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Light for Our Democracy gathering draws crowds protesting recent federal actions

Allie Seibel, Editor in Chief

March 6, 2025

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie

Jane Hamburger, a member of the League of Women Voters of Larimer County, reads a poem to the crowd gathered in front of the Fort Collins Post Office March 4. Organized by the League, the protest took place during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress in an attempt to foster community.

In coordination with local leagues around the country, the League of Women Voters of Larimer County held a Light for Our Democracy gathering near the downtown post office in Fort Collins Feb. 5.

Organized earlier in the day, the impromptu rally was held during President Donald Trump’s televised address to a joint session of Congress at the same time and called for the community to come together to reflect, act and show solidarity for the health of democracy, read a Facebook post advertising the event.

The rally drew a crowd of around 100 people, which President Kathy Maher of the League of Women Voters, Larimer County, said was completely unprecedented.

“We were hearing from people from Denver that were coming up, and that really surprised us,” Maher said. “As you can see, we weren’t prepared with our sound system for this kind of crowd, but it was wonderful to see, and we’re really grateful that everybody took the time to come out. And when it was so cold and everything, it’s … just, it just shows us how much people care and how worried they are.”

The rally was part of a nationwide movement by various chapters of League of Women Voters, which incorporates leagues at the national, state and local level.

Evelyn Jacobi speaks to a crowd of protesters outside the Fort Collins Post Office March 4. As a former member of the League of Women Voters who is still in contact with the group, she came to be with the community and offered to speak. “When you are with people who are willing to stand up and take a stand for what is right, for our democracy, for diversity, for all the values that we hold dear, it’s energizing to see people here,” Jacobi said. (*The Collegian* | Cait Mckinzie)

“It came down from the national level,” said organizer Jane Hamburger. “We have an alternative to listening to the speech that is going on tonight; we (are) shining a light on democracy instead of hearing the lies and untruths. So the suggestion came from national but we’re picking it up and applying it locally to our communities.”

Shared by the Loveland Reporter-Herald and several local Facebook pages, Hamburger said that she was initially expecting only around 10 people at the rally.

“We’re so isolated when we hear the news and listen to it in our homes,” Hamburger said. “It’s nice to get out and know that there are other people of like minds for sure. I hope that this is the beginning of people who get together and work for a common purpose and that we make our voices heard.”

The crowd embraced residents from Fort Collins, Loveland and other areas of Northern Colorado, including Diana Greer and Carole Heaves. Greer, a graduate of Colorado State University, attended with a sign painted to say: “Congress, wake up.”

“I’m really out here because I think this is our, ‘They’re trying to get rid of all of our judges,'” Greer said. “You know, they’re fighting them. And I think these are the people who need to start standing up to him and doing something. The American people need to stop and think because it took Hitler 30 days to destroy Germany, and he is definitely trying to destroy this country, and we are embarrassed.”

Greer said that she has taken part in protests and movements since the Vietnam War.

A protester holds up a sign that reads, ‘Grow a Backbone, Congress,’ during a protest outside a Fort Collins Post Office March 4. Organized by the League of Women Voters, this protest was held to provide a space for community gathering during the President’s address to Congress. (Collegian | Cait Mckinzie)

“I was protesting downtown Denver when in the anti-Vietnam War days, and I was going to CSU when they burned Old Main,” Greer said. “I think it gives people an outlet to express frustration.”

Greer said the memories of her time at CSU are marked by movements, including the Vietnam War protests as well as protests around the Kent State shootings of 1970.

Members of the crowd consisted of local community members hoping to make their voices heard peacefully.

“What I want to do is make my voice heard that I’m really unhappy with what’s happening at the federal level right now,” said Jane Aspen, a protester who stood on the curb by Howes Street, holding her sign up to the passing cars. “It certainly appears like we’re losing our democracy, and that seems to be a fascist takeover. So I want to make my voice heard in a peaceful way.”

Jane Aspen attended with Anne Aspen, and both expressed frustration over recent federal firings and executive orders.

“Trump’s bullying is destabilizing world peace, not just ours,” Anne Aspen said. “And it’s having repercussions within our country as well. It’s not doing anyone any favors, including him and his followers.”

Protesters rallied in support of sending federal aid to Ukraine, upholding diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and protecting federal employees.

Protesters meet outside the Fort Collins Post Office building with signs, flags and stories March 4. Organized by the League of Women Voters, this protest was held to provide a space for community gathering during the President’s address to Congress. (*The Collegian* | Cait Mckinzie)

“I’ve been really frustrated and angry, as I have many friends and acquaintances who work for the federal government, and knowing what turmoil their lives have been thrown into over the past month, … I have to help stand up for them,” said Dawn Dupriest, a fellow protester.

