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‘March on’ Trump protesters. Prolonged, mass protests can — and have — succeeded

Re: “No Kings rally has lost even this sympathetic critic of President Donald Trump,” Oct. 19 commentary

Krista Kafer has forgotten why we dumped the tea in the harbor in the first place. Revealing latent Tory sympathies, Kafer suggests the “No Kings” marches should be curtailed because the events aren’t changing any minds.

Perhaps Kafer shouldn’t be so sure about that. Did her Sunday column change any minds?

One march might not change a mind, one march does not create a movement. But as the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements demonstrated, prolonged protests can create political momentum and, in the end, can change minds. The Voting Rights Act is one example of that. You know, the same Voting Rights Act the Trumplicans want to dismantle.

There are so many reasons to protest Trump. No Kings marchers attend for different reasons.

March on, my brothers and sisters.

Barry Noreen, Denver

For those who claim the No Kings demonstrations are worthless and ineffective, look at America during the last 110 years. Women fought and won the right to vote through peaceful demonstrations. The protesters were confronted with many being sent to jail. Men were directed to prohibit their wives and daughters from participating in the marches with men physically assaulting the protesters. Rights for women prevailed.

In the 1950s and 60s, protesters marched for civil rights for people of color, often being met by extreme violence perpetuated by racists and bigots. The Civil Rights Act was passed because of the bravery of those demonstrators. Today, the No Kings protesters face accusations from the GOP that No King demonstrators are paid, violent domestic terrorists. If you look at images of yesterday’s rallies, you will find grandmas and grandpas, sometimes using walkers, parents, and children chanting they love America and loudly reminding all that these demonstrations is what democracy looks like. Yes, the demonstrators stand behind antifa, antifascism. Antifa is NOT a ‘dark’ organization. It is taking a hard stand AGAINST fascism.

My question to those who criticize these marches, why aren’t you a follower of the antifa belief? If you disagree with antifa, then you support fascism, dictatorship, and the abolishment of our Constitution. The millions of people who marched and rallied on Saturday are true patriots who are demonstrating to protect our country, our democracy, and our Constitution.

Gary Johnson, Greeley

Krista Kafer is the kind of Republican I can respectfully listen to. I don’t always agree with her, but she often offers perspectives that are worth considering. But her criticism of the No King’s rally was disingenuous. Did she really think millions of people gathered with the idea they were going to convert MAGA supporters? Did she think those at the rally thought U.S. Speaker Mike Johnson was going to see the crowds and get the cojones to become a leader rather than a minion?

Saturday’s rally sent a message of hope. It was a boost to battered spirits that we are not alone. It is elevating to realize there are many kinds of Americans who share the idea America should not cave to the ugliness and self-interest of people like Donald Trump or Stephen Miller.

Reasonable people know good people can do bad things and bad people can do good things. If the Gaza peace deal survives, kudos to Trump for giving it impetus, but that doesn’t erase the genuinely destructive effect of his domestic policies. The No Kings protest was a joyful acknowledgement that there is still a lot to love about America, and it was out in force on Saturday. It was a shout, “We still have hope!” The fact that Kafer didn’t get that says more about her than about the protesters.

A. Lynn Buschhoff, Denver

I have found myself agreeing with much of what Krista Kafer has said recently, until Sunday. In her opinion piece, she argued against the No King Rallies by saying “Trump is no king”, which most people would agree is technically a true statement. However, a king governs absolutely, ignoring the rule of law and ignoring all democratic principles. This is exactly the way Trump is attempting to govern. All his social media posts last Saturday, showing himself garbed as a king, are representative of how he sees himself and his unlimited power.

The No Kings rallies all over the world were in support of the philosophy that we don’t want someone leading the United States who thinks they can govern like a king, ignoring all our democratic principles and laws.

Lynne Montague-Clouse, Highlands Ranch

I agree that someone could have come up with a more pertinent title for the No Kings event. But please, don’t disparage the entire event.

Yesterday, I attended my first No Kings rally, and I can say it was empowering to see so many like-minded people getting together to make a statement. I felt empowered to do more. These events are extremely important, especially in an age where most people sit at home looking at screens. These events are a very visible and tangible statement of how people think and feel, and have been since at least the 1960s. Ms. Kafer asks, “Did this event change a single mind?” Of course it did! It changed my mind!

Bart Cox, Denver

Kings employ rule by fiat, edict, intimidating shows of force and acts of retribution, along with personal attributes of arrogance, hubris and entitlement. These characteristics are clearly in practice and on full display by President Trump. Their enumeration will not all fit on a protest placard. Neither will the admitted litany of President Trump’s negatives listed in Krista Kafer’s Sunday column.

