The protest was well attended – the front lawn and steps of the Colorado State Capitol were pretty full, plus the street in front was filled when the protesters who were walking around the block in front of the Capitol paraded there.
There were a hell of a lot of young hispanic folks there, some of them looked to be high school age. There were more Mexican flags than US flags. That crowd was mainly near the street and on the first flight of stairs in front of the Capitol. The second group higher up the steps had more anti-Musk signs and was older and whiter.
I met up with Comrade Scott and long-time lurker Steve on the front steps — good to see some of you there. I’m sure there were others I missed since it was a big crowd.
(Imgur used to let me embed a slideshow but I guess you need to click on the image to see the rest.)
Edit: One thing to note about the police — there weren’t many. Just motorcycle cops stopping traffic and a few others blocking traffic with their cars. I don’t know if this was the intention of the organizers, but there are a lot of protests at state capitols, so picking those as a location was smart, because the cops there are used to seeing protests and are probably less likely to freak out about people peacefully assembling than the average police officer.
sab
We have so many Steves lurking. It gets confusing. Steve the wrong side labor guy. Steve the maneless lion.
Wag
Glad to see good attendance. Family health issues have prevented me from attending today and yesterday at Bennet and Hickenlooper’s office es, but I look forward to joining you soon.
Betty Cracker
Thank you for showing up!
A Ghost to Most
I asked the wife about going, but she needed to shuffle the schedule to shop at Safeway, since King Soopers goes on strike tomorrow. Nice day for it, though. I’m sure there will more.
Old School
Love that first sign.
No One of Consequence
Whooboy, I needed that sign right now. Laughed my ass off. And I have much more ass than I used to, so it took a while.
Thank you most kindly, humor for the dark times, or dark for the humor times. Take your pick, but thanks all the same.
-NOoC
RaflW
Sorry I missed y’all. My flight was on time, but it took well over an hour to get bags and over & out of the Pikes Peak lot. It sounds like it’s spun down now,.and I have 90+ mins of driving yet today.
I have a really shitty update from Minnesota. Several progressive clergy, in rainbow or heart stoles, went to Sen Amy Klobuchar’s Minneapolis office today. Unlike the successful visit in Colorado I read about this morning, someone called the cops and had the clergy escorted out.
My friend who posted said the popo were very chill and polite. But JFC what is wrong with Amy’s staff?
I get that they probably all have security worries. But among other things, it shows how much Amy has turned her back on progressive people of faith that (I guess) no one in her Minneapolis office even recognized these clergy? They’re well known, peaceful people, several are serving Twin Cities congregations.
I called Amy’s D.C. office (on my own volition) and left a fairly shouty voicemail asking what they think they’re doing calling the cops on people of faith peacefully wanting a few words of conversation. I left my full name, zip code and phone number and specifically demanded a call back.
We’ll see.
(I know we’re supposed to be polite. I refrained from any swearing, and tried to be clear and direct but not overly livid. I was middling successful at that.)
sentient ai from the future
spoke with senior senator’s staff today, with kiddo present. it was about as reassuring as we can get in this environment, as they are literally on the correct side of all the immediate concerns, so between my distress it was entirely attacritters
ArchTeryx
@RaflW: When OUR SIDE calls the cops on our own people – clergy! – petitioning for a redress of grievances, you know we’re in deep, deep trouble. And of course, the cops hauled them off. At least they had enough brain cells to realize that brutalizing freaking clergy was a very, very bad look
You expect that shit from fascist Republicans (but I repeat myself). But one of OUR Senators? Someone needs to sit down and have a long talk with Amy Klobuchar and it ain’t Schumer, because he’s far too spineless for such a thing.
Raven
Hundreds gather outside the Capitol in Atlanta to protest President Trump and Project 2025.
@mistermix.bsky.social
@RaflW: I don’t know the details of what happened at Klobuchar’s office but sounds like a huge staff fail. Been in the same place a long time ago — you get walk ins, some of them have an axe to grind, but let them sit and have their say, unless they’re agitated / threatening.
