to the left, creating a large worship space.
Below is a series of speeches from the beginning of the event just after 1 p.m.
The rally was the most visible event in a day packed with civic engagement in metro Denver.
A town hall meeting held by Rep. Diana DeGette drew close to 1,000 of her constituents eager to discuss Trump's executive orders and the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Her office said her forums usually only draw 200 to 300 people.
Outside Sen. Cory Gardner's empty office in downtown office, more than 100 people rallied to urge him to vote against Department of Education nominee Betsy DeVos.
And an Aurora Sentinel reporter was surprised to find about 50 people at a Saturday morning town hall meeting.
Kevin J. Beaty contributed to this report.
More on the Denver reaction to the travel ban (and more photos)
- Hundreds of people went to Denver International Airport to protest last Saturday. (And no one was arrested.) They went back the next day, too.
- A group of lawyers also went out to DIA to support anyone who might be detained and need their help. A couple from Iran and a Syrian woman with a baby were briefly detained, but were eventually allowed to leave.
- Colorado lawmakers were denouncing the ban. Denver schools and the teacher’s union have also voiced their opposition, as have refugee students at South High School and the Nuggets’ Kenneth Faried.
- The ACLU of Colorado has begun work to find out how Customs and Border Protection officers are interpreting and implementing the order, and the Colorado House passed a symbolic resolution urging its repeal.
- Members of Denver’s Immigrant and Refugee Commission told Mayor Hancock that fear in their communities is widespread and intense, and asked what he plans to do next.
