Hundreds of Coloradans in Douglas County will mobilize Saturday for an anti-Trump rally, even after the town of Parker tried to shut them down, organizers say.
People walk the sidewalks in front of the storefronts during the lunch hour in downtown Parker on March 2, 2017 in Parker, Colorado. Hundreds of Coloradans in Douglas County will mobilize Saturday for an anti-Trump rally, even after the town of Parker tried to shut them down, organizers say.
The Parker-led group will join thousands of people in cities across the country hosting “No Kings” rallies on Saturday, President Donald Trump’s birthday, “in response to increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption from Trump and his allies,” “I’ve been to rallies in Denver, and they are so exciting, but it’s sort of like being in an echo chamber because Denver is blue,” organizer Carolyn Williamson said. “It takes courage to stand up in Parker.”In this file photo from Oct. 26, 2017, Parker resident Carolyn Williamson, center, and members of Indivisible Front Range Resistance, chant "shame" while protesting Vice President Mike Pence's appearance Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, outside the Marriott Denver Tech Center. Williamson said she’s hosted other rallies and events in Parker before and felt lucky to get 25 to 50 people to show up. When hundreds of people started registering for her No Kings event, she couldn’t believe it.Williamson requested an event permit from the town, but said Parker denied the request because it had already granted one toShe changed plans to break up the protest into smaller groups at intersections along Parker Road, only for town officials to tell her to stand down, she said. “In no uncertain terms, they told me to cancel it,” she said, remembering a joint call from the town’s attorney and chief of police. “They said, ‘You can say whatever you want, but not on the public sidewalks during Parker Days’.” Town officials offered Williamson a chance to reschedule the rally and were “disappointed to hear that the event is going forward,” spokesperson Andy Anderson said in an emailed statement. Williamson said that would defeat the point of the national movement. “Due to the nature and size of the festival, much of town staffing and resources, including those of the Parker Police Department, are allocated to managing Parker Days and ensuring the safety of all participants and attendees,” Anderson stated. “This significantly limits the remaining resources available … to ensure the safety of any individuals participating in protests or rallies or any other person within the town.” “The town of Parker absolutely recognizes individuals’ First Amendment rights, but must balance those rights with the rights and safety of all other individuals,” Anderson stated. He said the simultaneous events will negatively impact safety and the police department’s ability to respond to both routine calls and any incidents at the protest.Trump says US gets rare earth minerals from China and tariffs on Chinese goods will total 55%Denver demonstrators decry federal immigration enforcement Williamson said she initially agreed to the Parker officials’ demands, but dozens of people registered for the rally emailed her to let her know they’d be showing up anyway. “The First Amendment protects the right to protest in public spaces like on sidewalks, plazas, and parks,” American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado spokesperson Pablo de la Rosa Santiago said in a statement. “Local government’s ability to restrict expressive conduct in these areas is very limited and cannot be based on the content of the speech, whether it is controversial, or goes against preferred political beliefs.”Mobilize “It was very encouraging and heartwarming that so many people reached out to say thank you for having this in Parker,” Williamson said. “We all thought we were the only ones who felt this way.”MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell takes stand in Denver defamation trial, continues attacks on plaintiffRTD routes detoured, suspended for Denver protestsColorado protesters push back after Douglas County town orders them to cancel 'No Kings' rallyDenver protesters march against ICE; police arrest 17, fire pepper balls to disperse crowds
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Aurora man sentenced to 14 years in deadly Douglas County hit-and-runA Douglas County District Court judge sentenced Tory Conyers on Monday to 14 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections for a fatal Parker hit-and-run in 2023.
Read more »
Roxborough teacher arrested on two counts of sexual assault on a child, Douglas County deputies sayÓscar A. Contreras is a Murrow-nominated journalist who has been writing for the E.W. Scripps Company since January 2014.
Read more »
Bond for woman accused in Douglas County Main Event shooting lowered from $1M to $250,000Sydney Isenberg is an Emmy-nominated digital content producer with Denver7 (KMGH) in Denver, Colorado. She began her career in Bakersfield, California, after graduating from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University in 2018.
Read more »
Douglas County teacher, nicknamed “Mr. Pedophile,” arrested in connection to child sex assault“Now, looking back at it, I understand it was weird, but at the time I just thought it was normal,” one of Feil’s former students told Douglas County investigators.
Read more »
Meet Guster, Douglas County's first-ever K9 school resource officerÓscar A. Contreras is a Murrow-nominated journalist who has been writing for the E.W. Scripps Company since January 2014.
Read more »
Douglas County judge allows election to move forward, voters will decide on becoming home rule entityKatie joined the Denver7 team as a digital content producer in April of 2023.
Read more »