Protestors rally at Colorado Capitol against Trump's policies, Elon Musk
The demonstrators joined others holding protests across all 50 states, timed to coincide with the Presidents Day holiday. Some protests carried a theme of 'No Kings on Presidents Day,' but Denver protestors focused on removing Musk from having so much influence in the federal government as an appointed official.
'Real and immediate consequences for Colorado's economy': Legislators react to reports of US Forest Service mass layoff
Some Denver protestors took up the national cry of 'stop the coup,' criticizing Trump's flurry of executive actions and Musk's DOGE. The 50-state protests have been planned under a movement dubbed '50501,' which stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one day. It's also the same movement that prompted protests in Denver on Feb. 5, also decrying the president's early actions in office.
Signs calling Musk a Nazi, demanding to 'stop the oligarchy' and impeach Trump, and calling the current administration's policies racist and misogynistic were carried by Colorado protestors. Organizers of Monday's protests, which were focused on state capitals and major cities including Washington, D.C.; Orlando, Florida; and Seattle, said they were targeting 'anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration and its plutocratic allies.'
The Colorado State Patrol announced road closures near the Capitol as demonstrators marched through the area.
Other protests were held throughout the nation to decry sweeping job cuts, part of Musk and Trump's push to reduce government spending and streamline federal operations. The job cuts have impacted the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and the U.S. Forest Service, which prompted a protest outside of Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park on Monday, according to local media reports.
Many of Colorado's federal delegation issued a joint statement Friday urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reinstate the roughly 3,400 workers reportedly laid off last week. It's unclear how many jobs in Colorado will be impacted, but Estes Park relies heavily on the national park's presence for its economy.
Federal workers protest job cuts in 'Not Our President's Day' rally
The job cuts are part of Executive Order 14210: The Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative, which told agency heads to 'promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force,' and said that all offices that have functions not mandated by statute or other law will be prioritized for the layoffs.
The order further clarified that this includes all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; all 'initiatives, components, or operations that my Administration suspends or closes' and all employees who are not typically designated as essential as provided in contingency plans, such as ones made for a government shutdown.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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