Aurora, CO – On the evening of Monday March 24, around 300 community members rallied in front of the GEO Group ICE Processing Center in Aurora, Colorado for a vigil protesting the unjust detention of community organizer Jeanette Vizguerra. It marked one week since Jeanette was abducted by ICE from her place of work without warning.

Vizguerra joined the rally over a phone call from within the detention center, and had her words translated by her daughter Luna Baez. She thanked the people for their presence in the fight and said, “I want everyone here to grow, for more people to show up every single Monday and keep in mind that there are other people in here, and that they have the same needs and wants at the end of the day. They all just want to go back to their family as well as address all the injustices that this administration has done to us. We need to see the people rise up.”

Those at the action came from different sectors of the people’s struggle and from all over Colorado. Dr. Mohamed Kuziez, a local pediatrician and member of Doctors Against Genocide who recently returned from providing medical aid to the children of Gaza said, “Jeanette is a part of this community. She has been part of this community longer than I have. But by fate or fortune, I was born in the U.S. She has contributed to this community and given back.” He went on, “Jeanette is a model of the kind of person that I love having in my community, and I'm determined to fight for her.”

Members of Aurora Unidos CSO held a banner of a red fist punching through a wall that read, “Nadie es ilegal en tierras robadas – No one is illegal on stolen land.”

Brandon Gherke, an organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO said, “Jeanette has been an organizer in the movement for years now, and we’ve got to stand up for people in our movement and defend our political prisoners and stand against these deportations.”

Gherke continued, “We know that coming out one time is not gonna fix the problem. We’re gonna start building campaigns to free Jeanette, consistently putting on pressure. The people make history, and that’s how we’re going to achieve freedom for Jeanette.”

Local musicians also performed at the rally. Los Mocochetes, a local Chicano Funk band, performed songs of liberation and one calling for the freeing of Vizguerra, while the crowd clapped in unison with the beat. The music could be heard echoing off the walls of the facility, loud enough for those inside to hear.

Among the musical performers was Jamie “Jonny Five” Laurie, a lead vocalist of the Flobots. Laurie joined the action to raise his voice for Vizguerra. Asked what he would say to Vizguerra if given the opportunity Laurie said, “I would say thank you for continuing to organize inside those walls.”

Laurie continued, “I have some community connection to other people who are who have cousins in there, who have other folks even from countries that don't get much attention and don't have a common language with people and so I know there's a lot of people in there that feel truly alone and to have somebody like her taking the time to organize and tell other people stories even as she's struggling with her own struggle, you know just speaks to the very best of humanity and so I would just want to thank her.”

The vigil ended with a statement from Vizguerra's daughter Luna, saying “Go ahead and spread the campaign. #JeanetteBelongsHere on any and all sorts of platforms. I just say let's keep on fighting as much as they try to go ahead and shut our voices down. They tried to shut my mom down. They fucked up. She has citizen children here. I don't shut up either.”

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #AUCSO #ICE #Vizguerra

Denver, CO – On March 21, more than 150 people gathered at the Berkeley Community Church on Denver’s north side to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Romero Theater Troupe, a radical community theater group that elevates people’s history through plays, poetry and song.

Jim Walsh, a political science professor at CU Denver and founder of the Romero Theater Troupe described the ensemble, saying, “We’re an all-volunteer, organic, radical theater, and we do everything we do without a budget, without a director, and we use a consensus-based collaborative model that no one else has pulled off except for us – and tonight we’re celebrating 20 years of success in that.”

True to their principle of solidarity, the Romero Troupe used this opportunity to raise money for their fellow player Jeanette Vizguerra. Vizguerra, a community organizer and 13-year member of the Romero Troupe was recently kidnapped by ICE after finishing a shift at work at Target.

Vizguerra’s comrades in the Romero Troupe spoke about their memories of her, her tenacity in the struggle, and the community fight to see her freed from her unlawful detention at the GEO Detention Facility in Aurora.

Regarding Vizguerra’s detention, Walsh said, “She was targeted because she holds ICE accountable, and I think ICE has no idea the mistake they made, because they’ve just provided this country with someone to rally and galvanize around. A federal judge ruled today that ICE cannot deport Jeannette without a hearing. This is a huge victory for Jeannette.”

Walsh continued, “She’s likely to win that hearing and be able to remain here, and the entire immigrant rights movement looks to Jeannette for strength, so we’re going to raise money for her and her family tonight.”

Among the performers is Alexander Landau, a member of 13 years with the Troupe and a leader in police accountability activism in Denver ever since he was brutally beaten by Denver police in 2009.

Speaking on the recent developments in Vizguerra’s fight, Landau said , “I believe that it is a demonstration of what community looks like, and has the influence and power to do, especially in these instances where systemic racism has captured one of our sisters.” He continued, “Had this case fallen on deaf ears – had the community not spoken up – I believe she would be in a very different place right now.”

