DENVER (KDVR) — A group that has planned a series of “No King” themed national protests is planning more rallies across the U.S. and in the Denver area this weekend to share their viewpoint on the current state of American politics and the Trump administration.
This is the second “No Kings” branded rally, with similar rallies also held in July, August and September, but with a much smaller turnout than the February event. Denver saw thousands of people protesting and marching near the Colorado Capitol.
Now, renewed energy for the movement has spurred dozens of protests planned in Colorado and thousands are expected to join Denver’s event on Saturday.
The events are being planned by the Colorado chapter of 50501, the same group that has been planning 50 protests in 50 states on one day, including events on President Donald Trump’s birthday and widespread February protests. The group has been using the rally title “no kings” to share its message, “In America, we don’t have kings.”
Organizers say that the participants will be protesting Trump’s “authoritarian overreach” and militarized crackdown on Democrat-led cities across America, such as sending members of the Texas National Guard to Chicago and authorizing masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to use force against U.S. citizens in the agents’ pursuit of undocumented immigrants.
“They are targeting immigrant families; profiling, detaining and arresting people without warrants; threatening to compromise free and fair elections; gutting healthcare when families need it most; stripping environmental protections; gerrymandering electoral maps to disenfranchise voters; ignoring mass shootings at our schools, places of worship and in our communities; and driving up the cost of living – all while handing out massive giveaways to billionaires as families struggle,” said Indivisible Table Mountain in its announcement for Oct. 18. The group is hosting a rally along Washington Avenue in Golden.
The organizers also emphasize that the events are designed to be peaceful mass mobilizations in response to Trump’s administration. Confrontations during the previous “No Kings” rally were isolated, including in Denver.
Some conservative politicians have condemned the protests as “Hate America” rallies, while others say that it represents a “patriotic” fight for First Amendment rights.
The “No Kings” organizers have led numerous virtual safety trainings leading up to the protests with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is listed as an official partner on the “No Kings” website.
The trainings informed viewers about their rights during protests — such as whether you are required to carry ID or if wearing a mask is allowed (both vary according to each state) — and emphasized de-escalation techniques for encounters with law enforcement.
Each official protest has a safety plan, which includes designated medics and emergency meeting spots.
The Regional Transportation District announced Thursday that it was taking steps to prepare for “an expected large presence of demonstrators on Saturday, Oct. 19, in downtown Denver and nearby cities across its service area.” RTD said it has made several contingency plans if the event disrupts fixed-route bus and rail services.
The transportation agency said that customers should be prepared for large crowds and sign up for service alerts in case of disruptions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
