Story and Photos by Payton Cordova
Denver, CO—people gathered at the Denver State Capitol to protest anti-immigrant rhetoric and recent deportation raids conducted by the United States government on Saturday, Feb. 8. Led by organizers of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) with the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC), demonstrators marched from Civic Park to Speer and Colfax, demanding political action, dancing, and telling stories of loved ones who acted for their community.
Alongside the Mexican flag, Palestinian, Salvadoran and Pride flags could be seen waving above the crowd. “Since the inauguration of the Trump administration, we’ve seen a new resurgence of people that are willing to come out onto the streets, both young and old, experienced and inexperienced,” said Alfonso “Poncho” Espino, an organizer with the PSL. “There’s no room for concessions. We have to demand as much as we can get for our people.” On Jan. 20, President Trump signed an executive order which recategorizes drug cartels and “other transnational organizations” as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). Many fear that Secretary of State Marco Rubio may use President Trump’s executive order to broadly identify many immigrants, social workers, and religious groups as enablers of terrorist organizations and targets for deportation. “I just don’t want to see my community suffering these attacks,” said Leticia Ramirez, an immigrants rights activist who has lived in Denver for the past 23 years.
Denver has been host to debates over immigration for decades. In 2006, protestors converged at the Capitol as part of a national movement to reject the “Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005” before it reached the senate. If passed, the bill would have classified undocumented individuals and anyone who helped them enter or remain in the US as felons. The Trump administration’s recent executive order intends to carry a similar effect.
“We need to humanize our immigrant community,” said Michelle Lopez, an educator in the Denver area and dancer of Grupo Tlāloc Danza Azteca, a traditional Mexica/Azteca dance group. Her son and daughter also danced before the crowd at the capitol, framing the protest as a new page in a long history. “I think everyone understands that immigrants have a very visible place in our communities,” said Franklin Cruz, a poet and member of Grupo Tlāloc. “Most folks here would immediately feel the impact of missing neighbors, missing students, missing friends and loved ones. A lot of folks don’t stand for that.”
Marching chants like “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido” (the people united will never be defeated) and calls to “Melt ICE” brought a sense of unified purpose to many demonstrators. “It feels disheartening at the same time,” said Joel Higgins, a veteran of the Iraq war. “ I don’t feel like it is enough for this administration to pay attention.” Higgins voiced a growing frustration felt by many who seek action against the dehumanizing effects of President Trump’s policies.
At the close of the march, members of the PSL handed out flyers with information for future party meetings, encouraging people to start acting together for future change. Unified political action remains a daunting task, but Leticia Ramirez remains hopeful. “We are not alone. There’s a lot of communities supporting us.”
