DENVER (KDVR) — Hundreds of people marched through downtown Denver Tuesday evening, calling for an end to immigration enforcement raids and announcing solidarity with demonstrators in Los Angeles.
The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition was asking people to mobilize, to stand with protesters in Los Angeles. Marchers gathered on the west steps of the Colorado Capitol before winding their way to pause outside the federal courthouse.
Marchers chanted, carried signs, and temporarily blocked traffic as they made their way through the city’s core.
“It’s not just happening in Los Angeles,” said Alfonso, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation Denver. “It’s happening across the country, it’s happening here, so people are coming out and showing they are willing to defend their rights.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the Denver Police Department told FOX31 it was aware of the protest and that “safety is the top priority.” At about 8 p.m., FOX31 saw Denver police begin to deploy crowd control gas.
Early Tuesday evening, there was a crowd of people lining the sidewalks outside the Capitol holding anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement posters. Vehicles were honking horns as they drove by.
“If they choose to keep attacking people’s rights, there’s going to be a response,” Alfonso added. “ICE should be mindful of the fact that they can’t get away with their behavior.”
Amy Beck with Together Denver echoed that message.
“We would like ICE to leave our immigrant community alone,” Beck said. “Get out of Denver, that would be the main message. We don’t need them here—they are messing with our economy, they are terrorizing our community, and we don’t want them here.”
This is the second anti-ICE protest in Colorado in two days.
In a press release, the group said, “People are not backing down.”
The group said it wanted to show support for the people in California protesting against immigrant raids there. Organizers said the protest is just the beginning, with more actions planned in the coming weeks. Their goal is to push Colorado lawmakers to cut ties with ICE and to pass policies they say would better protect immigrant families.
The Department of Homeland Security has said in social media posts that the protests in L.A. were “not a peaceful protest.” DHS also said that what was happening in LA is a “violent riot” and that “order will be restored.”