The evening featured several performances that retold episodes of the history of people’s struggle. Members of the Troupe re-enacted Landau’s brutalization and fight-back for justice. They honored the Auraria Encampment for Palestine with a performance of the Battle for Auraria of April 26th, 2024 -showing how the protesters united to drive off an army of police. Other performances featured individual accounts of immigration rights struggles by those who had survived them, and the story of the Flint sit down strike of 1936.

“This is the essence of what the Romero Troupe is. We are storytellers,” remarked Merrill “Arnie” Carter.

The evening ended in a folk sing-along featuring lively renditions of Saint Patrick’s Battalion, Union Maid, De Colores, and We Shall Not Be Moved, many of the songs sung in a mix of English and Spanish.

#DenverCO #CO #Culture #Theatre

Denver, CO – On March 19, Colorado Worker Rights United, a coalition of labor unions, gathered at the Colorado State Capitol to rally for the Worker Protection Act, which is currently under consideration by Colorado lawmakers. Around 150 union workers gathered on the steps raising signs and showing support for measure has passed the senate and is on the way to the house and governor.

Several elected officials made speeches that called for the passage of this act, which would eliminate the need for a second union election to start the collective bargaining process.

A member of Starbucks Workers United spoke to the hardship that she faced trying to organize Starbucks in Denver, including the harassment and constant threats that she and her coworkers faced daily and how many of her coworkers left the job due to constant harassment from management. She also spoke to the second election that Colorado calls the “labor peace act” which requires a second union confirmation vote and requires 75% of all employees to vote yes for a union, stating, “Last time I checked we only voted for our state representatives once, we only vote for our governor once and we only vote for the president once, and I’m pretty sure most of our elected officials here today didn’t get 75% of their vote.”

After a few more speeches from elected officials encouraging Governor Jared Polis to sign the bill, long time Teamster Ronnie Houston closed out the event by speaking to the wins unions have gained. Members chanted “Sign this bill” as the march around the capitol began. Union organizers, rank and file members and elected officials walked around the capitol chanting, “Who’s got the power? We got the power! What kind of power? Union power!”

Colorado Worker Rights United is a coalition of local unions that represent a number of Colorado including the CWA, IBEW, IATSE, SEIU, Teamsters and a few others.

#DenverCO #CO #Labor

Denver, CO – On Wednesday, March 19, hundreds of Coloradans rallied on the Auraria Campus in Denver to protest Trump’s attacks on free speech and the politically motivated detainment of activists.

The crowd, led by Denver Students for a Democratic Society, marched around the campus, chanting “We want justice, you say how? Free Mahmoud Khalil now!” and “Say it once, say it twice! We do not fuck with ICE!”

This protest came out of a national emergency day of action called by National Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) after the detention of Mahmoud Khalil on March 9. Khalil is a Palestinian permanent U.S. resident and Columbia University graduate who was one of the leaders of the encampment for Gaza on that New York campus last spring.

Another Palestinian Columbia student activist and encampment participant, Leqaa Kordia, was taken into ICE custody for “supporting terrorism” and allegedly overstaying her student visa, according to a Department of Homeland Security press release.

Colorado was also hit by the detainments of political activists. On March 17, Jeanette Vizguerra, an undocumented immigrant and prominent activist who has supported immigrant rights and anti-war movements across the state, was abducted from her workplace without a warrant. She was sent to the GEO Group ICE Processing Center in Aurora, which is infamous for its poor treatment of prisoners.

Luna Baez, Jeanette’s daughter, gave an update on her mother’s legal status and fight against her deportation, stating “At this time we are still waiting on responses. Yesterday we stood outside GEO in freezing rain, there was a lot of wind, it was a lot to go through. I very much appreciate the energy and the attention that you guys have towards this issue, and hopefully we can go ahead and mobilize and not only help my mom but help anyone else affected by this issue.”

Shaine Carroll-Frey, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, stated, “These things are connected, these are political attacks because Jeanette is an activist and Mahmoud is an activist. So what Trump is trying to do is outlaw protest and outlaw political dissent. We cannot let him!” Student voices are not the only ones calling for the release of Mahmoud Khalil, Leqaa Kordia and Jeanette Vizguerra. Since Khalil’s unlawful arrest, there have been protests across the United States for which thousands of people show up to demand an end to deportations, arrests of political activists and Trump’s attacks on free speech – and there are no signs of the national movement against the Trump administration stopping.

“Today we are somber, but we are invigorated. We are hurting, but we are also hopeful. We are facing a difficult time, but we are here doing it in solidarity,” assured Yoselin Corrales, an organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO. “Immigration and free speech are not a crime.”

#DenverCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #AntiWarMovement

Denver, CO – On March 19 at the Denver International Airport, the United Airlines union, the Association of Flight Attendants, held a day of action.

About 50 picketers gathered outside the airport to show support for a new contract for United Airlines flight attendants. Attendees included United flight attendants, United pilots, flight attendants from other airlines, family members and community members from the Teamsters union. There were even travelers who were passing by through the airport who stopped and joined in to support.

