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‘No Kings’ in Steamboat Springs — Local rally joins thousands nationwide

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Protesters lined up between Fifth and Sixth streets on Lincoln Avenue in downtown Steamboat Springs, part of the nationwide "No Kings" rally on Saturday.
Tom Skulski/Steamboat Pilot & Today

With the sun beating down and temperatures in the low 80s on Saturday in Steamboat Springs, many attendees of the “No Kings” rally sought shade while rows of hundreds lined the Lincoln Avenue sidewalks outside of the Historic Routt County Courthouse holding signs with messages like: “ICE is for Tea”, “Gulf of Stupidity” and “No Kings Since 1776”.

Out of the thousands of horns heard from vehicles passing the throngs of rally goers, one stood above the rest:

The 18-wheeler blasted its horn just as Jacqueline Denny, founder of the group Worth Fighting for Routt County, which organized the rally with the Routt County Democrats, delivered her opening remarks in front of the courthouse entrance.



Onlookers turned their attention to the street to give one of the loudest cheers of the day.

“What is happening right now in our country is infuriating and horrific,” Denny told the frenzied crowd. “ICE wreaking violence and terrorizing immigrant communities, disappearing immigrant students into (detention) centers off the streets, the National Guard suppressing peaceful protests.”



“And the arrest and harsh treatment of elected officials who dare carry out their duty to their constituents,” she added.

The first in a series of remarks from community leaders, Denny’s words followed a moment of silence for the assassination early Saturday morning of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark.

The shooting, carried out by an armed man posing as a police officer in Minnesota’s Twin Cities area, preceded an attempted assassination by the same man who targeted Minnesota State Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife. Both were rushed to the hospital but survived the shooting.

Worth Fighting For Routt County is a local organization that is registered as an Indivisible.org group, a national organization formed after President Trump took office with a stated purpose to “resist the Trump agenda,” according to the group’s website.

The same group hosted a “Hands Off!” rally in Steamboat in April which drew an estimated 1,200 participants.

Steamboat’s “No Kings” rally, one of the thousands of associated Indivisble.org rallies held in all 50 states on Saturday, drew at least 1,600 people, according to estimates from organizers.

A man wearing a “Take Back America” hat holds a sign in protest of the Trump administration during the “No Kings” rally on Saturday on the Routt County Courthouse lawn.
Tom Skulski/Steamboat Pilot & Today

In her remarks, Denny also addressed the federal budget bill, “otherwise known as the “billionaire bill,” she said, calling the bill “toxic legislation.”  She said budget cuts would take away healthcare for roughly 16 million Americans while increasing funding for ICE by 13-times, in part to support the hiring of 10,000 new federal agents.

“They want to take away our healthcare so they can disappear more immigrants and protesters through ICE raids and federal force. There is a name for that: authoritarianism,” said Denny. “We have no kings, and no authoritarian president can stop us from speaking out.”

Sarah Brock, the chair of Yampa Valley Pride spoke next, followed by Kolby Morris-Dahary, rabbi of Har Mispacha congregation in Steamboat Springs. Duke Fitzgerald, a senior at Steamboat Springs High School and a leader of the Students for Social Justice club, and Routt County Democrats Chair Catherine Carson rounded out the remarks.

The ‘No Kings’ protest drew a large crowd to the Historic Routt County Courthouse lawn Saturday, rallying against President Donald Trump’s administration. The protest took place nationwide.
Tom Skulski/Steamboat Pilot & Today

Speaking after the rally, Carson thanked the event’s organizers volunteers and the community members for all of their hard work and support.

“This is what Democracy is. It was very representative of our community from children to college students, to young professionals and retirees, just supporting our country and community and standing up to both the authoritarianism and harmful actions we are seeing at the national level,” said Carson.

“Most important, supporting each other and supporting our democracy,” she added. “We are not going to lose democracy on our watch.”

Routt County Republicans Vice Chair Lisa Rosintoski provided a statement from the party about the Saturday rally, underscoring the group’s support for “the first amendment and organic protests” while pointing to the involvement of Indivisible.

“The “No Kings” protest is sponsored by Indivisible.org, Indivisible oversees its member groups, requiring them to register with Indivisible to be eligible for the reimbursement of costs associated with anti-Trump protests,” reads the statement.

Rabbi Kolby Morris-Dahary, Rabbi of Har Mishpacha, sings to fellow protesters during the “No Kings” rally at the Routt County Courthouse on Saturday.
Tom Skulski/Steamboat Pilot & Today

“Indivisible instructs and trains local organizers on what “talking points” to promote, what policies they should advocate for, and how to gain publicity. We are disappointed this continues to happen in Steamboat Springs ruining a tourist destination for political reasons,” it added.

In an email including the statement, Rosintoski called the rally “very sad, and not very healthy.”

Carson pushed back on the idea that the rally would harm Steamboat as a tourist destination and called the local rally “very positive” and “high energy”.

“We had quite a few tourists that were at our rally and visitors that approached us and thanked us so much for having a “No Kings” rally so they could share their positive, peaceful voice while visiting Steamboat,” said Carson.

Scroll down for more photos from Steamboat’s “No Kings” rally:

Protesters hold up signs while rallying against the President Trump administration during the “No Kings” protest on Saturday on the Routt County Courthouse lawn.
Tom Skulski/Steamboat Pilot & Today
Catherine Carson, chair of the Routt County Democrats, delivers a speech during the “No Kings” protest on Saturday.
Tom Skulski/Steamboat Pilot & Today
The nationwide “No Kings” protest made its way to Steamboat Springs on Saturday with roughly 1,600 participating, according to event organizers.
Tom Skulski/Steamboat Pilot & Today
An estimated 1,600 protesters gathered on the Routt County Courthouse lawn Saturday to take part in the nationwide “No Kings” protest.
Tom Skulski/Steamboat Pilot & Today
Protesters line up on Lincoln Avenue as passing cars honk in solidarity of the “No Kings” protest on Saturday in downtown Steamboat Springs.
Tom Skulski/Steamboat Pilot & Today
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