Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across Colorado on Saturday, June 14, 2025, rallying against the Trump administration in one of the largest protests since the social justice movements of 2020 that followed George Floyd’s death. The ‘No Kings’ protests spanned more than a dozen locations statewide, with participants chanting, marching, and displaying signs expressing their dissent.
The day remained peaceful overall, as confirmed by both CPR News observations and police reports. However, tensions escalated later in the day in Denver, where a group of a few hundred protesters was met with pepper balls and gas canisters after they attempted to march onto I-25.
Demonstrations occurred from Grand Junction to Colorado Springs, Denver to Durango, and numerous locations in between. In the morning, hundreds gathered peacefully in Grand Junction, causing traffic disruptions. In Colorado Springs, speakers urged the crowd to remain nonviolent and to avoid the streets.
In Parker, participants lined the roads, holding signs for passing cars to see, while in Genesee, individuals stood on a bridge over I-70, attracting the attention of drivers below.
The protests aimed to address a broad range of issues related to Trump-era policies, including immigration enforcement, free speech restrictions, and LGBTQ rights. The Denver gathering featured booths encouraging political engagement and community involvement, as attendees from diverse backgrounds united in their dissent against the administration.
The event coincided with a nationwide call for protests on President Trump’s birthday, with 2,000 cities expected to join the movement. Earlier in the week, demonstrators had also gathered at the State Capitol to voice their opposition to immigration policies, where there were some arrests as police intervened with non-lethal measures.
In Denver, the march began peacefully around midday, with demonstrators filling Lincoln Street near the Capitol. As they progressed through downtown, the police maintained a non-confrontational approach, facilitating the protesters’ movement by blocking traffic.
By mid-afternoon, a larger congregation of protesters filled the streets, and police began notifying the public of rolling road closures. A smaller splinter group later attempted to push toward I-25, leading to an encounter with police that resulted in the use of pepper balls.
Participants expressed their feelings about the protests’ significance. “This is America. You can’t treat America this way,” said Adam Young, who marched dressed as Uncle Sam.
Despite the pressure from law enforcement, many protestors maintained their focus on peaceful expressions of their ideologies. As the evening unfolded, reports of arrests began to surface, with Denver police noting a total of 17 arrests related to the protests by 10:48 p.m.
Significantly, the Grand Junction protest attracted nearly 1,000 attendees, marking it as one of the largest since last November. Betty Tanksley, an 81-year-old, voiced her concerns for the nation’s trajectory, stating, “I have never been this afraid for the country.” Meanwhile, in Colorado Springs, the demonstrations were marked by a strong sense of community, as locals made their voices heard against perceived injustices by the current administration.
The protests in Parker echoed similar sentiments, with attendees emphasizing the need for collective action to counter what they viewed as failures of the Trump administration.
As the day concluded, various groups continued to mobilize peacefully through downtown areas, reflecting the widespread sentiment against current governmental leadership throughout Colorado and beyond.