Aurora, CO – On Thursday, September 24, Terry Burnsed, Arnie Carter, Yoselin Corrales, and El Moss were notified that the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office would be filing a motion to dismiss all charges against them stemming from a protest at the Denver Field Office in Centennial, Colorado on July 20.

All four protesters were charged with obstructing a passageway, while Yoselin and El were also charged with obstructing a police officer. After their arrests, the Centennial protesters quickly gained legal representation from the Protest Defense Coalition, committed to solidarity, and vowed to fight against these charges together.

The first stage of the defense campaign required raising public awareness, so the Centennial protesters immediately issued a joint statement to share their perspective on what occurred and set up a page to raise funds for possible legal fees. Next, they hosted a nationwide call-in to the district attorney’s office to reiterate that the protesting is not a crime, that the people stand with the protesters, and to demand that the charges be dropped. While the community overwhelmingly supported the Centennial protesters, a month after their arrest, there had been no noticeable change on the legal front, so they knew they needed to increase public pressure.

In August, the Centennial protesters united to host the recurring weekly vigil at the Aurora GEO Detention Facility that honors all those detained inside and those lost to ICE violence. At this event, the protesters spoke about how there has been an increase in political repression while actively letting ICE get away with murder.

Anti-ICE sentiment has been growing across the country When the public could hear from the protesters themselves, it humanized the injustice and brought more people into the fight.

On September 9, the over 40 people show up to offer court support as the Centennial protesters held a press conference and faced their initial hearings, which resulted in arraignments for two of the protesters. Because the DA’s office was overbooked with four hearings, two protesters walked away without completing the first step in the process and were rescheduled.

At the press conference, Corrales’ attorney Victoria Dorn said, “It’s incredibly disappointing that Amy Padden, who ran as a progressive prosecutor, is choosing to file charges against individuals who are trying to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our community, instead of going after ICE agents who day after day violate state and federal laws, not just here in Denver but across the country.”

All four of the protesters were in the process of working with their lawyers and preparing for their next court date on October 20 when they received the good news.

“This is not just a victory for the Centennial protesters; this is a victory for organizers everywhere. It shows that when we come together and fight back, we can win! It also proves that developing connections and solidarity across movements, fighting back publicly, and strengthening people power is vital to building a successful defense campaign,” said Yoselin Corrales

Burnsed, Carter, Corrales, and Moss are still facing federal charges and will be returning to court on October 8 at the Alfred A. Arraj U.S. Courthouse in Denver for their first federal hearings and are inviting the public to attend.

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #

He spent over 13 months in detention waiting for the court to decide whether he'd be charged as an adult or a juvenile. During this time, he was described as a model inmate. The community organized and demanded Wilson be charged as a minor, but the judge decided to try the teenager as an adult.

Wilson was 14 years old when his best friend Jor’Dell Richardson, also 14, was murdered by the Aurora Police, who faced no consequences for that killing. This same system is now trying to put him in jail for years.

In the months leading up to the court date, local organizations have been putting pressure on District Attorney Brian Mason, who has the power to stop the charges now. The Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee organized a letter-writing campaign and call-in demanding, “Drop the charges on Lourease ‘ManMan’ Wilson! Stop trying children as adults! Community control over the police!”

During the trial, the prosecutors brought ten witnesses to the stand. Since the alleged incident happened over a year and half ago, witnesses often stated “I don’t recall” or contradicted their body cam footage. The verdict is still out in this trial; since there were so many witnesses, time ran over and a second court date was set for October 1, at 1:30 p.m. to finish the trial.

Miles Thompson, an organizer with the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee said, “We at DACAC, along with the community, are watching this case closely. We hope that District Attorney Brian Mason does the right thing and drops the charges against Wilson, and that he stops trying kids as adults. For a DA who campaigned as a Democrat under the guise of ‘Doing the Right thing no matter what,’ we will remember his decision in this case, come election season.”

#BrightonCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #DACAC

Colorado Springs, CO – On September 25, the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) gathered outside the Broadmoor Hall to protest the annual Medal of Valor dinner hosted by the Colorado Springs Police Foundation.

They were joined by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), as well as the family of Alex Martinez-Sarmiento, who was killed by Officer Connor Wallick of the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) last July.

This annual fundraising dinner claims to honor CSPD officers who have gone “above and beyond,” yet, each year, the majority of officers winning awards are killer cops. This year, 19 out of the 25 officers awarded were involved in fatal shootings within the last few years. Two of the Medal of Valor recipients have killed multiple people. Michael Dauchy was involved in killing Dean Ackerman in December 2024 and Benji Greenfield in April 2026; Nicholas Cassalisa was involved in three fatal shootings in 2024, those being Dean Ackerman, Tyler Jacob Ben and Michael Hurst.

The event has tickets ranging from $175 to $10,000-plus for seating at a table with a deputy chief or commander.

Protesters from COSAARPR and FRSO chanted from outside the hall, “No valor for killer cops! Cell blocks for killer cops!” and “When killer cops are on patrol, what do we need? Community control!” and held signs with messages like “19+ killer cops are winning awards here today” and “No valor in police terror.” One sign bore the names of those killed by officers winning awards, reading “Justice for Benji Greenfield, Jesus Ramirez, Dean Ackerman, Derrick Wardle, Tyler Jacob Ben, Michael Hurst, Cole Vennucci.”

