Colorado Springs, CO – On July 5, the family of Alex Martinez-Sarmiento gathered in the parking lot where Martinez-Sarmiento was killed one year before by Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) officer Connor Jacob Wallick.
More than 30 people gathered around a shrine for Martinez-Sarmiento, including members of Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
Many attendees held signs and banners demanding justice for Alex and the indictment of Wallick. COSAARPR member Brandon Rincon led the group in chants like “Running away, don’t shoot” and “Indict, convict, send that killer cop to jail.” As the sun set, people in attendance held up candles and released balloons to honor Alex.
Denver, CO – On the morning of June 28, tens of thousands of Coloradans gathered at Cheesman Park for the annual Pridefest parade. Dozens of organizations marched from Colfax Avenue to downtown Denver, chanting, “No hesitation! Trans liberation!” and “From Stonewall to Gaza, globalize the intifada!”
Colorado Springs, CO – On June 19, the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) gathered at Colorado Springs City Hall to hold a Juneteenth rally against the racist attacks on the voting rights act.
Colorado Springs, CO – On June 23, the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) held a march through the streets of Colorado Springs demanding justice for one-year old Kohen Wiley, who was murdered by Mississippi police. The march ended at Colorado Springs Police Department headquarters where protestors lit candles, and a moment of silence took place.
COSAARPR was joined by various community organizations and churches including General Strike US, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Vista Grande Community Church of Christ.
“The FRSO condemns the murder of one-year-old Kohen Wiley and echoes the demands to bring Hunter Foster to justice” said Jessie Proffit of Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Brandon Rincon, the founder and chair of COSAARPR, stated, “Kohen Wiley should be alive. Kohen Wiley was stolen from this world by a racist and rotten police system that has stolen too many lives for us to list.”
The action started at Dorchester Park in downtown Colorado Springs. Chants of “Justice for” were quickly responded with “Kohen Wiley!”.A crowd favorite, “Indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail! The whole damn system is guilty as hell!” was heard all throughout downtown. A crowd of about 20 or so people marched downtown holding signs demanding justice for Kohen Wiley.
Colorado Springs, CO – On June 24, the family of Alex Martinez-Sarmiento filed a lawsuit against the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) for the murder of their loved one . They held a press conference, along with lawyers Mari Newman and Andy McNulty, at CSPD’s downtown headquarters to announce the lawsuit and demand justice. Alex Martinez-Sarmiento was a 26-year-old “father, son, brother and friend,” said the attorneys in a statement.
Denver, CO – On Saturday, June 20, thousands of people took to the streets of Denver to celebrate Juneteenth. As the parade departed from Denver’s Manual High School in the late morning, the participants were met by a sea of onlookers primarily donned in black, green and red. As the procession made its way through the streets of Denver, spectators cheered on the parade by waving and raising their fists.
Aurora, CO – On Monday, June 8, the Aurora City Council voted on Resolution 2-68 to create the new “Public Safety Accountability Office.” The office will investigate incidents involving public departments, including the police. It is supposed to have unrestricted access to department records, release its findings to the public, and assign a family contact when someone is seriously injured or killed.
Aurora, CO – Aurora, Colorado, a large and multinational suburb of Denver, has a well-documented problem with racist policing. From the murders of Kory Dillard and Kilyn Lewis to the torture and murder of Elijah McClain, Aurora Police seem to always be in the news for racism, violence and corruption.
Fort Morgan, CO – On the morning of May 20, an hour and a half drive northeast of Denver, Cargill Meat Solutions locked out 1700 workers represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. This lockout comes after months of negotiations for a new contract, during which Cargill, the largest privately-owned company in the United States, repeatedly refused to give necessary wage increases and health benefits to its workers.
Englewood, CO – On June 6, jetCenters of Colorado held a fundraiser at Centennial Airport, one of their three aviation operations along the Front Range. jetCenters, which provides aeronautical services such as fueling and aircraft rental and maintenance, holds a sublease with Key Lime Air, an airline that, according to government data and flight trackers, runs detainee flights for ICE.
Denver, CO – On Sunday, May 24, members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and Aurora Unidos Community Service Organization (AUCSO) organized a picket at Governors Park to demand that Governor Jared Polis be impeached for his commutation of Tina Peters’ sentence.
Colorado Springs, CO – Dozens gathered at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs on Thursday morning, May 26, to protest endless wars for profit and Vice President JD Vance’s speech to the academy graduates.
Denver, CO – On the afternoon of May 14, dozens of people rallied at the Cow and Calf statues outside the Denver Art Museum (DAM) to support the museum employees’ struggle for a union contract.
The crowd, led by the Denver Art Museum Workers United (DAMWU), marched three times around the block from 12th and Tacoma Street to 14th and Bannock, chanting, “Exploitation ain’t the way, workers gotta get their pay!” and “Hey hey, ho ho! Poverty wages have got to go!”
Denver, CO – On Friday, May 1, public spaces saw protests, rallies and events celebrating International Workers’ Day. About 100 attended a May Day rally at the Colorado State Capitol to hear activists, organizers and workers speak in support of workers everywhere.
Colorado Springs, CO – On May 2, the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) gathered in the parking lot of the McDonald’s where Benjamin “Benji” Greenfield was shot and killed by the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD). The gathering was a planned vigil called by Greenfield’s family. Around 20 people gathered to remember Benji and to protest against the police killing.
Denver, CO — On April 3, about 60 protesters gathered outside the Colorado State Capitol to oppose the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy in an 8-1 vote. The action was organized by the Denver Coalition Against Trump and Bread and Roses Legal Center.
Colorado Springs, CO – On April 1, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) was joined by Colorado Springs faith leaders and community organizations outside of anti-LGBTQ counselor Kaley Chiles’ office to condemn her litigation against Colorado’s “conversion therapy” ban and the 8-1 Supreme Court ruling.
Englewood, CO – On April 1, teachers and faculty across five schools of the Sheridan School District went on strike demanding union recognition and the reinstatement of their contract. Over 100 teachers, faculty and community members walked the picket lines demanding that the school district come back to the table for negotiations.
Denver, CO – On Saturday, March 28, over 20,000 people showed up at the steps of the Colorado State Capitol to protest the Trump administration’s continued attacks on oppressed people and to demand an end to foreign wars. The day’s program included speeches as well as live music from Colorado Singing Resistance, Los Mocochetes, Brothers of Brass, and Notes of Dissent. The event, the third of its kind, was organized by a coalition of grassroots organizations, including Denver Coalition Against Trump, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Aurora Unidos CSO, Indivisible, and various labor unions.
Denver, CO – On Wednesday, March 11, Denver Students for a Democratic Society (Denver SDS) rallied to demand that the Auraria Higher Education Center (AHEC) – the owner and manager of the Auraria campus and all its buildings — ban ICE from campus.
