February 19, 2017 09:15 AM UTC

Another Busy Saturday of Protest in Downtown Denver

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• by: Colorado Pols

Two back-to-back well-attended protest events in Denver yesterday to note for the record–the first was in the morning, starting outside Denver Pavilions with a “flashmob” dance then marching to Civic Center Park. One Billion Rising explained their event’s goals:

Our focus in Denver this year is honoring and standing with our indigenous sisters, especially our sister Red Fawn Fallis, who is currently a political prisoner in North Dakota. Red Fawn is a human rights advocate, organizer and a community leader within the Oglala Lakota Sioux. She grew up in Colorado and was raised in traditional Lakota ways, grounded with love and a deep connection to the earth and all living things. Her mother Troylynn Yellow Wood, taught her the importance of fighting for social and environmental justice.

After the One Billion Rising Event, the PA system in Civic Center Park was handed over to the Defend Our Constitution March, more directly focused on President Donald Trump and his historically unsteady first few weeks in office. After rallying in the park, as FOX 31 reports, protesters marched to the First Unitarian Church a few blocks away to show support for Jeanette Vizguerra, an undocumented immigrant who has sought sanctuary there:

Protesters marched from Civic Center Park to First Unitarian Church to show their support for a woman who sought sanctuary inside the church to avoid being deported.

Several hundred people gathered for the rally. Organizer Queen Phoenix said the march was all-inclusive with protesters rallying for everything from immigrants’ rights to the constitution.

“There are so many different venues that are hurting us and offending so many different groups of people,” said Phoenix…

Vizguerra addressed the crowd outside the church on Saturday. She said the image of all the people standing on the front steps of the church will stay in her memory forever.

“It’s very emotional, see very much people coming, and express your support, your love, it’s very emotional,” said Vizaguerra.

If you missed out on the action yesterday, don’t worry–tomorrow is President’s Day, and the “NOT My President’s Day” rally tomorrow at 5:00PM at the Colorado State Capitol is forecast to be a pretty big deal.

Then Tuesday, the weekly protest outside Sen. Cory Gardner’s offices resumes. And Congress is in recess, giving local citizens (in theory, anyway) more chances to make their voices heard. Not to mention a whole new week of news from Washington to create new motivations to protest. After weeks of unrelenting action since President Trump took office, amounting to the greatest season of protest in modern American history, one thing we’re increasingly sure of is this is not a fad.

Until Trump stops frightening America out of our usual complacence, it’s the new normal.