There were several speeches highlighting the lack of accountability for the acts of violent police officers, and the shamefulness of killer cops being celebrated. COSAARPR member Jayden Berry spoke about his own experiences with repeated police neglect growing up with an abusive father. Berry noted that he felt like one of the lucky ones compared to those killed by the officer’s winning awards, saying “19 out of the 25 recipients were involved with recent police shootings. Instead of being held accountable for their crimes, they are being celebrated for destroying families and communities.”

According to FRSO member Jessie Proffitt, “What’s happening in there is disgusting. Cops who have hurt our community, who have killed people, are currently being paraded around like prized pigs for rich elites who paid more for their table than some of us make in a year!”

Saray Rocha, sister of Alex Martinez-Sarmiento, said, “I stand here today because I feel like my brother deserves justice and Connor Jacob Wallick should no longer be wearing a badge, and I’m afraid that he may win a medal next year. I want justice for my brother, and I want justice for everyone!”

CSPD officers and Broadmoor Hall managers attempted to intimidate protesters with repeated threats of arrest if anyone stepped off the sidewalk onto the grass, obstructed the sidewalks, or continued using amplified sound after 7 p.m. The Broadmoor managers also admitted that last year, they had to compensate several Broadmoor hotel guests as a result of the loud protest COSAARPR had. According to COSAARPR members, they intend to protest the event every year until it becomes untenable for the Broadmoor, or any other location, to host.

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #InjusticeSystem #KillerCops #CSPD #AlexMartinezSarmiento #ConnorWallick

Fort Collins, CO – On Wednesday, September 16, two dozen Fort Collins community members gathered at Oak Street Plaza for the first public rally organized by Fort Collins Against War, a new affiliate of the Anti-War Action Network. The demonstration was held as part of a nationwide day of action calling for an end to the U.S. war on Iran. September 16 marked 200 days since the beginning of the current attacks on Iran.

The protesters held signs, chanted, chalked sidewalks and spoke with passersby about the consequences of U.S. military intervention. Several people passing through the plaza expressed their support, with one individual ultimately joining the demonstration midway through the action.

The rally brought together both longtime Fort Collins organizers and people participating in anti-war organizing for the first time. Among those in attendance was a retired Iranian professor and activist who drove more than an hour to participate in the demonstration. The gathering comes amid a war that has resulted in thousands of deaths and widespread destruction in Iran.

A member of Denver Anti-War Action (DAWA), Hatem Teirelbar, told the crowd, “We the working people of the U.S. are not one degree safer because of these wars. U.S. aggression and imperialism puts us all in danger. It endangers the lives of the people being attacked, and it endangers our livelihoods.”

Teirelbar continued, saying, “Our enemies are well-funded and well-equipped. The only way we win is by out-organizing them. We must fight the war machine on every front!”

Woodward, Inc., with global corporate headquarters locatedj in Fort Collins, manufactures components used in military operations and has multiple contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense. Teirelbar addressed Woodward Inc. in his closing demands, saying, “Shut down the Lockheed and Woodward plants! Divest our pensions from the war machine! Confront our elected representatives at their offices, town halls, at every opportunity.”

Fort Collins Against War members expressed excitement at the turnout of the action, and members were eager to make plans for future activity.

#FortCollinsCO #CO #AntiWarMovement #AWAN #FCAW #DAWA #Iran

Colorado Springs, CO – On September 15, the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) gathered outside the municipal courthouse to stand with community activist Brandon Rincon as he faced a trespassing charge and motioned to reschedule arraignment. They were joined by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). Supporters gathered outside the courthouse and chanted “Drop the charges now” and “Grieving death is not a crime.”

On May 2, Rincon and other members of the COSAARPR joined the family of Benjamin “Benji” Greenfield for a vigil in the parking lot of the McDonald’s where Benji was shot and killed by the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD). The CSPD attempted to shut down the vigil, arresting COSAARPR members Rincon and Luna Lesterud, as well as a close friend of Benji, Flaca Archulea. All three were charged with trespassing, and Lesterud was additionally charged with interfering with a public official.

Rincon spoke out against the charges, saying, “Standing up against police violence is not violence itself. We did nothing wrong.” Rincon continued, “The only thing that is violent here is police that shoot our community members.”

“Police don’t protect us, they protect themselves, and the capitalist system we live under,” stated FRSO member Jessie Proffitt. Proffitt continued, “When we fight to change this system or change the police, we can expect to be attacked by the police.”

Other COSAARPR members spoke to the need for police accountability. COSAARPR member Cameron Hollins spoke on how too many oppressed communities “know what it feels like to lose someone, ask for answers, and be told that the system has already cleared itself.”

Hollins continued, “When people say, ‘There is no accountability,’ they are not speaking from nowhere. They are speaking from lived experience.” Hollins spoke on how the charges fit into a pattern, saying, “This is about more than one person, one family, or one incident.”

Rincon stated, “We know these charges are meant to instill fear in organizers and activists, but we aren’t afraid.” Rincon promised that he and other members were “going to keep showing up and keep fighting back.”