United flight attendants are nearing the end of a long four years at the bargaining table. Some of the things they are fighting for include better pay, better reserve conditions and ground pay. Most airlines have 10 or 12-hour reserve shifts, but United has a grueling 24-hour reserve shift, making the working conditions for reserve flight attendants extremely difficult. Proposed ground pay would be an industry-leading win. This would ensure that flight attendants get paid from the moment they check in at the gate to the end of the after-flight debrief. Right now, several airlines have already won boarding pay, which means flight attendants get paid for the time that passengers are on the plane. Right now, United flight attendants have neither boarding nor ground pay, making this one of the most pressing issues.

United flight attendants voted 99.99% to authorize a strike in fall of 2024. Signs held at the picket read “Pay us or CHAOS.” CHAOS striking is a unique method of striking that is legal under the Railway Labor Act. It stands for “create havoc around our system.” It is a type of intermittent striking that allows for minimum risk for flight attendants and maximum impact on management. Flight attendants at United Airlines are prepared to fight hard for this contract.

“United is second in profits, but fifth in how they pay flight attendants,” Denver AFA President Chris Bruton explained at the Wednesday picket. Bruton is on the bargaining committee and has been attending sessions at the United headquarters in Chicago. It is clear that the successful airline is not paying their flight attendants a decent wage and is also not giving them good working conditions.

“United Airlines: you’re no good! Pay your workers like you should!” was one of the many chants at the Denver day of action. Many picketers held signs that read, “Corporate greed does not fly” and “World class airline, world class contract.”

The sentiment at action was not just that United flight attendants are fighting for better pay, but an overall better quality of life. The issues that are being considered in the new contract are things that will have a large impact on the day-to-day lives of front line aviation workers. United Airlines is one of the biggest international airlines in the world and is one of the last airlines to agree to a new contract.

#DenverCO #CO #Labor #AFA #Teamsters

Aurora CO – On March 17, at 11 p.m., a growing crowd of around 40 community members gathered outside the GEO Group ICE Processing Center in Aurora for a vigil to protest the unjust detention of Jeanette Vizguerra. Among those present are activists, a news crew, indigenous people burning sacred herbs, and the family members of Vizguerra.

Vizguerra is an undocumented community organizer and has long been a champion of people’s freedom. Her consistent support of people’s struggles has led a variety of supporters to come to her aid, and protest ICE and its attempts to tear her away from her family.

Alfredo Carbajal, an organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO described the vigil, saying, “It was very somber, obviously the family was having a rough go of it, not knowing whether she’s doing okay. It seemed very sad, but they were grateful to have folks show up in support.”

Vizguerra was abducted by ICE from her place of work without warning. ICE appears to be ready to deport her, even though the agency does not have a valid deportation order. Though her attorneys have raised these violations of law, ICE ripped her from her family and the community.

Vizguerra was taken to the GEO Group ICE Processing Center, an ICE prison located in Aurora, Colorado at 3130 Oakland Street. The GEO Group facility has been the subject of multiple large protests over the last few months, with families of those being held there reporting that their loved ones are being “treated like animals,” and subjected to solitary confinement.

One participant in the vigil was Daranee Teng, an educator by trade and an organizer with Shoes Off Collective, an Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander community organization. Tang stated, “I’ve worked for many years on the North Side of Denver with undocumented students, and I remember in 2013 when ICE came after Jeanette, and I remember in 2017 when she took sanctuary in churches.” Tang continued, “I know there are folks that don’t like that she speaks out, but I think that’s what we need more of.”

Those gathered in front of the GEO Group building kept watch over the possible exits where Vizguerra could be taken, wary that she might be transported in the dead of night and disappeared to another facility or deported. Organizing into shifts to watch the gates through the night and into the next day, the community is preparing to stand firm.

ICE and the Aurora Police Department have worked together in open violation of Colorado law. According to the Colorado ACLU, “State law additionally prohibits depriving a person of their liberty on the basis of a suspected civil immigration violation in the absence of a warrant signed by a judge.”

Vizguerra is an outspoken supporter of the Palestinian struggle for liberation and does not hesitate to oppose the U.S. war machine. It is clear that the illegal detention of Jeanette Vizguerra is politically motivated, as she has long been a resident of Colorado, living and working here but also participating in the people’s struggle for freedom from oppression.

Vizguerra’s family and community are concerned for her safety inside the GEO Detention Center. They are demanding that ICE reestablish communication between Vizguerra and her family, so that they can know she’s safe.

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantsRights #CSO #ShoesOffCollective #Featured

Commerce City, CO – This March, United Parcel Service laid off 70 employees in the Commerce City Hub. Another 20 from one shift were laid off temporarily as a part of their recent efforts to automate buildings across the country.

