Under the looming threat that ICE officers could start more widespread raids in Colorado, organizers from many activist organizations came together to mobilize protesters all over Denver on Jan. 30.
Their primary motive was to ‘strike in solidarity’ with Minneapolis, Minn, which has seen waves of protests following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. General Strike, with local chapter organizer Dain Lee, was one of the leading organizations. Lee led a rally at La Alma Lincoln Park on Friday afternoon.
“ICE is moving from state to state, and eventually, we know Colorado and Arizona are high on their list. We know they want to come here,” Lee said. “Now we need to get prepared immediately for that to happen…They terrorize our neighbors. They arrest innocent people.”
General Strike’s ultimate goal is to organize a massive, 11 million person strike—withdrawal from work, spending, school, even rent and taxes—to shock the economy and grab the attention of the government. The idea of general strike is nothing new; more local, city-wide ones have been organized throughout U.S. history, as well as abroad in Panama, France, and many other countries.
Friday was the organization’s attempt to not only muster nationwide ‘ICE Out’ protests, but to try out the idea of a general strike. The movement took a widespread foothold in the Denver area.
Aurora Public Schools and Adams 14 closed all schools. Denver Public Schools had delayed starts at several high schools (North, South, East, and GW). At Creek, some students didn’t attend classes, and still more abstained from spending off-campus.
“I got called out of school for the day and went to Lincoln park to join the peaceful protest. Additionally, I participated in the no spending day,” senior Hailey Shim said. “It’s important to protest right now as a way to fight back and show our elected officials our anger. Just because it wasn’t Denver now, doesn’t mean it can’t be Denver tomorrow.”
Students striking from school led a march from Capitol Hill that ended at Lincoln Park. Denver South sophomore Christian Armando Hernandez guided chants throughout the march, then gave a spirited address at La Alma.
“Being here today is for me, myself, my heritage, my community, and it means a lot to me also…I’m proud to be Mexican,” Hernandez said. “I want to be a civil rights activist when I get older.”
Students like Shim and Hernandez are why Lee thinks younger people need to play a crucial role in social movements.
“Youth are our leaders,” Lee said. “They are the ones telling us what we need to do in order to fix and change our society, our communities in the world.”
Many business owners also showed up to Lincoln Park to show solidarity, including Ni Nguyen, owner of Sap Sua, a critically acclaimed Vietnamese restaurant on Colfax.
“As a business owner, I think we have the responsibility as people with platforms to help encourage others to stand up and do the right thing,” Nguyen said after speaking to the crowd at the rally. “By closing the country’s economy, we force the government to recognize that laborers have the power.”
Between activist leaders, students, concerned citizens, and laborers, Shim felt good about the atmosphere at La Alma.
“People were chanting, the speakers were loud, and the signs were fire,” she said. “The energy was there, but it wasn’t violent or hostile, rather stern and passionate.”
See moments from the rally below.
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A protester watches the first few speakers of the La Alma rally with a sign that says “F— ICE.”
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General Strike organizer Dain Lee speaks to the crowd at the rally. They were one of the main contributors to the event.
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The student march arrives at Lincoln Park from Capitol Hill, led by a protester holding a sign reading “No one is illegal on stolen land.”
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Protesters in the La Alma crowd scream out “Chinga la Migra” chants, a common Spanish protest catchphrase roughly translating to ‘f— the immigration police.’
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Denver South sophomore Christian Armando Hernandez addresses the crowd.
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A protester holds up a sign reading “Deport the pedophiles in our government, not immigrants,” referencing the recent Epstein Files controversies.
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A speaker from the Denver chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation speaks to the crowd at La Alma.
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A young boy with a crocheted “F— ICE” banner screams chants.
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Protesters join the march returning to Capitol Hill after the rally.
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A speaker tells enraged stories of his own family members being “terrorized” by immigration police.
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A protester raises his fist with a shirt that reads “F— Trump, and f— you for voting for him.”
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A member of the crowd raises a sign with lists of people who have been killed by ICE officers or died in ICE camps.
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A protester watches a speaker with a sign reading “People can’t be illegal.”
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A local band delivered a rock performance near the end of the rally to re-energize the crowd. The guitarist delivers a solo.
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A protester films the band’s performance.
Carly | Feb 5, 2026 at 8:43 AM
resist everywhere, great job creek and great photos as always