Rincon’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 15.

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #InjusticeSystem #BenjiGreenfield #BrandonRincon

Centennial, CO – On Wednesday, September 9, over 40 supporters arrived to support long-time activists: Arnie Carter and Terry Burnsed, student organizer El Moss, and Yoselin Corrales, an immigrant rights organizer and co-founder of Aurora Unidos CSO. The four were arrested on July 20 outside of the ICE Field Office in Centennial, Colorado. They face state and federal charges for protesting against ICE and the mistreatment inside the GEO Group detention facility.

The public and the press were invited to come out to hear from the protesters, the legal counsel of those facing charges, and community allies. With picket signs, breakfast pastries, and beverages in tow, community members joined together in high spirits outside of the Arapahoe County Justice Center. They reminded passersby that “protesting is not a crime!” and demanding that the charges be dropped for the Centennial protesters.

Arapahoe County Sheriffs pushed participants to the outskirts of the entrance and threatened additional charges on attendees for stepping over their invisible “free speech zone” line.

“I want to be very clear why we’re here: it’s because they protested. That’s it,” said Attorney Andy McNulty before court began. During the press conference, all four of the protesters' legal representatives proudly stood by in support before ushering their clients into the courthouse, with those attending for court support following closely behind.

Protest arrests have risen drastically in the past year, with large, targeted campaigns against the Minnesota’s Righteous 39 Cities Church protesters and the Minnesota 15 in the Twin Cities, and the egregious charges against the Prairieland Protesters in Texas. There have also been smaller groups of protesters targeted, such as the seven clergy who were recently arrested in Vermont for standing up against ICE, and even four organizers who were arrested for protesting against the proposed detention center (that the GEO Group received $529 million dollars from ICE to open) in Hudson, Colorado. Anti-ICE sentiment has been steadily growing across the country, and in turn, so has political repression.

Prominent immigrant organizer Jeanette Vizguerra was present Wednesday morning and reminded the crowd of her own struggle with political repression, including her detainment in the Aurora GEO Facility for over nine months in 2025.

“It’s important that we stand together,” Vizguerra stated after the protesters returned from inside. All four of the protesters will return to court on Tuesday, October 20 at 1:30 p.m. for their next court date.

“Free speech is not a crime, and that’s why we’re standing here today – to be able to defend our movements and stand in solidarity with our siblings that have been arrested,” shared Brandon Gehrke-Quintanilla, a immigrant rights organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO.

Organizers in the community committed to continuing to show up to support activists who are being repressed, and the movements that are being targeted.

#CentennialCO #CO #DenverCO #AuroraCO #ImmigrantRights #ICE

Denver, CO – On Monday, September 7, more than 80 workers gathered near the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment office for a Labor Day rally under the slogan “Workers Over Billionaires!”

Emcees Katherine Draken and Miles Thompson started the rally with a brief history of Labor Day and some historic strikes in the United States. They stressed that the struggle still exists to this day, and it is important to continue to fight in the face of continued repression from the Trump administration.

Union workers and other community organizations with the Denver Coalition Against Trump gave speeches throughout the day, the first of which came from Kyle Burroughs, a UPS Teamster and district organizer for the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “We take the risk every day. We work all the jobs and we get nothing!” Burroughs noted that the biggest risk billionaires ever take on is the possibility of becoming members of the working class.

While many workers face dangerous working conditions every day, they receive little in return for their grueling labor.

A rank-and-file Teamster, Burroughs advocates for workers to take on the boss instead of seeking solutions through corporate collaboration with the union. “I believe that the unions need to fight. I believe that there are two sides in this class war,” Burroughs said.

Burroughs envisions a different future for the working class, one under socialism. “Socialism is how workers will turn this ugly thing into its opposite,” Burroughs said, referring to capitalism. “Do we think life will be better under socialism? We know it will be.”

Participants later heard from Naomi Wilson, a union barista with Starbucks Workers United. Wilson spoke about how Starbucks workers started demanding better conditions five years ago and how they have already built a union with over 12,000 baristas across the country.

“Our CEO brags about charging $9 for a coffee as he rakes in millions and travels to work in a private jet,” Naomi stated, highlighting the stark contrast between the owner and the overworked and struggling baristas.

Starbucks has earned a reputation as a company with one of the highest counts of federal labor law violations in modern history. Wilson says workers are fed up and are building a movement to fight back. “Our bosses think that we don't have the grit and determination necessary to win, but I know that when we stand together, we will win!” In Wilson’s view, workers around the country can stand with striking Starbucks workers by joining them on the picket line and boycotting Starbucks.

The crowd then marched to the Denver Elections Division, chanting “Get up, get down! Denver is a union town!” and “Billionaires don't save the day! Tax the rich and make them pay!” among other fiery rallying cries.

Mar Melendez with Aurora Unidos CSO spoke outside the Elections Division about her organization's struggle for immigrant rights and Chicano liberation. By mobilizing working people to defend their neighbors, CSO has freed eight detainees from the nearby GEO detention center. Melendez paid homage to the history of Chicanos in the labor struggle and spoke to the decades of exploitation faced by the working class. “Our history reminds us that dignity is never negotiated. It is fought for and it is taken from below– for the people, by the people,” stated Melendez.

