This Saturday, June 14, Denver’s “No Kings” protest will take place at the Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park near the Colorado State Capitol.
The protest is part of a national call for mass demonstrations against the Trump administration — falling on the same day as President Donald Trump’s birthday and a military parade that could cost between $25 and $45 million.
The protest will start at noon and run until 4 p.m. After that, another protest against ICE raids and deportations organized by the Denver Party for Socialism will take place at the Colorado State Capitol.
Denverites can expect traffic and parking difficulties across Broadway, Colfax Avenue, 14th Avenue, and Lincoln Street for most of the day. The RTD bus lines with stops on East Colfax Avenue and Broadway and East 13th Avenue and Lincoln Street should be working as usual. Up-to-date information will be available through RTD’s website.
More about the protest
The No Kings protests have been widely advertised across different mediums, including an ad in The New York Times paid for by Walmart heiress Christy Walton.
Social media platforms have seen a lot of movement, with tens of thousands of people sharing Instagram posts about the protest nationwide. The Colorado chapter of the 50501 movement told KDVR they were expecting 8,000 people at the Denver protest.
The protests were scheduled as a “nationwide day of defiance” to coincide with the military parade. Critics have blasted the parade as a wasteful celebration of Trump, while the administration says it’s about the 250th anniversary of the creation of the Continental Army, which also falls on Saturday.
The protests also are in opposition to Trump’s funding cuts, deportations and defiance of judges in immigration cases.
Along with the protest, Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park will house a fair where over 30 organizations will hold food drives, games, music, and showcasing the work of activist groups. The fair will include groups like Indivisible Action Denver and the Colorado chapter of 5051.
Denver is just one of many 'No Kings' events and other protests
An official map on the “No Kings” official website shows over 40 protests planned across Colorado, including in cities like Littleton, Arvada, Westminster, Fort Collins, and Boulder — which remains on edge after a recent firebombing attack.
The city of Parker is also set for a “No Kings” demonstration, despite the town refusing to issue a permit due to a scheduling conflict with the Parker Days Festival.
The “No Kings” demonstrations come at an intense time. The Trump administration has deployed thousands of National Guard soldiers and Marines to Los Angeles despite Gov. Gavin Newsom's complaints that intervention would only escalate the protests against immigration raids and deportations. Police have made hundreds of arrests in Los Angeles, with some protesters throwing objects at officers and burning autonomous vehicles.
In Denver, a Tuesday protest at the Capitol remained peaceful, while another group attempted to march onto Interstate 25, only to be dispersed by arrests and officers’ use of smoke canisters and pepper balls.
Despite these tensions, all the event invites for the “No Kings” protests state a commitment to “nonviolent action” and that all participants are expected to “de-escalate any potential confrontation.”
