Denver continues to demand ‘Palantir out!’
Denver, CO – On January 31 over 100 protesters gathered at James Manley Park in Denver for a rally against the tech and AI surveillance company Palantir, which has been headquartered in the state since leaving their Silicon Valley location in 2020. This spring, the company plans to move from their downtown Denver office to the Cherry Creek Financial House just four miles away.
Crowds began gathering at the park around 10 a.m., rallying with signs demanding “No AI for war crimes!” and “No AI for ICE!”
Palantir has been involved closely in contracts and deals with both the Israeli Defense Force and ICE. Their technology has enabled these forces to carry out operations in Palestine and the U.S., aiding and exacerbating both the ongoing genocide in Gaza and Trump’s war against immigrants.
The march kicked off with musical accompaniment by Denver protest marching band Notes of Dissent and then the crowd took to the streets of Cherry Creek. People followed the emcee in chants and passed out flyers with a link to a petition calling on the city of Denver and MarketOnce to cancel Palantir’s lease.
Approaching the Financial House, protesters took the main intersection of a busy shopping area where the crowd heard from Lucy Blick of Denver Anti-War Action, who spoke about Palantir’s role in the genocide in Palestine, stating “When our tax dollars are funding genocide and ICE murders, and the AI technology of war is made right here in our city, there is no other choice than to stand against this company.” She also criticized Colorado Governor Jared Polis for inviting Palantir and its CEO Alex Karp to the state with the promise of lower median wages and corporate taxes.
Participants followed the emcee in chants like, “No ICE! No Palantir! The people do not want you here!” Some nearby workers and passersby joined in chanting, with a number signing the petition.