On the way back to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, the protesters shouted more chants while local protest band Notes of Dissent played songs such as Bella Ciao and The Hand That Feeds, as well as some improvised music.

Dr. James Walsh, an educator at CU Denver and a member of the United Campus Workers, highlighted that the crowd at this Labor Day rally is the youngest he has ever seen. He feels this represents a shift in the labor movement, stating that rank-and file unions, or, in his words, “unions that don't need approval from officials,” are the future.

The final speech of the day was delivered by Kate Biester of the Sheridan Educators Association. After their contract expired in 2025, the union fought to expand their next contract to include all school faculty instead of just teachers. Bookkeepers, bus drivers, custodians, computer technicians and more were represented for the first time in the district. “We must envision a new labor movement,” Biester said. “One that unites white collar and blue collar and workers of all types as labor!”

The prevailing sentiment throughout the protest was one of powerful struggles against the ruling class and pride in the union movement. Kate Biester urged people to “make this Labor Day yours and ours! For all of us!”

#DenverCO #CO #Labor #LaborDay #PeoplesStruggles #Teamsters

Denver, CO – On September 8, 75 people stood outside of the Frontier Airlines headquarters in Denver, Colorado with one message: give workers what they deserve. This group was composed of members from the community, various unions, and a group of flight attendants, all gathered to support the call for a better contract for flight attendants working for Frontier.

The flight attendants at Frontier are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), the union that represents around 50,000 flight attendants across the country.

Flight attendants are crucial for travel today, handling safety checks and passenger service, as well as facilitating a smooth flying experience for travelers. Despite this, flight attendants working for Frontier are operating under a contract that was negotiated nearly seven years ago. The fight to bargain a new contract started three years ago, with many workers feeling unsatisfied with what the company has offered them. Frontier flight attendants are the lowest paid of all the major carriers.

Jen Sala, AFA Frontier president, stated, “It is important to have events with our flight attendants, so we are all motivated to get to the same goal line. We know that we all need a livable wage. We all need Frontier to come to the table. Events like this help motivate everyone around us and show Frontier how important it is.” Sala added, “Talk to your stewardess whenever you are on board,” and concluded by saying, “We would love to hear from you and would love to know you are supporting us.”

The contract fight is ongoing, and there are more events the AFA is putting on around the country in the coming months, including ones in Philadelphia, Orlando and Atlanta. The AFA plans to continue this contract fight until they get a contract the membership can get behind and vote for.

#DenverCO #CO #Labor #FlightAttendants #Frontier #AFA #AFACWA

Colorado Springs, CO – On September 7, the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) rallied with community members outside of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office to demand equal protection for Black ranchers in the county.

They were joined by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), which also endorsed the action. Attendees waved signs reading, “Black lives matter” and “Justice for Freedom Acres” and chanted “Sheriff Roybal, stop the repression, we demand equal protection!”

In 2020, Courtney “C.W.” Mallery and Nicole Mallery moved from Houston, Texas to the countryside east of Colorado Springs to escape the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Both Black veterans, the Mallerys founded Freedom Acres Ranch, with a mission to fight food insecurity and bring food to families in need, something they wish they had had access to.

Shortly after moving to the 1000-acre property, the Mallerys came under attack by neighbors. “For years, the Mallerys have been subjected to endless threats, violence towards them and their livestock, and an exhausting legal battle,” said COSAARPR member Memphis Curry.

Instead of doing something about the neighbors responsible for the harassment, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office charged C.W. and Nicole Mallery multiple times over the years. In 2023, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office arrested C.W. and Nicole Mallery and charged them with felony stalking, misdemeanor tampering, and petty theft. During the arrest, El Paso County Sheriff’s Deputy Emery Gerhart removed three of the Mallerys’ security cameras. The charges were quickly dismissed, and, in response, the Mallerys created a petition to fire Deputy Gerhart, which received over 12,600 signatures. The Mallerys allege Deputy Gerhart used the police department to instigate “racism, discrimination, terrorism, [and] denial of police service.”

At the action outside the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Curry stated, “I am tired of the narrative that any reasonable reaction to racism is an overreaction. The excusing of the targeted harassment that the Mallerys have been experiencing for years is simply exhausting.”

Curry further questioned the motives of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, saying, “Despite the Sheriff's department’s ‘reassurance’ that they would never stand for racist treatment of community members and [that they] have thoroughly investigated every report, this is the same institution that colludes with ICE and excuses every use of force case as reasonable and necessary.”

FRSO member Brandon Rincon spoke to systemic issues, saying,“Our local law enforcement agencies only protect and serve the interests of the billionaires who exploit Black and brown bodies for profit and terrorize us to keep us down.”

As the sun set on the office, members closed out the action by chanting “No justice, no peace, no racist police!”

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #Ranchers #Farmers #COSAARPR #Featured

Aurora, CO – On Saturday, August 29, 70 community members and activists gathered at Del Mar Park in Aurora, Colorado for the anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium and to oppose deportations. The event commemorated the anniversary of the original Chicano Moratorium in 1970. This anniversary, observed yearly by communities across the country, is also known as Chicano Liberation Day.