This is the next step of UPS’s national “Network of the Future” campaign, which sees the displacement of workers from their jobs, the closure of up to 10% of its buildings in 2025, and, consequently, the elimination of a large section of the workforce to meet its automation goals. The recent layoffs came in a more unpredictable way to workers compared to the layoffs in January, with workers getting informed of their layoff dates with less than a week's notice and no cooperation or meetings with Teamsters beforehand. This has left many workers in the building feeling uncertain about their futures.

Thomas Chaney, a member of the Teamsters for a Democratic Union and one of the workers recently laid off, said, “All of us are feeling very blindsided by this. I might be fine for a bit, but workers have families to worry about and bills to pay. [The company] didn’t go by seniority, and they tried to protect the workers they liked over us.”

Salem Chadwick, another worker laid off from a different shift said, “Not only did I get no notice about this mess, but this comes at a time when my diabetic sister is seeing a massive cut in her hours at her own job. We now have to worry if we’re going to be able to pay bills soon. I haven't been offered work on another shift or even another building; left high and dry by management!”

In addition, the Teamsters Local 455 members were left with little information about this most recent set of layoffs. This has caused stewards to scramble across the different shifts to write grievances and try and get union members back to work as soon as possible. But with management’s plan to finish automation by November 2026, it is uncertain how many workers will be able to return to their work by that time. Some workers were given the option to follow their work to another building, 24 miles away from the Commerce City building, leaving workers displaced and stressed.

#CommerceCityCO #CO #CapitalismAndEconomy #Labor #Teamsters

Denver, CO – Colorado residents celebrated International Women’s Day, March 8, by showing up to the state Capitol building to protest the Trump administration’s attacks on LGBTQ and women’s rights.

At least 2000 people and 14 different organizations met at the capitol to stand up for women and the queer community, bringing homemade signs with slogans like “Speak up, speak out”, “We will not go back”, and “A woman’s place is in the resistance.” Protesters filled the streets and sidewalks as they marched down Colfax Avenue and into the downtown business district, chanting, “When women’s rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

Over the past two months, Donald Trump’s administration has attacked undocumented immigrants, disabled people, the queer community, and women. As of March 7, there have been more than 50 executive orders signed since his inauguration that have removed a plethora of protections from these oppressed groups, some of the orders targeting reproductive rights and gender-affirming care for trans people.

“We are seeing countless attacks against women’s rights from Trump and his administration of misogynists,” said Kat Draken, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, during her speech at the rally. “Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, 12 states have passed complete abortion bans, and immigrant women are under attack with ICE raids conducted daily.”

“The Bureau of Prisons records only 22 trans women in women’s prisons; yet they’re attempting to transfer this minority,” stated Eden Heffron-Hanson, a Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee member. “They’re trying to prevent surgeries and hormones for trans prisoners despite only two people having received surgery while in federal custody.”

Despite the stress, anger and frustration due to the Trump administration’s attacks on their wellbeing and safety, millions of Americans are taking the streets nationwide to stand with all oppressed people being targeted by executive orders and legislation.

International Women’s Day alone saw hundreds of thousands of people across the continental United States gathering to defend all women and demand equal rights.

“Though our struggles may be different, we are united in the fight,” said Yoselin Corrales, an organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO. “This fight for liberation and the right to self-determination is a marathon; it is not a sprint.”

Protests against Trump and his reactionary agenda are erupting across the country in response to his continued attacks, with the movement growing daily.

#DenverCO #CO #WomensMovement #InternationalWomensDay

Aurora CO – On March 1, during an unseasonably warm Saturday, family members of Kory Dillard and 15 of their supporters gathered outside of the Aurora Municipal Center, for a rally against police crimes.

Dillard, described by attendees as a beloved community member and veteran, was murdered by the Aurora Police Department (APD) on October 3, 2024.

Dillard is survived by his partner Anna Harris, who has been spending the last five months fighting for accountability and justice for Kory. She spoke to the crowd about the false narratives being spread about Dillard by APD Chief Todd Chamberlain, who characterizes Kory as a rock-wielding carjacker. Video evidence of Dillard’s death directly contradicts this false narrative, but Chamberlain evidently seeks to sweep Dillard’s murder under the rug.

“What are these wrongful deaths of Black men,” Harris asked, “but police being the judge, the jury, and the executioner, when the death penalty has been long gone in Colorado?”

The rally was a site of shared grief by another family who has lost loved ones at the hands of APD – the Lewis family.

Kiawa Lewis, the brother of Kilyn Lewis, stood amongst the attendees alongside his daughter. Kilyn was a 37-year-old unarmed Black man who was gunned down by Officer Michael Dieck while working on his car’s sound system just outside his Aurora apartment.

Standing alongside Harris, Lewis spoke, saying, “It's been a tiring road, but the thing is they want to tire us out. But we stand together; we fight together.”