She mistakes the vast number of protestors as having the same platform as she does for elongated expressions of their positions of discontent.

Criticizing the expressions used by the throngs of protestors is shortsighted. A column in a newspaper is not needed to remind Trump and his minions that while we hear him declare he is not a king, the tried-and-true axiom “actions speak louder than words” is wholly applicable.

In statistics, there is a widely accepted term known as a representative sampling. Based upon this statistical application, the numbers in the streets on Saturday depicted a larger level of discontent with the Trump administration. While we applaud the Middle East’s progress towards a peaceful existence, between the tens of millions there, as we approach 400 million here, we are as concerned with our own freedom as we are with theirs.

Bill Starks, Arvada

Disingenuous has never been more applicable than with Krista Kafer’s assertion that “No Kings” lacked clarity. She knows the gaudy gold fittings and lack of the symbolism of royalty are not the issue. It is his actions against the citizens of his own country. The good he has done with Israel and Palestine is not going to be the salve that binds him to his clear-eyed and fearful detractors.

She is intentionally obtuse when she claims the lack of regalia is more relevant than Mr. Trump’s moves toward authoritarianism and a unitary presidency than his actual deeds of sending masked police into cities with the military, people being swept off the street and their whereabouts unknown, the wholesale termination of the employment of persons perceived to be disloyal, the unctuousness he demands of his minions and his threats to other politicians, even in his own party.

Well, Ms. Kafer, if that doesn’t qualify him to be in the ranks of the Putins and Maduros, I am not sure what more evidence you need. If you do not understand this, then I guess you are not paying attention. So, just keep laughing at the “overwrought” who are concerned and marching for our future.

Mary Wamsley, Denver

What did No Kings accomplish?

Kafer is lost. The No Kings march was not about Israel or any of Trump’s policies, but his tactic to act in a belligerent and autocratic manner to sweep power from Congress, corporate America, universities and states. The conceptual connection between the name “No Kings March” and Trump’s first months back in office should be obvious.

Ms. Kafer never addressed her central question, so I will:

• Informed citizens. We learned the incremental shift in our democracy to an autocratic and dictatorial form of government.

• Galvanized patriots. Division and chaos are Trump’s tools. This march brought unity and a vision for millions of patriots marching towards the 2026 elections.

• Therapeutic outlet. Many have experienced shock and awe, anger, bewilderment, depression, and even stained relations with family and friends from Trump’s charades. This march reminded us that we are not alone and there are groups to join and actions to take.

• Motivating force. Within 24 hours of the FOCO march, I donated $100, flaunted my No Kings badge at the CSU homecoming game, and wrote this response.

• Messaging. Seven million patriots sent a loud message of unrest to Democrats, Republicans and independents. The honeymoon is over, and we will not cower before an authoritarian regime.

• GOP embarrassment. Trump and his jesters look like fools here and abroad for their lies and belittlement of this “we the people” march.

• Momentum. The 2026 marches will be bigger and in every gerrymandered district!

Glenn Haas, Fort Collins

I looked at your online photo of tens of thousands of “No Kings” protesters in jaw-dropping disbelief. The throngs outside the state Capitol dome, gleaming in the sunshine, were reminiscent of the civil rights march on Washington in the ’60s, or at the very least, a Broncos Super Bowl win. I was so happy, I cried.

Then I turned to Perspective and saw the huge, page two headline on Krista Kafer’s column putting down the protests and my bubble burst. I was transported back to the grim reality of the many Americans who still support the tactics of a dictator. It isn’t hyperbole to say that.

I wrote this for the same reason people were demonstrating — not to have an immediate impact, but to support and validate other people like myself.

Beverly Bennett, Aurora

Krista Kafer decided to avoid Saturday’s No Kings rallies, because she had to look up the purpose of the rallies on a website.

How precious.

It’s tempting to paraphrase the Declaration of Independence — e.g., obstructing the administration of justice; dissolving our legislature; refusing his assent to our laws; affecting to render the military superior to civil offices; imposing taxes without our consent; quartering large bodies of armed troops among us — to paint the parallels between the Trump administration and King George III.

It is sufficient to observe Ms. Kafer’s extenuating apologies notwithstanding, Trump thinks of himself as king. He posted a crowned image of himself flying a fighter jet emblazoned with “King Trump,” and dumping sewage, sludge, or feces on a No Kings march. His disdain for Americans is palpable.

