No Kings Rally

Almost 18,000 people took to the streets on the "No Kings" day of protest in the Northern Colorado cities of Fort Collins and Loveland with more protests in Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Longmont and other locations.  An estimated 5 million+ joined across the country in over 2,000 locations, including cities, towns, and rural communities. This represents a dramatic increase in turnout over the last national days of protest in April and May.

In Fort Collins organizers estimated 10,000 people joined the protest. IndivisibleNOCO and partners, Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA); American Association of University Professors (AAUP); Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Interdisciplinary Rams Alliance (SIRA); NoCo4Palestine; and Jewish Voices for Peace, gathered to exercise constitutional rights to speak out in opposition to the President’s actions and policies and to protest peacefully.  The event started with live music by a progressive bluegrass band, States Duo, Janie Stein and Martin Bates, community action tables, and speakers followed by a 2.5 mile march along College Avenue returning to the CSU campus. The event concluded with no arrests, incidents, or medical emergencies.

Local elected officials also attended, including State Senator Cathy Kipp, County Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally, County Commissioner Kristen Stephens, and State Representative Yara Zokaie who spoke to the crowd.

Almost 6% of Fort Collins’ population showed up for the protest. Research on specific social action campaigns indicates that mass nonviolent protests involving at least 3.5% of the population may increase the likelihood of bringing about change (https://www.hks.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/2024-05/Erica%20Chenoweth_2020-005.pdf).

In Loveland, organizers estimated that 1,720 people joined the protest at Webster Park near Lake Loveland.  Protesters lined the street along Eisenhower Boulevard for blocks.  This represents 2.2% of Loveland’s population.

Quotes

“The military display by President Trump and his administration has cost millions of taxpayer dollars, while budget cuts threaten essential programs like Social Security, SNAP, Medicaid, and Medicare. These actions not only harm everyone including the most vulnerable among us and also undermine everything our flag represents.” stated an IndivisibleNOCO board member.

“The “No Kings” protest showed the strong community support for democracy and outrage against the abuses of power, cruelty, and corruption demonstrated by the Trump administration.”  stated an IndivisibleNOCO board member. “We’re demanding a government that works for people, not against them.”

Quotes from Fort Collins

“My story, like all of your unique stories, demonstrates the endless possibilities of the American dream. A dream that is not defined by how much we have or where we come from but is born out of where we see ourselves. When we all stand as a nation to dream, we push for a collective and innovative future.” stated CSU Doctoral Student, Cassandra Puletapuai, SIRA Member.

“This is not a drill and it's not a joke. If you feel scared right now - good, because that means you understand. We have seen this before. Germany in the 30s, Japanese internment in the 40s, McCarthyism in the 50s, Kent State in the 60s.” stated Carla Felts, Army Veteran and Therapist, Founder of Mindshift Counseling and Consulting.

“Colorado, today we need to send a clear message that we are not going to succumb to a dictator, that we are not going to assist ICE in tearing our communities apart. We need to send them out. Freedom for all means freedom for ALL.” stated Representative Yara Zokaie, CO House District 52.

“This semester two of my students had their visas revoked without any semblance of due process. One day they were in my class and then the next they were on flights home. Even tenured faculty with green cards are at risk. These attacks undermine American universities, and they undermine the United States' place in the world. We must fight back!” stated CSU Professor, Anders Fremsted, Associate Professor of Microeconomics, Environmental Economics and Political Economy.