Littleton, CO, is anticipating crowds on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. to at least 1 p.m. for the nationwide “No Kings” protest. The Littleton event will take place on South Santa Fe Drive and West Bowles Avenue. We will see citizens organized, according to the No Kings, to protest the current administration’s actions and President Donald Trump’s “authoritarian power grabs.”
A coalition of pro-democracy advocacy groups organized the movement and is taking place in over 2000 cities nationwide. “On October 18, millions of us are rising again to show the world: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people,” is written on the No Kings movement’s “Find Event” page.
The organization also stresses a peaceful approach to the protest, stating that “A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action.” The organization encourages participants in the protest to focus on de-escalation and advises against bringing any weapons, legal or otherwise.
However, one ACC student, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, expects the protests, especially those that go beyond the No Kings organization’s intended hours of assembly, to turn more chaotic. Having experienced the first No Kings Protest, they warned people, who plan to stay beyond the designated protest hours, to travel in groups with preplanned rendezvous points, come well supplied with masks or other identity-obscuring gear, along with water in case of pepper spray and to write critical phone numbers on their arms in case needed.
The student, who plans to protest for a significant portion of the day, said, “The people who are most affected by it don’t want to do it, so I’m doing it for them.”
Others have chosen not to attend the event over safety concerns, “I am convinced that the insurrection will come into play, and I’m not trying to go to jail,” said ACC student Noah Linnebach. No Kings released a video on YouTube addressing safety and de-escalation, for those who may be uncertain or feel ill prepared, captioned, “Before you hit the streets, watch our Know Your Rights, protest safety, and de-escalation training from the ACLU.”
As of Oct. 16th, local police have not made an official statement about the protests. However, multiple departments across Colorado expect the protests to be mostly peaceful.
ACC’s Dean of Students Kathryn Mahoney advises students to “keep it as civil and respectful as possible, but still share your own opinion.”
A follow-up to this story will be published after the event.