Randy Livingston, Denver

Regarding Krista Kafer’s op-ed, where she does not know what “No Kings” means, I would direct her attention to Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent in Trump v. United States, where she said, “the relationship between the President and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably. In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law.”

Mark Risner, Englewood

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Destruction at the White House

Re: “Trump said he wouldn’t touch the East Wing, then he tore it all down,” Oct. 23 news story

I don’t get it. The White House doesn’t belong to Donald Trump; it belongs to the people, our nation. Despite this ballroom and tearing down of the East Wing being paid by donors and not us taxpayers, what gives him the right to do this without Congressional approval? Where is the outrage about him tearing down this historical part of the White House? The photos are horrifying and sad. Can someone explain? Because I just don’t get it; so I remain outraged!

Kathy Derrick, Denver

From the front lines of the No Kings rallies

I participated in the recent No Kings protest in Broomfield. I am 84 years old. My first vote for president was in 1964 (Johnson vs. Goldwater), and I have voted in every election since. I have never been so frightened about the direction our country is going, as I am now.

During the current crisis, we have discovered that the Constitution has a fundamental flaw: It does not adequately protect us against evil people in our government. MAGA currently controls all three branches of government. The U.S. Supreme Court has given Donald Trump carte blanche to do anything he wants. There are no “guardrails.” The Republican Party currently consists of people who have drunk Trump’s Kool-Aid and people who are too frightened to stand up to him.

Some people have urged us to “listen to each other,” but MAGA is unlike any political movement we have ever experienced. There is no use in talking to people who have drunk the Kool-Aid. They think it’s perfectly fine for Trump to govern like a dictator, take revenge on his political enemies, and stifle dissent by sending troops to “uncooperative” cities. They think people like me are “terrorists” who hate America. Their world is upside-down. This is not a normal Republican-Democrat argument. It is a struggle to save our democracy. My only hope is Trump’s tariff and immigration policies will drive us into an economic crisis, at which point sane people in the Republican Party will develop the courage to stop him.

James W. Craft, Broomfield

I am still basking in an amazing glow of loving acceptance, from the No Kings rally. I stood facing the northbound traffic on the roundabout with a sign clipped to my chest that read “INDICT TRUMP FOR TREASON.” It was a simple, honest statement without malice or anger. What blew me away was the positive reactions for two hours; cars honking, thumbs up, a touch of the hat, a nod of agreement, a friendly wave, people meeting my gaze with a smile and an “oh yeah.”

I felt gratified that Trump’s government was shut down, grateful for the reprieve from the Big Beautiful Bill that soon-to-be ex Rep. Jeff Hurd voted for. I hope it will be paused for three years to minimize the damage and pain. This feeling of unity, recognition and purpose No Kings brought was much richer and I need to thank the community for their unity of mind to justice.

John Hoffmann, Carbondale

I keep reading that MAGA and Trump are saying the protesters marching against them are “paid” protesters. I didn’t get a dime for protesting on Saturday. Can someone let me know where I might get a check for my efforts? As long as I’m protesting, might as well make a buck too.

Gary Bagstad, Denver

Speaking truth to Christian nationalism

Re: “People of all faiths must refuse to stay silent,” Oct. 18 commentary

It was refreshing to read the joint commentary of the Reverends Vanderpol, Rejouis and Rabbi Greene about Saturday’s “No Kings” nationwide protest. Their affirmation of the truth that every person “holds inherent worth and dignity” is in contradistinction to the Christian nationalism that is foundational to Project 2025, on which the Trump administration is being fashioned.

David Schroeder, Golden

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Vote “No” on Denver’s bonds to reject irresponsible debt

After reading my ballot, I researched previous bonds that were passed by voters. The Rise Denver bond in 2021 was $260 million, and the Elevate Denver Bond in 2017 was $937 million. I added up the 2A to 2E bonds this year, and the total is up to $950 million. The total for all of these bonds adds up to more than $2 billion.

The debt repayment for the current bonds is about $1.9 billion. The ballot states, “without imposing any new tax,” but that is not completely correct. The reason is that all these bonds are paid through commercial and residential property taxes in Denver County. The mill levy could go down if voters say no, and if voters say yes it also could have to increase to pay for these billions of dollars if property values decrease. Denver County is where I live, and expenses have gone significantly higher this year. Why do we keep adding to the bond debts? We should not vote to increase the county’s debt.

Pete Hackett, Denver

Denver clerk errs in leaving out information on ballot issues

Did I hear that correctly?