On August 29, 1970, 30,000 Chicanos mobilized in East Los Angeles to protest the Vietnam War and the disproportionate rate at which Chicanos were being drafted by the U.S. military and killed. The Moratorium was the culmination of a year’s worth of marches and rallies building up to the mobilization. Led by a broad movement of Chicano anti-war activists organized in the National Chicano Moratorium Committee, the organizers of the march included the Brown Berets and student activists.

The day of the Moratorium, the LAPD arrested hundreds of activists and murdered three people. Police murdered two Brown Berets, Lynn Ward and Angel Díaz. Police also murdered LA Times journalist Ruben Salazar, who was known for his fearless reporting on civil rights and police brutality.

Now, 56 years later, community members gathered at Del Mar Park to demand “Legalization for all!” and an end to deportations. About a half dozen vendors set up canopies and tables displaying apparel and artwork. The crowd watched as Kalpulli Yohualli Ehecatl, a local indigenous dance group, performed Danza Mexika. Many participated by facing the four cardinal directions in turn with the dancers, and many children joined in. Several organizations tabled, including FRSO, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and Denver Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC).

Gizell Garcia Palacio from SDS spoke to the crowd, “the U.S. government only wants Chicanos here when it becomes convenient for them.” Palacio asserted that the U.S. is now scared because “they know that we have power.”

Another speaker, Alex Riedle from Aurora Unidos CSO demanded that, “all individuals are allowed to live our lives without fear of political repression and persecution regardless of our citizenship status.”

The Chicano Moratorium at Del Mar Park was the first in the Denver metro area to be hosted in Aurora, which has a sizable Chicano and immigrant population. Immigrants make up over 20% of the population of Aurora.

Organizers with Aurora Unidos CSO foresee this year’s Moratorium as the first of many. They envision the Chicano Moratorium contributing to organizing the Chicano community in the city.

#AuroraCO #CO #OppressedNationalities #Chicano #ChicanoMoratorium #AuroraUnidosCSO

Colorado Springs, CO – On August 29, community members gathered with signs outside of an unmarked immigrant holding facility for the 56th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium, and its second annual commemoration in Colorado Springs.

Members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), About Face, and the wider community held up signs reading “No ICE! Stop the deportations!” and “Killer ICE off our streets!” Angry chants rang through the air as the crowd pointed a megaphone at the holding facility, joined by supportive honks from drivers passing by.

The Chicano Moratorium is recognized as a key moment in the movement for Chicano liberation.

Chicanos today face many problems, such as racist police violence and ICE terror. On July 9, members of the Colorado Springs community watched as ICE agents led their family members out of the backdoor of an unassuming office building in shackles. The agents loaded the detainees into a GEO transport van to take them to the detention center in Aurora, Colorado. The office building, in reality a holding facility hidden from the public, became the target for this year’s Moratorium.

At the action, FRSO member Mel Medina spoke about who profits from Chicano oppression, saying, “The monopoly capitalists are constantly stealing the resources of Aztlán. They are depriving us of land that was once ours and using it for their own gain.” Medina connected this to ICE, noting that “they hire our people and use ICE as a tool to exploit workers; as soon as workers demand better pay and benefits, the monopoly capitalists threaten to call ICE.”

Veteran and About Face member Matt Mitchell spoke about the need to resist imperialism everywhere, saying, “We don’t want to see war abroad, and we don’t want to see a militarized ICE force acting against our Black and brown population here.”

FRSO member Brandon Rincon concluded the protest with a call for international solidarity, saying “We need to unite across national and color lines. We need to unite the many to defeat the few!”

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #OppressedNationalities #ChicanoMoratorium #ImmigrantRights #ICE

Fort Morgan, CO — On Monday, August 3, nearly 1500 Cargill workers in Fort Morgan voted on a proposed contract negotiated by Cargill Meat Solutions and Teamsters Local 455. The vote comes after the employer locked out the union workers for nearly three months. When the ballots were counted, the workers had voted to reject the proposed agreement by a margin of 25 votes, 749 to 724.

In anticipation of a strike, Cargill stopped processing beef on April 23 and later locked out the Teamsters Local 455 members on May 20. Before the lockout, the plant had already gone nearly a month without processing cattle, as Cargill directed cattle to other facilities. The Fort Morgan plant processed roughly 4000 cattle per day last year. Cargill reported $154 billion in revenue in 2025 and was ranked by Forbes as the largest privately-held company in the United States.

In contract negotiations, the workers had proposed $5 hourly wage increases over the course of a five-year contract. “If they truly respected us and cared about the work we do they wouldn't have a problem giving us a dollar a year raise. Without us they have nothing,” said Korin Turner, a Cargill meatpacker. The tentative agreement reached between Teamsters Local 455 on July 28 offered $2.15 total in wage increases, which was the same amount that Cargill had offered back in in May.

Guaranteed hours became a central point of opposition to the tentative agreement. Workers said the proposed agreement would increase the number of weeks in which they could be guaranteed only 32 hours of pay from ten weeks under the previous contract to 20 weeks. “For us to drive to work five days a week and only get 32 hours, that's barely enough to live. We have kids. We need to support our families,” said Sarah Webber, a Cargill fabrication worker. “Twenty weeks out of the year only 32 hours is a big slap in the face. Our previous contract only had ten weeks a year. They doubled it in this contract.” Some workers reported working even fewer hours.

