Attendees at today’s No Kings 2.0 anti-Trump protest in Grand Junction, CO — long thought to be a Republican stronghold in western Colorado — numbered 7,000, according to a press release issued by Indivisible Grand Junction at 4:06 p.m. this afternoon. The event was held to defend democracy and reject authoritarianism. The crowd was joyful, energetic, boisterous, patriotic and creative with many people wearing costumes and carrying signs expressing their love for the country, but also strong disagreement with what Republicans have been doing to destroy democracy and tear our country apart.
The march started at First and Spruce Streets, then went westbound on Rood Ave, then turned south to Main Street. From there participants marched east on Main for several blocks and returned to Rood Ave. to the starting point, for an estimated total distance of 1 mile. There was a moderate police presence. The crowd was orderly, obeyed traffic signals and stayed on the sidewalks. Protest marshals assured people only crossed on green lights and they did a great job keeping everyone safe. Some people were still just starting out on the march route as the first people were concluding it.
Speakers before the march began encouraged people to overcome their fear of Trump’s retribution-focused administration and expressed the frustration and anger the crowd was feeling at the Trump administration for repeated violations of the Constitution, repeated violations of court orders and U.S. laws, ignoring peoples’ rights to due process, attacks on immigrants with no criminal records, Republicans failing completely to follow their sworn oaths and defend the Constitution, the repeated violent, deadly attacks on other countries without permission and without getting a declaration of war from Congress, Republicans circumventing Congress to cut lawful appropriations to federal agencies, Republicans’ destruction of the Centers for Disease Control, Department of Education and other important agencies, attacks on vaccines, abortion and more, all to raucous cheers and applause. Musical entertainment included a song with lyrics instructing people about how to handle ICE coming to your door, and dance tunes.
Below are scenes from the protest:
Indivisible G.J. posted additional photos from the event here.
We needed a drone to capture the size of the march.
Trump is the king of chaos.
If evil exists, Trump is its personification.
The people have spoken.
Rep. Hurd, have you heard?