DENVER — Community organizer Brian Loma remembers wearing his homemade “PRESS” helmet during the summer of 2020, when crowds filled downtown Denver streets to protest police brutality after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Those protests turned violent and led to several lawsuits and claims of more police brutality. Loma was involved in one of those lawsuits.

“I’m filming,” he recalled, describing the situation during one of the protests. “I have a camera. I don’t have a rock. I’m not here to damage anything. I’m filming.”

Loma alleges that at one point during a protest, he was burning sage and praying when he was attacked by Denver police.

“I started getting shot with pepper balls,” he said. “There wasn’t mass crowds. There wasn’t violent lines of people throwing water bottles or rocks or anything. It wasn’t with a massive group. I was there and I was praying.”

That account is part of a lawsuit settled by the City of Denver this week. Loma received a $135,000 payout to settle his claims from that night.

“You know, I’m not out there filming these events, participating, because I want a payout,” he told Denver7 Tuesday. “That’s not the point. The point is to have accountability, be the eyes and ears [of the public].”

Denver7 has followed the settlements between the City of Denver and protesters. Read our previous coverage below:

In total, the City of Denver has paid out more than $18 million in settlements related to the 2020 protests. Denver City Councilwoman Shontel Lewis said the city needs to be more accountable, especially as it faces a $250 million budget shortfall.

“When we’re looking at an ask to furlough, to lay folks off, but we’re also paying out settlements and large sums, we have to ask ourselves — because we talk about this all the time — if budgets are moral documents, what does that say about our morality?” Lewis said on Tuesday.

Lewis believes a less punitive culture within the Denver Police Department, or better alternatives to address community needs, would mean fewer of these claims and lawsuits.

“There are a number of things that you can do where you could have less reliance on the police and more reliance on community organizations and community and solutions that are embedded in [and] deeply rooted in community care,” she said. “But I don’t think we do that.”

Former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen led the department during the 2020 protests. Denver7 Investigates asked him about the department’s actions leading to millions in payouts.

“A lot of these cases have gone on,” Pazen said. “They’ve been appealed. The city has won several of these cases, as well, which often doesn’t get talked about as much as it should.”

• Hear more from former Chief Pazen in the video player below

Denver7 Investigates talks with former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen ahead of ICE Out! protest

Pazen said it’s often agitators in the crowd that spark violence.

“Working with the community is the way to address these types of situations, but this is not a one-way street,” he said. “If you have organizers of peaceful protests that step up and get rid of agitators, you will have a peaceful, successful protest. When people start to cause damage, destruction, get involved in violence, then a police department has to respond. That is their duty in order to stop the violence.”

Denver PD declined to comment on the settlement payouts, but did respond to Denver7’s question about how the department has changed its crowd control policies since 2020. The department provided the following examples, but did not include further details:

• The elimination the use of 40 mm less lethal equipment for purposes of crowd control
• Modified the way officers are permitted to use pepper balls for purposes of crowd management
• Less lethal equipment training enhanced to help ensure appropriate use in crowd control settings and understanding of commands
• All officers have received additional training on crowd control response and rapid deployment vehicle tactics

After five years, Loma calls the wait for change “painstaking.”

“Reform does happen slowly, but sometimes it feels like we take two steps forward and take one step back,” he said. “Maybe there is reform happening, right? Maybe it does happen, but it’s a long, slow, arduous process.”

On a rainy Friday in late May, Mary Nguyen welcomed about 500 guests to the grand opening of Olive & Finch’s fourth location at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Small bites like vegetarian lumpia and Saigon Sammies (made with plant-based crispy chicken) were passed around.

As one of the busiest destinations in the city, the complex is a major milestone for the brand. It also fills a longstanding gap in the area’s dining options.

“When you go to a show at the Arts Complex, your dining options are limited. Mostly, you’ll find sports bars, greasy spoons, or high-end full-service restaurants, which are often expensive,” Nguyen explained. “It’s exciting to have thousands of people come for a show and be able to get the exposure, but also give them the opportunity to not go to a full-service restaurant if they just want to grab a drink, a snack, come in with their kids, or avoid spending $150 per person.”

The debut followed closely on the heels of Olive & Finch’s Union Station opening in March. More than bold bets on the city’s future, these new downtown locations reflect Nguyen’s personal commitment to Denver’s revitalization.

“There’s a narrative that downtown is dead, that it’s not safe. But I’m here all the time. I see something totally different. There are new restaurants opening, the streets are active, there are interesting people looking for things to do,” Nguyen said.

“I’m a Denver native. If I want to see a vibrant, activated downtown, then I’m going to help make that happen. I’m not waiting for someone else to do it,” she added.

Before the Arts Complex and Union Station locations, Nguyen began working on Little Finch (Olive & Finch’s fast-casual sister concept) on 16th Street back in 2021, long before the area’s multi-year renovation plan broke ground. Rather than viewing the once vibrant corridor as a lost cause, she saw herself as the first to an area ripe with potential.

“If you look at the investment the city is making … no other city in America is spending $600 million to revitalize their downtown. Honestly, I think I’ve done a great job coming in at the beginning, because in 10 years – actually, probably just two years, or even one – Denver’s going to come back,” she said.

