Thousands rally outside of Colorado State Capitol joining nationwide ‘Hands Off!’ protest

Enormous crowds gathered in Boulder and Denver, and cities across Colorado and the country on Saturday, in a demonstration of growing opposition to the Trump administration.

Thousands came together in Denver alone, joining an estimated millions across the U.S. and around the globe for a National Day of Protest, initiated by the pro-democracy movement Hands Off 2025. Organizers are calling Saturday the largest day of collective action since Trump officially took office back in January.

Many of the Colorado-specific protests – including the rally and march in Denver – were organized by the state’s 50501 Movement, in collaboration with a number of other social movement groups.

In Boulder, people rallied at the corner of Table Mesa and Broadway, lining Broadway all the way to Baseline. KGNU’s Don Davis attended that rally. You’ll hear from those protestors tomorrow, on the Morning Magazine.

Coloradans also rallied in Lyons, Longmont, Greeley, Durango, Telluride, and Fort Collins to oppose Trump and Elon Musk, and the administration’s job and funding cuts, tariffs, and executive orders.

KGNU’s Jackie Sedley went to Denver on Saturday, where people of all ages and backgrounds rallied outside of the Capitol building starting at noon, spanning the direct perimeter and overflowing onto the front lawn. They collectively called out the federal government by drawing attention to a number of issues with colorful signs and straightforward chants. Cardboard rectangles with bright bolded lettering read, “No Kings In This Land!,” “We the People Reject the Oligarchy!,” “Democracy Not Dictatorship,” and more.

The issues attendees creatively brought to the table were hard to count: from the administration’s mass firing of federal workers, to immigration raids; from union busting to the invasion of privacy; from attacks on the press to threats against healthcare – so many themes and topics came together under one day of action.

Many local organizers and community members addressed the crowd over the course of the first hour-and-a-half of the protest, which you can listen to below. 

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