“We weren't even getting the 32 hours, only 26 or 28 hours,” said Lucilia Fuentes, a Teamsters-represented trainer on the killing floor.

Safety was another concern raised by many Cargill workers during the lockout. Several picketing Cargill employees reported suffering serious injuries involving meat-processing equipment, and multiple workers at the picket had missing fingers or visible scars on their hands.

Don Wireman, a Cargill worker who sorts the meat after it's been packaged, said, “There's boxes stacked so high they fall over on people and they can't move until the person next to them is unburying them, digging them out.”

“We have three coworkers that are missing half their fingers,” said Makayla Wilson, a Teamsters-represented control room operator at Cargill.

During the lockout, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) paid workers $1000 per week, with an additional $250 per week coming from Teamsters Local 455. The union payments were substantially higher than the weekly earnings many workers reported receiving before the lockout. “We're getting $1250 a week right now,” said Fuentes, when interviewed one month into the lockout. “Before we were making four to five hundred a week.”

On July 20, Teamsters Local 455 stopped its $250 weekly payments and encouraged workers to apply for unemployment. “I'm getting $1250,” said Wireman. He explained that $1000 was coming from the IBT and $250 from Teamsters Local 455. “But starting the 20th, so, next week, we're only getting $1000 because they're not paying the $250.”

On August 4, one day after workers rejected the proposed contract, the IBT announced that the $1000-per-week payments would be reduced to five times each member's monthly union dues. Based on monthly dues ranging from $58.75 to $72.50, that would reduce weekly payments to approximately $294 to $363.

After workers voted down the agreement negotiated between Cargill and Teamsters Local 455 on August 3, a group of workers started a petition demanding a re-vote.

“We had a large group of members that felt like there was some misunderstanding through the language barriers,” said Chris Suazo, a Teamsters business agent representing the 1700 locked-out Cargill workers, among whom 27 different languages are spoken. “They took it upon themselves to start a petition,” said Suazo.”

“Over a thousand signed the petition,” said Servando Payan, another Teamsters business agent.

Suazo said Teamsters officials are taking a different approach to the second vote. “[We're] being very clear what a no vote would entail and what a yes vote would entail. We're now doing the ballots in their languages – Haitian Creole, Arabic, Spanish, French, Somali, Tigrinya.”

Teamsters officials defended the proposed agreement, saying they believed they had secured the best possible contract. “I believe our group has done the beef industry a great service,” said Suazo. “We've done everything possible to support them and put the workers first.” Payan said, “We feel comfortable saying we walked away from the table without any additional money on the table.”

Teamsters’ officials have scheduled a second vote for August 17, where workers will once again decide whether to accept the proposed contract while the nearly three-month lockout continues.

Editor’s note: The agreement was approved on August 17.

#FortMorganCO #CO #Labor #Teamsters #Cargill #Strike #TeamstersLocal455

Centennial, CO – At 8 a.m. on Monday, July 20, organizers and community members from across the Denver Metro area joined together for a protest at the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Denver Field Office in Centennial, Colorado.

The protesters come together for a die-in scheduled by the Shut Down GEO Coalition to highlight detained immigrants' demands for freedom, humane conditions, and to end all contracts with GEO Group, the operators of a for-profit detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. GEO Group was also recently awarded over $528 million dollars to open up a shuttered correctional facility in Hudson, Colorado.

The rally began with speeches from organizers and family members of immigrants who have been impacted by the racist and brutal deportation system. Speakers touched on the longstanding history of medical neglect, insufficient and unsafe food, low wages, guard and staff abuse, and, most recently, a confirmed case of tuberculosis within the Aurora GEO facility.

Despite pressure from medical professionals, legal advocates and the local community, the GEO Group has still not met the demand for compliance from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for contact tracing and a full health investigation. While GEO Group delays crucial investigations and treatment, they could ultimately be subjecting the entire city and state to unnecessary health risks.

After the speeches, protesters staged a die-in where they laid down on the ground in front of the ERO office, representing the lives stolen by ICE and private prison contractors GEO Group and CoreCivic.

While attendees were lying on the ground, listening to recordings of testimonials from families of those in detention, a group of protesters stood off to the side holding a large banner that read, “Dignity not detention, end deportations.”

Five Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers approached this group of organizers and called in additional officers for back up. Eventually, two officers returned to attempt to pull the banner away from protesters but failed. When the DHS officers were unsuccessful in threatening protesters to retreat, they called in the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, which brought less-lethal crowd control weapons.

Arapahoe County sheriffs pushed the group of protesters forward and into the public street, where they eventually targeted four protesters who were then pulled from the group, handcuffed, and detained for around two hours within the ICE facility under Arapahoe County and ICE supervision before being released with state and federal citations.

Upon the protesters’ exit, the remaining crowd was chanting for each organizer's release. The organizers arrested included longtime organizers in the community Arnie Carter and Terry Burnsed, as well as Yoselin Corrales, an immigrant rights organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO.

After taking a moment to regroup, Corrales addressed the crowd, stating, “It’s far past the time to send a strongly-worded email, we need to show up and be willing to put more on the line for those facing injustice in our community!”

