(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A nationwide day of action took place on Wednesday, Feb. 4 called “50 protests in 50 states”. According to a Facebook post, “this protest is aimed at opposing actions taken by the Trump Administration and their connections to Project 2025.” It included one protest right here in Downtown Colorado Springs.
The group of demonstrators FOX21 News spoke with said it’s a peaceful, non-violent protest to defend the constitution, the bill of rights, and democracy itself. It started at City Hall, and later made its way to Acacia Park.
The people at the gathering said it’s completely grass roots, meaning it’s not sponsored by any organization, but started and spread by word of mouth.
“We’re having to live through several weeks, maybe several months, of a near authoritarian/dictator type situation, with no legislative or judicial oversight of anything,” said Loring Wirbel, who was out protesting with the group.
They’re upset with the new president’s executive orders, actions, and plans. Signs there said things like, “Jesus was an immigrant”, and “hate has no home in Colorado Springs”.
“As a Christian, I know that Jesus was a refugee and was an immigrant. I am especially troubled that some of the changes we’ve seen over the last couple of weeks are being done in the name of Christianity, or kind of cloaked in that language, in God language, because I serve a God who is always lifting people up,” said Amy Zimbelman, a Mennonite who was at the protest representing progressive Christians.
They argue that people’s rights are under attack, federal workers are losing their jobs, and government overreach is expanding.
“I think that if they were to propose budgets that went through a normal congressional process, they could do things that might get Trump’s message across over time. The problem is, he’s trying to blast everything through by executive order,” said Wirbel.
Protesters are concerned for human rights and hoping to show solidarity for their fight within the community.
“Trump’s comments on the Gaza Strip… if you’re talking about expelling all Palestinians, we could be deploying troops. We’re already deploying troops for the purposes of immigration, and we could be sending troops to Gaza within a matter of days or weeks,” said Wirbel.
Feelings expressed there included grief and frustration at the new administration, but also hope because of the people who showed up to protest.
“To women, to LGBTQ folks, to refugees, to immigrants, to anyone who’s been mistreated in society, Jesus was walking alongside those folks and privileging their voices. So to see those voices being demeaned, and to see dignity being taken away from the least of these in our society, is something that I hope all Christians and people of conscience would speak out against,” said Zimbelman.
In response to the protest, Todd Watkins, the Vice President of El Paso County’s GOP said, “I am pleased that they are somewhat emphatically stating that this is a non-violent protest, which is not what I’m used to from the left. I am also, as a constitution-loving American, pleased to see that they feel safe enough to have public gatherings, protest, and express their grievances. I wish them well at their rally.”