Ryan Stitzel, the chair of Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) took to the megaphone to address District Attorney Amy Padden, saying, “These police historically have not been held accountable when they've done this. When they killed Kilyn Lewis they were not held accountable. When they killed 14-year-old Jor‘Dell Richardson when they pinned him down in an alley and shot him behind a dumpster they were not held accountable, and right now the District Attorney for Arapahoe County is deciding whether or not she's going to hold these killer cops accountable and we're here to say: you must!“

The participants of the rally chanted “Black lives matter!” and “When killer cops are on patrol, how do we stop them? Community control.”

Nels Pine, another member of DACAC, addressed the rally, stating “They write all these horrific lies in the newspaper about Kory Dillard, about Jor’Dell Richardson, where they accuse them of all sorts of crimes. Well, the people accused of those crimes aren't alive to defend themselves against this slander, and so we'll speak the truth. That's the very least we could do, is speak the truth and say that they were never found guilty of anything!”

Pine continued, “They were murdered in the street by police officers who robbed them of their Sixth Amendment right to a trial by a jury of their peers. These crimes by the APD have got to stop.”

The Denver Aurora Community Action Committee ended the rally by reiterating their demands on District Attorney Amy Padden, and reaffirming their commitment to the fight against racist police violence and for community control of the police.

#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #KillerCops #NAARPR #DACAC

Denver, CO – On February 25, a collaboration between the Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition (CIRC) and Aurora Unidos Community Service Organization (AUCSO),helped mobilize over 300 people from across Colorado for a general assembly hearing on an anti-immigration bill, SB25-047, in the Denver state capitol building.

Before the hearing, there was a rally outside facilitated by Aurora Unidos CSO and Freedom Road Socialist Organization that included the chants of “Legalization for all,” “No raids, no fear, immigrants are welcomed here” and “When Trumps says go back, we say fight back!”

Yoselin Corrales of AUCSO said the bill would do “irreparable harm to our immigrant families, friends and neighbors. Senate Bill 47 would make it easier for local police to collaborate with federal immigration enforcement. Having police act as ICE agents erodes trust amongst immigrant neighbors and makes our communities much more unsafe.”

Corrales continued, “A lot of people believe this bill is dead on arrival, but I think we have learned that we can’t always trust our elected officials to act on behalf of the best interests of their constituents. It's important to show up today, make our voices heard, and then continue to show up to remind them that we are watching them, and that we will hold them accountable!”

Nels Pine, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, told the crowd, “At the core of this growing immigrant rights movement are Chicanos, Mexicanos and Central Americans. These communities are concentrated in and around the oppressed Chicano Nation in the Southwest and are overwhelmingly working class and most willing to fight. At the same time, we need to unite with everyone targeted by the Trump administration, from Haitians to Venezuelans. No to deportations! Que viva La Raza! Chicano power!”

In the hearing, there were testimonies from people who supported the bill and people who were against the bill. Nearly all the testimonies in support came from sheriffs, commissioners and police officers. However, these supporters of the bill were far outnumbered by the hundreds who showed up in opposition.

One mother spoke of the anxiety and terror she felt when she and her husband were “pulled over by the police and questioned whether we were legal citizens, but because we had our documents at home the police detained us for five days!” During this time, she was only able to contact her children via a telephone where they were being detained. This was just one story of dozens like it that were told.

The hearing lasted nearly seven hours, with the overwhelming majority of the testimonies opposing the bill, resulting in a 3 – 2 vote against it. As the crowd exits the capital, some people chanted, “¡El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!”

#DenverCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #CIRC #AUCSO

Denver, CO – On February 25, members of the Amalgamated Transit Union local 1001 (ATU 1001) joined together at Denver’s Union Station to march on the Regional Transportation District headquarters demanding livable wages and a decent contract. Along the march, workers chanted, “Without transit workers, transit doesn't work!” and “Who moves this city? We move this city!”

Rank-and-file ATU member Joseph Carriere states, “The 5, 4 ,4% pay scale doesn’t cover inflation, doesn’t cover cost of living, and is essentially a pay cut every year!”

Regional Transportation District (RTD) operators and mechanics represent a crucial role in Denver’s transportation infrastructure, and they ask for a decent wage for their frontline work. The RTD board claims that this is their last, best and final offer, while sitting on the extra $200 million that’s been added to the RTD budget. After the march, workers piled into the board meeting room to deliver impassioned speeches to the board telling them to meet their demands for a livable wage.

Along with a livable pay scale, workers also demanded adequate security, noting that only Union Station, Civic Center, and Downtown Boulder see a common security presence, while others only rarely see a security presence. Illustrating how the lack of such a presence can lead to injury and assault, workers demanded that the security standards be increased to ensure that they are able to maintain operator and passenger safety.

“RTD wants highly skilled workers but doesn’t want to pay for them,” stated ATU local President Lance Longenbon. “Management paychecks get bloated while they ignore the people who make this work.”

As contract negotiations continue, rank-and-file members looking for a contract that protects transit workers and their livelihoods.