#CentennialCO #CO #AuroraCO #ImmigrantRights #ICE #Feature

AURORA, CO – Protesters in Aurora, Colorado gathered outside of an ICE detention facility operated by GEO Group on Sunday morning, July 19. They rallied to raise a number of demands regarding conditions in the detention center, the recent ICE murders of Joan Sebastian-Guerrero and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, and acts of repression against anti-ICE protesters Including Nadia Topete and 21-year-old Emma Landis, who was shot by a GEO Group employee after attending a protest outside the facility earlier in the week. Over 80 people attended the event where they heard speakers from various movements in the city and participated in chants against ICE’s continued attacks on their communities.

“We are gathered here today to demand justice for all victims of ICE’s violent terror across America,” said Miles Thompson, an emcee for the event and chair of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC). “We’re also here to say that protesting is not a crime! Hands off Nadia Topete!” DACAC called this event in conjunction with Aurora Unidos CSO as part of a national week of action for Nadia Topete called by the Legalization For All Network.

Topete, an immigrants rights activist in Los Angeles, has been a target of FBI repression in recent weeks. In addition to ending the harassment against Topete and her fellow activists, organizers across the country have used this week of action to call for justice in the cases of Joan Sebastian-Guerrero and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo who were murdered by ICE agents during separate incidents in the last month. The event was supported by other local organizations, including the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The Aurora ICE detention center, specifically, has made national news twice this week. The first was on July 16, when the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) announced that it had confirmed at least one case of tuberculosis inside the facility. While GEO Group denies any tuberculosis, community members detained inside claim at least a dozen cases have been identified. Tuberculosis is a preventable and treatable lung infection that can be contagious and deadly if not properly handled. In a facility already notorious for medical neglect, the community is concerned for the safety of those inside.

Yoselin Corrales, a Honduran immigrant and organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO said, “Our group has been working with immigrants inside to help document medical neglect, guard mistreatment, food insecurity, and the abuse of detention center staff for over a year now. Frankly, it was only a matter of time before something happened like what we’re seeing now.”

GEO Group, the private prison corporation that operates the Aurora ICE detention facility, was given until Friday, July 17 to submit to CDPHE inspection and turn over medical records to the state regarding tuberculosis. As of the writing of this article, GEO Group is completely refusing to comply with this investigation. Just last week, this for-profit corporation was awarded a half-billion dollar contract to open a new ICE detention center in rural Hudson, Colorado. This facility would almost double the number of people ICE could detain in the state and reduce visibility for these detentions by moving them far outside of the urban areas where Coloradans mostly live.

The news of the potential tuberculosis outbreak led to multiple protests against ICE and GEO Group this week but one, in particular, resulted in another national headline.

On Thursday, July 16, after a protest disbanded, a GEO group employee shot a woman in the foot while she was leaving the area. Emma Landis, the woman who was shot, was able to attend Sunday’s event where she expressed gratitude for her fellow activists and solidarity with those detained inside the facility. “It’s really nice to see my community come together in support of this and all I can say is ‘let’s keep doing this!’” She added, “ I don’t want to be a trend, I want to be an advocate for these people because they don’t deserve this at all. Nobody deserves this at all.”

The call to continue to fight and organize was common among all of the people who spoke. “We’re not here to write a strongly-worded letter or ask you to send an email,” proclaimed Corrales, “we’re here to commit to continuing to show up until the people inside these walls are free, and those who have contributed to this violent system are punished! Don’t do the enemy’s work for them and back down before the battle, join an organization and become part of a fighting force!”

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #ICE #DetentionCenter

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.

On July 5, 2025, Wallick chased and shot Martinez-Sarmiento in the back three times as he was running away, killing him. In the year since then, members of the family and COSAARPR led dozens of actions demanding that Wallick be fired and charged with murder.

On December 10, 2025, District Attorney Michael Allen ruled the shooting justified, angering the family, who continue to fight alongside COSAARPR to get justice and accountability for their loved one. Recently, the family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Colorado Springs.

“It’s heartbreaking being out here,” said Rincon, “We shouldn’t have to be out here demanding justice. We shouldn’t have to have our loved ones gunned down in the streets by racist, crooked, cowardly police officers like Connor Jacob Wallick.”

Rincon echoed the demands of the family, stating “This family deserves justice, this family deserves peace of mind, this family deserves transparency, accountability and answers, and Connor Wallick deserves to rot in jail.”

FRSO member Bug Peterson condemned the killing as a case of national oppression, saying that “here in Aztlán, the Chicano nation, there’s a long history of racist police violence against Chicanos, Mexicanos and Latinos.” Peterson described how American imperialism brutalized not just nations around the world, but also nations here in the U.S., noting that “police are on the front lines of enacting that brutality.”

As the family mourns, they continue to fight. Alongside COSAARPR and FRSO, they are determined to win justice for Alex and to get violent police officers off the streets of Colorado Springs.

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #InjusticeSystem #KillerCop #COSAARPR #OppressedNationalities

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!”

Banners from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and many other groups, spanned the mile-long parade. Many had hand-painted slogans like “Queers bash back against Trump! Stonewall was a riot!” “Pride means fight back!” “Protect trans kids!” and “Chinga la migra!”

