Photo: People gathered at the Colorado Capitol in Denver to protest against Republican President Donald Trump and his administration on Presidents Day, February 17, 2025. All photos by Sara Wilson/Colorado Newsline.
This story by Sara Wilson appeared on Colorado Newsline on February 17, 2025.
Nearly 3,000 people spent their Presidents Day holiday at the Colorado Capitol in Denver to protest the administration of President Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk.
As the temperature dipped below freezing with intermittent snowfall, the crowd yelled anti-Trump slogans, listened to speakers on the building steps and held up signs at passing cars on Lincoln Street. A little after 1pm, the mass of people began their march through Capitol Hill and into downtown Denver.
It was part of a coordinated day of protest across the country by the national 50501 movement and the Denver-based Common Ground People’s Collective, and comes about two weeks after the first large protest against the Trump administration at the Capitol on February 5.
“What you say and what you do matters. So every time you get out and you raise your voice, every time you call your congressman, write us letters — all the things you do add up,” said Sen. Lisa Cutter, a Littleton Democrat who spoke briefly alongside Rep. Chad Clifford, a Centennial Democrat.
“There’s going to be a tipping point, and they need to know we’re not going to put up with this sh** anymore. We’re here because we love this country,” she added.
People held signs against Trump policies related to federal funding cuts, mass deportations and erosion of rights for transgender people.
One woman, who wanted to remain anonymous given the political climate, held a sign proclaiming she was part of the “Fired Fed Club,” referring to her termination last week from the U.S Geological Survey, which is an agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior. The biologist was one of the thousands of probationary employees who lost their jobs in an effort, recommended by Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, to slash government spending.
“Federal employees aren’t paid much. The reason we choose to be federal employees is because we believe the work we do is valuable for the country,” she said. “There’s not a future for ecological research without federal funding. The basis of the research is not itself profitable, even if it ultimately increases the well-being of everyone.”