Denver’s “Ballot Issue Notice” does not provide any information about three matters: 2F, 2G and 310.  I called Denver’s Clerk and Elections Office to ask why the omissions. I was told two things: 1) Those three ballot issues have no fiscal impact on government, so applicable law does not require their inclusion in the notice. 2) Due to “budget cuts,” it was decided not to address them in the notice.  Then, I was informed that I could garner information about them at denvervotes.org.

Denver voters expect the notice each year to address all matters on the ballot. The current notice does not highlight that 2F, 2G and 310 are not included and does not highlight denvervotes.org as a source of information about them.

I have no way of learning how much money was “saved” by excluding these ballot matters. What I do know is that it would have been money well spent.

Vic Reichman, Denver

Trump’s cuts to education funding risk America’s future

Re: “Federal government’s cuts cost state colleges millions,” Oct. 9 news story

As an educator, I was saddened to read: “Trump administration cuts grants to Colorado colleges serving high percentage of diverse students,” October 9.

Every American, regardless of race, gender or religious persuasion, should have the opportunity to realize their natural potential via education. Yet, there are wide swaths of America that are not properly educating students and where students are just unable to succeed for economic or other reasons. As a result, America is not producing sufficient STEM graduates to sustain, let alone grow, America’s high level of technology upon which we all heavily depend for our economy, well-being and national defense.

On top of that, President Donald Trump has made it significantly more challenging for foreign students (who would often pursue STEM careers) to enter American schools.

Given the fact that the president is seeking to reindustrialize America, I would like to ask him from where will the required scientists, engineers, technicians, doctors and other highly educated specialists come? America is now in crisis as we seek to pay down our $37 trillion debt and stay competitive internationally. One way to do this would be to encourage and help all groups of Americans — particularly those who are underrepresented in STEM (as an untapped talent pool) — to pursue STEM careers. Persecuting and defunding schools that seek to help underrepresented students succeed and contribute to America’s recovery is absolutely the wrong thing to do.

Education is the only hope for the next generation of Americans to move forward.

Michael Pravica, Henderson, Nevada

If the U.S. doesn’t support Ukraine, we are complicit in its destruction

Recent news articles galvanized my thought that America is sleepwalking while Ukraine is fighting for survival against Russia’s genocidal invasion. We need to take a moment to answer the question: Are we really supporting Ukraine to win? It is in America’s interest that Ukraine is successful. Our future prosperity, and that of our children, depends on what we do right now.

Either the United States supports Ukraine to win, or we will be complicit in its destruction. Such complicity will damage national security by strengthening enemies, driving away allies, harming international trade, increasing nuclear proliferation, encouraging new wars of territorial conquest, and ending America’s role as leader of the free world. There will be less stability and fewer allies within the West, investments abroad will be less safe, and the entire West will be less prosperous. Therefore, what all of us should strive for in Ukraine is not peace at any price, because that will be bad for all countries, but a future that makes Ukraine, America, and the West stronger by making its enemies weaker.

Take a moment to consider our future and then do what you feel is best: take up a keyboard and send a note, pick up a pen and write your political leadership, sit down with friends or family and discuss this letter, or pull out your checkbook, but just do something now. History will judge what we do today; which side will you be on?

Arthur Ives, Highlands Ranch

Don’t just give away national forest lands

Should our beloved but flat-broke White River National Forest sell an asset worth more than half its annual budget or just give that asset away?

Retired White River National Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams’ 2021 plan to effectively donate 832 acres surrounding Sweetwater Lake to Colorado Parks and Wildlife for the creation of a state park might have made sense prior to DOGE’s cuts to the forest service’s budget. It also might have made sense before the $23,860,000 Derby Fire burned 5,453 acres in the national forest  just one mile east of the lake.

However, the White River National Forest is now so destitute that even before the federal shutdown visitor centers were closed, volunteers emptied latrines, and its maintenance budget for 2,800 miles of roads was bupkis, zero, zilch, nada. The nation’s most visited national forest is not in any position to make donations.

Gov. Jared Polis desires Sweetwater Lake for a state park, so a logical solution is for the national forest to sell those 832 acres at fair market value. The Colorado’s Parks and Wildlife is an “enterprise agency” and fiscally sound despite Colorado’s budget woes. Furthermore, the Trump administration has shown a willingness to divest federal lands, thereby creating a win-win.

Selling the Sweetwater Lake land requested by the CPW should generate more than $13 million for the White River National Forest to fund operations or cover expenditures incurred fighting the Derby Fire. It would be a dereliction of duty for current national forest Supervisor Brian Glaspell to execute this eight-figure donation as proposed by his predecessor.

Ken Wright, Gypsum

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