During Denver’s previous two Pride festivals, activists took over the main stage to demand that the primary organizer of Denver Pridefest, The Center on Colfax (The Center), divest from genocidal military companies like Lockheed Martin. Organizers also demanded an end to police presence at the parade. The Center’s former CEO, Rex Fuller, resigned in 2025. In 2026, The Center has refused money from corporations invested in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians.

Now, for the first time in many years, The Center invited local organizers to lead a segment of the Denver Pride parade and re-center the root of Pride: protesting the injustices and violence against LGBTQ people, and connecting the Palestinian struggle to the Queer community’s struggle.

“We are here as scrappy trans folks because we fought, and we are here to recruit you to the same kind of scrappy fight, because when we fight, we win!” remarked Z Williams, a trans rights activist and the founder of Bread & Roses Legal Center, a social justice legal defense organization. “That is the only way our community has gotten what we have, and where we are at.”

There were an estimated 550,000 total Pridefest attendees, with tens of thousands watching the Pride parade and witnessing the event return to its origin as a protest fighting for LGBTQ rights.

#DenverCO #CO #LGBTQ #Pride

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.

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Vista Grande Community Church of Christ and Freedom Acres Ranch endorsed the action.

“We see them trying to silence our voices through gerrymandering, mass incarceration and violence, but we have always fought back and will continue to fight,” said Memphis Curry of COSAARPR. Miles Thompson of the FRSO stated, “We understand that to beat back these racist attacks we don’t need Black or brown capitalism, we need a new system that works for all people, socialism.”

A crowd of about two dozen filled the city hall steps as chants rang loud between speeches highlighting the recent police murder of one-year-old Kohen Wiley. “Say his name” was called with responses of “Kohen Wiley” filled the air. Looks of determination and anger painted the crowd.

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #InjusticeSystem #KohenWiley #OppressedNationalities #Juneteenth

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.

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #InjusticeSystem #KohenWiley #COSAARPR

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.

Members of the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) were in attendance to support the family. Over a dozen family members and activists stood in front of the press cameras holding banners and signs that read “Justice for Alex Martinez” and “CSPD stop killing La Raza.”

On July 5, 2025, CSPD officer Connor Jacob Wallick shot Martinez-Sarmiento in the back three times, killing him. Since then, members of his family, as well as COSAARPR, have been leading protests demanding that Wallick be fired and charged for murder. Members of COSAARPR view the lawsuit as one step in a protracted struggle.

At the press conference, Alex’s sister Saray Rocha spoke to the lack of accountability CSPD faces, “If an ordinary citizen cannot shoot someone in the back and walk away without consequences, then why should Connor Jacob Wallick? Why should he get to continue to wear a badge if he cannot follow the standards and responsibilities that come with it?”

McNulty’s stated, “We see violence from the police over and over and over again here in Colorado Springs. What we don’t see is accountability. What we don’t see is justice for these families. And today we file a federal lawsuit seeking accountability and justice not just for the Martinez family, but for all the families who have had their loved ones taken by the Colorado Springs Police Department.”

COSAARPR and the family are determined to keep fighting for Alex and accountability for violent police officers.

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #COSAARPR #NAARPR #FRSO #Feature

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.

Miles Thompson, an attendee of the event and chair of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee, had this to say about the holiday: “This day is the most important day not just for Black history, but for American history as a whole.”

Thompson continued, “The centuries-long struggle for freedom was finally over, a triumphant victory for Black liberation and workers’ rights. Hundreds of slave-led rebellions, uprisings and battles were the driving forces that made abolition possible.”

After about an hour or so, the parade came to an end at the historic Five Points neighborhood in Denver. As the parade turned into a large block party, the smells of soul food and barbecue filled the air. Several blocked-off streets were lined with canopies, food trucks and event stages. The event square was packed with people of all walks of life, including members of Black fraternities and sororities, motorcycle clubs, and political groups, and Black-owned businesses.

Decades ago, Five Points was home to one of Denver's most concentrated populations of Black residents. Before gentrification and redlining campaigns, the neighborhood was the home to many Black-owned businesses and Black churches, schools and residential buildings. Years later, only a fraction of the Black population still lives in Five Points, and the Black businesses that once thrived no longer exist on these blocks. Pushed out by racist policies, the Black community was forced to move east towards Park Hill, located in northeast Denver, leaving Five Points to gentrification. Today, a majority of Black Coloradans living in the Denver Metro Area reside in Park Hill or Aurora. With the continuing demographic changes in the city, Denver’s rich tradition of Black history is often overlooked and underappreciated.

Juneteenth is as important as ever, not just to keep the longest-standing Black holiday alive, but to preserve the contributions of the Black community who shaped Denver into the city that it is today. Thompson states, “The joy expressed by those of us who proudly celebrate Juneteenth carries the weight of a nation that has been forged through centuries of bondage, pain, suffering and genocide. Juneteenth should be a day of celebration for all people; without the sacrifices made by our ancestors, many of the civil rights we take for granted would not be possible to have today.”

#DenverCO #CO #Juneteenth #OppressedNationalities #InjusticeSystem