Redshift
Through Indivisible I’ve organized a visit to Mark Warner’s NoVa office tomorrow, and local jackals are more than welcome to join (and if you can’t make it in short notice, I’m sure there will be more.)
I have gotten to read up on the latest Senate action yet, but it sounds like maybe they’re already doing what we’re asking right now. If so, I’m more than happy to do “thanks, keep it up” instead of delivering demands.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@RaflW:
Hohleee shit, that’s tone deaf, meaning Klobuchar’s office reaction.
I’d keep after her DC office. It’s one thing to treat loud protesters acting obnoxious and being aggressive, but unless the retired clergy were packing or screaming “FUCK YOU” repetitively, there’s *zero* excuse for that treatment.
Bennet’s senior person there sat with the 50 or so who showed at his office for an *hour*. And although Hick’s young quad of staffers were with us for 30 minutes, by the time they signaled it was over, yeah, it was basically over.
I just got back. There was a lot of marching as the day wore on. Around the Capitol, but then they had folks go down 14th whereas earlier they sent them up Broadway.
It was a fantastic turnout and as the day progressed, you could see basically “pods” of interest groups gather like trans, data, coup, immigration.
Per MM, the Hispanic presence, particularly Mexican, was damned impressive. This was a really diverse crowd in general and the sense I got from chatting with folks as the afternoon wore on was that *nobody* expected this turnout. It was easily in the thousands.
Signs: I’m gonna email MM a couple of others I snapped. He had an idea of creating a sign library. We’re probably gonna need it.
Trollhattan
Dude I thought had the inside track for CA governor in 2028 is not running for governor in 2028.
I remain a politics genius.
Ohio Mom
For Pete’s sake, a Senator’s office is not a retail store or an emergency room. Of course you need an appointment, which you will surely get, especially of you are a constituent. That is just common courtesy. You outraged people are wrong.
Scout211
@Trollhattan: When the news was all, “What will Kamala do next?” there was speculation that the bigger Dem names would step aside for Kamala if she chose to to run for governor. I have no idea if that might be why Bonta bowed out, but it’s irresponsible not to speculate!
Governor Harris. Yes, please.
TBone
PA Represents (don’t read the comments).
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zAJtVSQ-Iy0
greengoblin
Whatever happened to the Trump baby balloon? The picture got me wondering.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@Ohio Mom:
The level of response was far out of proportion to the “ask”.
The people organizing our event in Denver didn’t have an appointment and they made it very clear that they were going to go in and ask to speak to staff, not *demand* to speak to staff.
We all waited outside. If staff had said “no thanks”, the organizers had a letter ready to submit to staff that was a run down of what the discussion would be. We would have left.
Klobuchar’s staff could have taken any number of better responses to this if they didn’t want to meet with those people at that specific point in time. No bridges burned, everybody would have presumably understood.
Calling the cops? That’s obnoxious and the good Senator should be told that repeatedly.
Geoduck
I passed through the protest in Olympia, WA in front of the capitol dome. Not a huge crowd, but it was enthusiastic and waving lots of signs at the passing drivers. It was cold and snowing, which probably dampened turnout.
greengoblin
@Geoduck: Seattle Times reported about 1500. Not bad for a cold, snowy Wednesday
Edited to add that there was a gathering at the federal building in Seattle as well. Not sure how big it was.
WereBear
Only the first of many, I hear. Good news.
jimmiraybob
Cold, cloudy day with off and on drizzle and mist in Jefferson City, MO. I was at the 50501 with friends for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours and at the peak there were about 200 people spread out across the steps of the Capitol building under a large statue of Jefferson. Very enthusiastic with a wide range in ages. Some very loud chants. No real counter protest although one guy mooned the protesters. decent press presence.
Anyway
Are there any protests at red state senators, Squeaker Johnson’s office, TX universities? RThug reps have a lot of power now — should be targeting them.
ETA just saw the report about the protest in MO.
Mom Says I*m Handsome
Denver’s capitol is within walking distance of a couple of high schools, including East and Denver School of the Arts (where my kids go). The faculty allows the kids to walk to protests & treats it as an excused absence.