#DenverCO #CO #Labor #BusDrivers #ATU

Denver, CO — About 30 students walked out of their classes and gathered in Lawrence Plaza on Denver’s Auraria Campus in the late morning, February 13, in support of immigrant rights. Chants such as “No hate, no fear! Immigrants are welcome here!” and “El pueblo, unido, jamás será vencido!” were heard from the crowd led by Denver Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) as they protested Trump’s agenda and the mass deportation of immigrants.

The Denver SDS walkout was part of New Students for a Democratic Society’s call for a nationwide emergency week of action against the attacks on immigrants and for the defense of sanctuary campuses. Several universities across the United States have already said that they will comply with ICE after Trump signed an executive stating schools, hospitals and childcare centers could be the targets of ICE raids.

Addie Castillo, a Denver SDS member and CU Denver student, spoke at the rally about the mass deportations, stating, “These ICE raids have begun in our city, in our communities. Our friends and our loved ones are scared of having their lives ripped away from them.”

CU Denver also does not have a policy that would require teachers to ask for a warrant, should ICE show up at their classroom door.

The immigrant student body at both major universities on the Auraria campus has become extremely vulnerable due to Trump’s racist mass deportation efforts and both schools’ vague or nonexistent immigrant protection policies. Because of this, Denver SDS has launched a campaign to fight for a sanctuary campus and for CU Denver and MSU Denver administrations to not comply with ICE.

“Each of us has an important job to do. We must protect each other; we must fight whenever we are able; and we must not grow complacent,” said Denver SDS member and Community College of Denver student Theodore Jones during his speech. “When one of us bleeds, we all do. None of us can be free until we all are.”

Auraria Campus, built over a historically Latino and Chicano neighborhood, has a duty to defend immigrants on campus from ICE raids and possible deportation, according to Denver SDS.

SDS demands that administration make Auraria a sanctuary campus and refuse to comply with ICE.

#DenverCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #StudentMovement #SDS

Aurora, CO – On February 8, around 50 community members gathered outside Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, to protest the base’s collaboration with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the detention of immigrants.

Organized by Aurora Unidos CSO and Denver Anti-War Action, the protest was part of a larger national week of action by the Legalization for All Network.

Protesters voiced their opposition to the role the base would play in the Trump administration's plans for mass deportations. Yoselin Corrales, an organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO, said, “Today, we are here to fight against recent discussions to potentially detain and imprison our neighbors on the Buckley Space Force Base.”

The protest comes in the wake of a controversial announcement in late January, wherein the U.S. Military’s Northern Command revealed plans to make facilities at Buckley Space Force Base available to ICE to set up processing and staging areas for detained immigrants at the request of the Department of Homeland Security.

Speakers at the rally emphasized the strength of the community coming together to fight, with Brandon Gehrke, another organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO, addressing the crowd, “We keep us safe – not ICE, not the military, not those who seek to use fear to control us. When we stand together, we are stronger than any force that tries to break us. Together, we will demand legalization for all. and put an end to these harmful and inhumane operations.”

Jason Crow, congressman for Colorado’s 6th District, recently reported that the base has agreed to only use the base for staging and logistics for now, but this is likely only temporary. The scale of deportation being discussed by the Trump administration’s “Operation Aurora” requires expansions of ICE’s detention capacity. Currently, Aurora has a processing center that holds around 1500 people, operated by GEO Group, a private for-profit prison corporation.

Aurora Unidos CSO pledges to stand opposed to the expansion of ICE’s capacity to detain people and calls on all people to actively hinder the ability of the Trump administration to carry out their racist and reactionary agenda.

As the protest ended, many of those who attended expressed their commitment to continuing the fight for immigrant rights. The rally at Buckley Space Force Base is proof to lawmakers and the military that the community will not stand by while the government targets immigrants, and that efforts for legalization and justice will continue.

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #SpaceForce #CSO #CSOAU #DAWA

Denver, CO – Early in the morning of February 6, grocery store workers at 77 King Soopers locations represented by United Food Commercial Workers Local 7 went on strike.

After months of little progress in negotiations with the billion dollar parent company, Kroger, the members have overwhelmingly voted to go on strike to fight for a contract that meets their demands.

Workers say their biggest focus is increased wages and staffing. Many workers on the picket line stated they are being forced to work harder because Kroger refuses to hire enough workers. This issue was repeated by workers from multiple departments including deli, dairy, bakery, grocery and frozen goods. Overnight workers expressed needing two or more people in their department on the overnight shift. Another issue that was raised was that the union members are not able to stock their departments by themselves or finish their work in the allotted time they are given by management.

The workers said that management has consistently refused to allow any overtime to get the work done, and that that is leading to unfinished work that is expected to be done the following day, on top of their regular work for that day, meaning that tasks like rotating the product and running backstock rarely happen.

Kroger has bought up many grocery chains and expanded dramatically in recent years, and the striking workers believe that this consolidation of the grocery industry has caused prices to skyrocket while wages in the industry have stagnated.

