Hannah Parcells
A protester holds up a sign and an American flag during a walkout Jan. 20. The walk-out was organized to protest federal policies and ICE activities across the country. The walkout was connected to similar events nationwide.
Local residents gathered in the streets of Fort Collins Tuesday afternoon to protest what organizers described as “an escalating fascist threat” in the United States. The demonstration took place from 2-5 p.m. and was part of a larger nationwide action occurring in all 50 states.
Dennis, a participant who requested to only provide a first name, described the moment as urgent and deeply concerning.
“We are under siege,” Dennis said. “Culturally what’s happening, politically, what’s happening in this country, economically, sociologically, philosophically, ideologically we are being attacked from within.”
A participant who requested to remain anonymous said they learned about the event through Indivisible NoCo and emphasized the broader goal of the demonstrations.
“This is part of a larger nationwide 50501 Movement,” the anonymous protester said. “The point is to go on strike as a citizen.”
Another protester who requested not to give their name said that her motivation for protesting was to express her concern regarding the political state of the country.
“We’ve lost our rule of law, we’ve lost our safety as citizens, our cities are being attacked by masked militias, and those militias are being told that they have immunity by the Vice President of the United States, that they can do whatever they want,” she said.
Her statement was in reference to a comment made by Vice President J.D. Vance in a press conference following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer Jonathan Ross on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis. In response to a question about the incident, Vance stated that ICE agents have “absolute immunity.”
Several speakers connected the current unrest to historical moments of national sacrifice. Marcia Kavey spoke about her family’s military history and connected it to the current issues.
“My uncles were on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day,” Kavey said. “I had two uncles who came back but didn’t (completely) come back.”
Kavey also expressed distrust and concern about the current state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and U.S. involvement in global activities, citing profit motives and potential harm to civilians.
Organizers said the protest was meant to draw attention to increasing instability in the country and to encourage civic resistance through collective action.
Another protest is planned for Wednesday, Jan. 21, in Hudson, Colorado, where demonstrators plan to oppose the possible construction of an ICE correctional facility at the site of a former correctional facility.
Reach Gigi Young at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.