These new locations represent the tip of the iceberg for Nguyen. By the end of 2026, Olive & Finch is on track to operate 10 locations, including one outpost in Denver’s Golden Triangle neighborhood, and two more storefronts at Denver International Airport. These sites will join the four open Olive & Finch locations; Little Finch on 16th Street; and Finch, On the Fly, a grab-and-go kiosk that debuted in Denver International Airport this January.

“Everything that we’ve done has been really intentional. It just happened that now we’re ready, and it’s all happening at the same time,” Nguyen laughed.

Intentionality has been central to Olive & Finch’s growth. From 2013 to 2017, the team focused on refining operations, building a solid infrastructure, and ensuring every expansion would preserve the brand’s commitment to scratch-made, chef-driven food. A major component has been the launch of an in-house production and distribution company, which enables all locations to maintain Olive & Finch’s standards. That same company also services wholesale clients like hospitals, hotels, grocery stores and airport concessions.

“The wholesale side is actually the largest part of our business,” Nguyen said. With demand rising, the wholesale operation is projecting a 25% increase in sales next year.

“I know a lot of restaurants sometimes lose their ‘special sauce’ as they grow. For us it’s different because we’re producing everything…We really wanted to create a sustainable model, but also a company that’s sustainable,” Nguyen continued.

Still, the growth is entirely self-financed and independently owned by Nguyen, who left behind a career in finance to pursue her passion for hospitality.

“We don’t have partners or investors, Olive & Finch is independently owned by me,” Nguyen shared. “What started as a passion project has grown into what it is today. I’ve always known I wanted to build a hospitality company, I just didn’t know it would look like this.”

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“Higher Power” is coming to a higher altitude.

On Tuesday, June 10, Coldplay will headline at Denver, CO’s Empower Field at Mile High as part of their ongoing ‘Music of the Spheres World Tour.’

Willow and Elyanna will serve as the opening acts at the one-off concert.

This gig at the Broncos’ stadium comes after a pair of huge shows at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. Based on our findings at Set List FM, the stadium rockers delivered 20+ songs over four acts both nights.

And, yes, iconic tunes like “The Scientist,” “Viva La Vida,” “Higher Power,” “Clocks,” “Fix You” all worked their way into the show.

“Musically, Coldplay is at the core a groovy little band tightened over a nearly 30-year career,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote about the first of two shows. “This quartet knows how to play big. ‘Higher Power’ opened the show in full overdrive. Pyro powered ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’ and ‘Paradise.’ The crowd bounced through ‘God Put a Smile Upon Your Face’ and ‘Yellow.’”

Want to witness this ambitious live show — that’s amazingly powered by renewable energy sources — IRL at Mile High?

As of now, last-minute tickets are available.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find to get in the door was $165 including fees on Vivid Seats.

While that sounds expensive, keep in mind that seats started at $222 including fees, when we last reported on Coldplay ticket prices on May 21.

For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about Coldplay’s concert in Denver below.

All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation.

Coldplay Denver tickets

The band’s Empower Field at Mile High show date, start time and links to what tickets cost now versus what they were going for on May 21 can be found here:

(Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time. All prices are in US dollars, subject to fluctuation and, if it isn’t noted, will include additional fees at checkout.)

Vivid Seats is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. 

They offer a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and your tickets will be delivered prior to the event.

Still curious about Vivid Seats? You can find an article from their team about why the company is legit here.

Coldplay tour schedule 2025-26

A complete calendar including all North American tour dates, venues, and links to the cheapest tickets available can be found here:

Coldplay set list

Coldplay kicked off the North American leg of their yearslong tour at Stanford Stadium. According to Set List FM, here’s what they took to the stage at that June 1 gig:

Act I: Planets

01.) “Higher Power”

02.) “Adventure of a Lifetime”

03.) “Paradise”

04.) “The Scientist”

Act II: Moons

05.) “Viva la Vida”

06.) “Hymn for the Weekend”

07.) “In My Place”

08.) “God Put a Smile Upon Your Face”

09.) “Yellow”

10.) “All My Love”

Act III: Stars

11.) “People of the Pride”

12.) “Clocks”

13.) “WE PRAY”

14.) “Infinity Sign”

15.) “Something Just Like This” (The Chainsmokers cover)

16.) “My Universe”

17.) “A Sky Full of Stars”

Act IV: Home

18.) “Sparks”

19.) “The Jumbotron Song”

20.) “Fix You”

21.) “GOOD FEELiNGS”

22.) “feelslikeimfallinginlove”

Coldplay new music

On Oct. 4, 2024, Coldplay dropped their tenth studio album, “Moon Music.”

The New York Post’s music critic Chuck Arnold reviewed the record. For a closer look at what he had to say, you can find his analysis of their soulful new offering here.

Coldplay special guests

The group will be joined by a pair of opening acts at their Denver show. In order to make sure you’re familiar with their work, here’s each artist’s most-streamed song on Spotify.

Willow: “Wait a Minute!”

Elyanna: “Callin’ U (Tamally Maak)”

Huge stars on tour in 2025

If Coldplay isn’t coming to a venue near you, don’t worry. You’ve got options this year

Here are five huge artists that may be headed to your neck of the woods these next few months.

• Oasis

• Yusuf/Cat Stevens

• Paul Simon

• Benson Boone

• Mumford and Sons

Who else is on the road? Take a look at our list of all the biggest artists on tour in 2025 to find the show for you.