Employees across the store raised issues around low wages and say that some members are working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Long-term workers at King Soopers also spoke to how they felt like they are treated now compared to the time before Kroger’s takeover, saying that they used to be paid a living wage, the work was more enjoyable, and the culture of the job was significantly better.

The strike is set to continue for two weeks across the 77 locations, with workers maintaining a 24-hour picket. Members of Local 7 are striking for better staffing, treatment, and wages across the state.

#DenverCO #CO #Labor #UFCW #UFCW7 #Feature

Denver, CO – On Monday, January 20, Denver held its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day “Marade” – a combination march and parade. Despite single-digit temperatures, roughly 600 people showed up to honor the legacy of Dr. King.

This year, the march happened to fall on the same day as the inauguration of Donald Trump. This was not lost upon the attendees, many of whom carried signs and banners opposing Trump’s racist agenda.

“Trump represents the worst of the worst when it comes to students, the environment, immigrants and all other oppressed people,” said Khalid Hamu of Students for a Democratic Society. Part of Trump’s agenda includes abolishing the Department of Education and the ability to enforce the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

During the march, a contingent of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) led chants and carried a large banner reading “Fight for MLK’s dream, reject Trump’s nightmare!” At the end of the march, Brandon Rincon of the FRSO addressed the crowd, encouraging ongoing resistance to Trump’s attacks.

#DenverCO #CO #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #MLK #FRSO #SDS #Trump

Aurora, CO – On Saturday, January 25, approximately 1000 protesters gathered at Fletcher Plaza in Aurora, Colorado to march against Donald Trump’s threats of mass deportation.

Aurora is one of the most diverse cities in Colorado, with roughly 20% of its residents being immigrants. In addition to this, Aurora also has a high population of Chicanos and African Americans. Protest organizers say that Trump’s targeting of Aurora is in line with his racist, reactionary policies.

“We've all heard Trump's rhetoric: the xenophobia, the racism, the misogyny, the transphobia, and the absolute loathing he has for oppressed people the world over,” said Kat Draken of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The protest was endorsed by dozens of different organizations representing workers, students, immigrants, and others.

Students for a Democratic Society spoke to Trump’s plan to gut the Department of Education. “We demand university administrators defy Trump's attacks on students and education. We also demand administrators do not hand over sensitive information about trans or immigrant students” said Khalid Hamu, a leader in SDS and one of the primary organizers of the Palestine solidarity encampment on Auraria Campus last spring. “No compliance with Trump is the only acceptable option for administrators. All students have a right to an education that is meaningful and accessible to them, one that meets their academic and cultural needs.”

After speeches from several more organizations, including the Aurora Education Association and the Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition, protesters marched through the streets chanting “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido” and “When immigrants rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” The march route went through the surrounding neighborhood of Delmar Parkway, a working-class neighborhood home to many immigrant families. Along the way, many neighbors showed support for the march by raising their fists or joining in the chants.

Once returning to Fletcher Plaza, protesters pledged to continue the fight against Trump’s agenda, particularly his extreme anti-immigrant policies.

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #Trump #Feature

Aurora, CO – On January 18, despite the cold and snowy weather, the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) and community members gathered outside the Aurora Police Department headquarters to demand transparency and justice.

In the past few years, the Aurora Police Department (APD) has killed at least three unarmed Black men – Jordell Richardson, Kilyn Lewis, and Kory Dillard – and has brutalized dozens of other community members, such as Te’Erica Mosle, who was recording police harassing an unarmed Black man, only to be assaulted herself by the police.

APD has a history of racist police violence and terrorizing community members, and yet, DACAC members say, there has not been accountability or justice. The previous district attorney, John Kellner, has refused to press charges, claiming that the police have been justified in their actions. They have refused to release the full unedited footage of any of the incidents mentioned, and in some cases have demanded expensive fees for the information and footage.

DACAC and community members picketed outside of the APD headquarters shouting “Transparency, transparency! Free the footage, let us see!” and “When killer cops are on patrol, what do we need? Community control!” DACAC and members of the community demand that APD release full unedited body cam footage.

Tristen McFarland, a member of DACAC said in her speech at the picket, “We are not here with suggestions; we are here with demands, and, until our demands are met, we will be back. Over these past few years, each of the officers that have pulled the trigger has had a case brought to District Attorney John Kellner’s desk, and each case subsequently dropped. To date each of them has been put back on their full shift, gun back in their hands, their boots back onto our streets. We demand you hold the officers accountable, make all the body cam footage immediately available to the public free of charge, regardless of case status, and instate community control over the police.”

Khalid Hamu, a member of Denver Students for a Democratic Society, spoke about how, after Trump was elected in 2016, many people in the Latino community, “felt like no one cared about them, and that's really messed up. When you see ICE working with APD, they can't even follow the laws that this racist system puts on them! If they aren't even following those laws, how can we expect Latino people to not be scared?” Hamu then quoted Frank Chapman, chair of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, stating “Our oppression is not our fault, but to fight back is our responsibility – It’s our responsibility to make sure those things change, and we need as many people as possible to make this change a reality! If we don't do anything, then who is going to do it?”