The League of Women Voters hoped to bring the community in solidarity and support, encouraging participants to bring lanterns or lights to symbolize a more hopeful future. The rally included readings from the U.S. Constitution, with a table offering free pocket-sized copies of the Constitution. Toward the end of the rally, a woman broke out in a somber rendition of “America the Beautiful.”

Also among the protesters was Rose Lew, a woman who started learning about fascism from her aunt’s internment in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during WWII.

“My first real knowledge of fascism and what happened in World War II came one night when my aunt was over for dinner at our house, which had no air conditioning in the hot summer, and she was a tall, beautiful, elegant woman, and she always wore long sleeves,” Lew said. “And that night, she pushed up her sleeves because everyone was sweating, and I saw these numbers on her arms (and I asked) ‘What’s that?’ And she said, ‘Oh, you don’t know, dear? You have to ask your father; I can’t talk about it.’ When she fell asleep, that’s when I started learning about the Holocaust.”

Lew said her family’s experience instilled in her a unique fear of the events unfolding in America today.

“After Trump got elected 10 years ago, historians like Tim Snyder began writing on tyranny, and Ruth (Ben-Ghiat) began writing on authoritarianism,” Lew said. “I started listening to them, and they could articulate what I was afraid was happening in this country. And so I’m afraid that our country has begun that course. We have to push back before they get in charge of everything. We have to push back.”

Jane Hamburger, a member of the League of Women Voters of Larimer County, speaks to the crowd gathered in front of the Fort Collins Post Office March 4. Organized by the League, the protest took place during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress in an attempt to reveal community. “I hope that this is the beginning of people who get together and work for a common purpose,” Hamburger said. “And that we make our voices heard.” (*The Collegian* | Cait Mckinzie)

Lew said that rallies like the League of Women Voters’ are essential for keeping spirits up in times of crisis.

“I think it’s absolutely necessary as a start and to keep people’s spirits going,” Lew said. “Absolutely necessary. But it’s only one piece. But yeah, what the fascists want to do is to isolate people and make them feel like they’re alone and powerless. We don’t feel alone and powerless, right? So it’s absolutely essential.”

Reach Allie Seibel at news@collegian.com or on Instagram @allie_seibel_.

About the Contributors

Allie Seibel, Editor in Chief

Returning for her second year as editor-in-chief, Allie Seibel could not be more proud of the experience The Collegian has given her over her tenure at Colorado State University thus far. Seibel is a junior in the Honors program and on the prelaw track, studying journalism and media communication with minors in legal studies and business administration. She is also an Honors ambassador and an Honors peer mentor as well as a satellite imagery writer for the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at CSU and a member of the Center for Public Deliberation. Seibel started at The Collegian the summer before her first semester of college, getting involved through her orientation session and beginning her first year as news editor. She got the position before ever setting foot on campus as a student, which was one of the most formative experiences of her collegiate journalism career. She then began her current role her sophomore year, becoming the youngest editor-in-chief in Collegian history. Under Seibel’s leadership, The Collegian was awarded an all-around best in show fifth place award at the College Media Association’s national convention. Seibel is from Colorado Springs, Colorado, and spends her free time reading, cooking, cross-stitching, paddleboarding and taking photos. She is a huge traveler and seizes any opportunity she can to see the world. As she begins her second year at the helm of The Collegian, Seibel is excited to continue the immense legacy of the newspaper both in print and online by expanding investigative coverage and pushing readers to discover more about their surroundings on campus. She looks forward to maintaining The Collegian’s reputation as a trustworthy news source both on campus and in the community.

Cait Mckinzie, Photo Director

Cait Mckinzie is a second-year student double majoring in art and journalism and media communication. She is one of two photo directors for the 2024-25 school year. Despite growing up in Renton, Washington, Mckinzie knew she wanted to go to Colorado State University since middle school. She had only ever been to Colorado twice, but she visited campus once, and that was all it took. At first, there wasn’t much in Fort Collins that Mckinzie was familiar with. But in high school, she was the co-head of visuals for her school newspaper, so she applied to The Collegian as a photographer to get back into a similar environment. Mckinzie was first introduced to photography by her grandfather, who has been a photographer most of his life. After he gifted Mckinzie her first camera in her junior year of high school, she began to take any assignment she could for her high school paper to improve her skills. Of all the memories made in her first year at CSU, most of the interesting ones came from The Collegian. One Halloween drag show assignment, a lot of mentorship and a few months of practice later, Mckinzie found herself being offered the position of photo director for the next academic school year. Mckinzie is excited for another year at The Collegian and aims to continue learning and growing during her time as one of the photo directors.

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