This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance.
People gathered by the thousands Saturday in communities across Northern Colorado to protest the Trump administration, in the largest mass protest the state has seen in years.
The so-called “No Kings” rallies in Boulder and Fort Collins were some of Colorado’s biggest outside of Denver. There were also demonstrations in Greeley, Estes Park, Steamboat Springs and elsewhere.
The protests were mostly peaceful, and demonstrators expressed a wide range of grievances with the Trump administration, from immigration policy to women's and LGBTQ+ rights to government overreach.
Boulder
A huge crowd of longtime locals, college students and young families braved the almost 90-degree heat to gather in downtown Boulder Saturday morning.
Rallygoers, energized by their shared frustration with the federal government, filled the park between Boulder’s library and municipal building as they listened to speeches from local officials and activists.
When the speeches ended, demonstrators moved along Broadway and Boulder Canyon Drive, one of the city’s busiest intersections. Thousands ended up lining the streets as cars and trucks revved their engines and honked, generally in support.
One longtime Boulder local at the rally, Mike Kercheval, wasn’t just angry at Trump. He said he wants to send a message to Democrats, too.
"What's going on is wrong in Washington, and nobody seems to be standing up and taking any action, disappointed in our Democrats," said Kercheval, who was there with his wife and friends.
Despite their frustration, demonstrators were overwhelmingly positive and collegial. The atmosphere felt almost like a festival at times with some people sitting on the grass in camping chairs. The rally also seemed to blend with the popular farmers market just a block away. There were no counter protesters visible or clashes with police.
People said they felt a strong camaraderie with those around them.
“Rather than being isolated and hating what's going on in your own home and thinking you're powerless, it makes you realize there are many, many other people who feel the same way, and together, there probably is some hope,” said Rosie Cowell, another Boulder resident.
But not everyone at the rally shared Cowell’s optimism. For some of the younger attendees, they said it was important to show up, but they didn’t have as much hope for positive change.
"We've been going to these protests since we're 11, and unfortunately, it's not done all that much," said University of Colorado Boulder senior Sebastian Hernandez. “But, you know, there's nothing much to do except protest, so we're doing what we can.”
For others, attending the rally was also deeply personal. One attendee, a Boulder business owner who recently received her US citizenship, said it’s important for her to be at the rally when so many other immigrants don’t feel safe.
She requested KUNC only use her first name, Kavita, because she is worried about potential retaliation.
“It makes me feel more empowered to be out here and represent my immigrant counterparts who maybe don't feel that same empowerment,” Kavita said. “If this was going on when I was still on my Green Card or still on my student visa, this would have been a terrifying, terrifying time.”
Fort Collins & Greeley
Fifty miles to the north, another huge crowd convened at the Colorado State University campus for the “No Kings” protest in Fort Collins.
Organizers estimated that the crowds numbered in the thousands, and the protestors gathered on campus before bringing their signs and chants along a marching route into Old Town.
One attendee, Linda Johnson, is an Air Force veteran who said she’s concerned about the direction the country is moving.
“We are plunging rapidly into an authoritarian government,” Johnson said. “I took the oath, just like the president and everybody else took the oath to defend the Constitution, and they are not doing that.”
A small handful of pro-Trump counter-protestors stood on a street corner waving flags as the protestors marched by, but there did not appear to be any conflict between the two groups.
“We all deserve much better as a country and as long as any of us have privilege we should all use it to stand up for the people that don’t,” said Fort Collins resident Katie McKie.
Several hundred people also gathered for a “No Kings” rally in downtown Greeley’s Lincoln Park.
Participants, many of whom were Latino, waved American flags, LGBTQ+ pride flags, and homemade signs as they chanted and listened to speakers before marching around the park.
Speakers included Colorado State Treasurer Dave Young, who is running to replace US Rep. Gabe Evans, who represents Greeley. A standing cutout of Rep. Evans looked on as rally participants chanted, “Where’s Gabe?”
There was at least one counter-protest at the Greeley rally. A man pulled up to a curb near the crowd on a motorcycle with a bullhorn, but was quickly shouted down with chants and ignored.