Paul Nelson, a member of DACAC, highlighted the Aurora Police “denying every legal request we made of them to reveal their actions, but each request we give to get the body cam footage they have is illegally denied. They claim some farcical defense of this, in that they’re ‘conducting an investigation,’ but like with the case of Elijah McClain, we see in the conclusion of all of it that they let the murderers off scot-free. So are we going to wait years while they prepare to do just that? No, we’re not going to wait, we’re holding them to account!”

Nelson added, “People can pass what's called a citizen initiative in Aurora, where it doesn't matter what our racist city council thinks; the citizens of Aurora can get together and pass the citizens’ initiative and vote on it. No more cops policing cops. No more police officers finding themselves to be innocent of all charges. This police department needs to be put in check by the people and a Civilian Police Accountability Council!”

The picket concluded with the community chanting “Power to the people!”

#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #NAARPR #PoliceCrimes #CommunityControlOfPolice

Centennial, CO – On January 14, the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) and 16 community members braved the cold to rally in opposition to police crimes outside of the office of the district attorney for the 18th Judicial District.

It was the inaugural day for new District Attorney Amy Padden, the democrat sworn in as head prosecutor for the 18th Judicial District. Before January, the 18th District covered Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln Counties, but it has been redrawn to cover Arapahoe County exclusively. The district covers a significant portion of Aurora, as well as part of the rural eastern plains of Colorado.

LaRonda Jones, the mother of Kilyn Lewis, a 37-year-old Black man who was shot and killed while he was unarmed by Aurora police officer Michael Dieck, was in attendance. Jones told the crowd, ”How can we trust a badge that has become a weapon against us? Because of what happened to my son and other family members' children, the badge is no longer a symbol of protection. It's a symbol of danger, of fatality, of loss. This isn't about a few bad apples. It's about a diseased tree, a system that allows this kind of harm to continue without interruption – a system that turns its back on accountability.”

Anna Harris spoke next and contrasted how the police have treated white mass shooters with the killing of her partner Kory Dillard, a 38-year-old Black veteran who was killed by Aurora Police early last October during a mental health crisis. Harris stated, “Our city has had four mass shootings, and in every tragedy, officers were able to demonstrate their ability to detain a dangerous suspect, not only swiftly, but alive.”

Padden’s predecessor, former DA John Kellner, had a troubling history of protecting violent police and prosecuting victims of police violence as well as those who simply exercised their rights under the law. The people present at the rally are cautiously hopeful that DA Padden will discontinue the policies of John Kellner.

Concluding the action was a reading of a letter to the new district attorney. Jeff McFarland, a member of DACAC, put forward a number of demands to address police crimes, then the crowd chanted, “All power to the people!”

#CentennialCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #DCAC

On Friday December 20, Starbucks Workers United began striking because of Starbucks’ “failure to bring viable economic proposals to the bargaining table and to resolve hundreds of outstanding unfair labor practice charges,”, according to a statement released by the union, December 19.

“Starbucks has a history of union busting and is trying to silence our union, so we are fighting for protected actions that are causing people to get fired or written up. We just got a 15-cent raise and our new CEO Brian Niccol is making $57,000 an hour,” explained Sparks.

Sparks’ store is one of over 300 who joined in the strike over the week. “We have definitely made an impact here – on the first day they were not able to open, and on the second day they only had the drive through open, so we’re definitely knocking out their channels.” During the second day 110, cars drove up to the drive through and 76 of them were turned away.

Asked how the public could support the strike, Sparks said, “If you see a picket line, don’t cross it. I know it’s really hard to go without your coffee in the morning, but these are people’s livelihoods, and on top of that, the unions in general need support. We are all four days of sick time away from not being able to pay rent.” Across the duration of the strike, people from the wider community dropped off water and food, and even joined the picket line.

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #Labor #Starbucks

Colorado Springs, CO – On December 13, at approximately 9:40 p.m., an unidentified man called 911 stating he was suicidal and had a firearm. By the time El Paso County sheriffs responded, an hour later, they could not find the man, as he had made his way to the parking lot of a local business. Colorado Springs Police claim the man refused to comply with demands to drop his weapon, and the police eventually shot and killed him.

There was no point in the night where the man was able to get the help he clearly desperately needed. It is unclear at this moment what factors drove the man to seek help by calling the police, but their late arrival and the violent conclusion to the situation is indicative of a police force ill-equipped and unable to de-escalate during mental health crises. Without actual, formalized oversight from the community, situations like this will continue to happen.

As of now, the name of the man has not been released, and no body cam footage has been made available. Colorado is currently on track to see its deadliest year since 2020 as far as police killings.

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #PoliceBrutality #KillerCops