DENVER — Thousands are expected to take to the streets across Colorado on Saturday as part of a national day of action against the Trump administration.

Organizers say the “No Kings” events aim to “reject authoritarianism—and show the world what democracy really looks like.”

The protests are scheduled to go on at the same time as the U.S. Army’s parade in Washington, D.C., which marks the branch’s 250th anniversary. Saturday also marks President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday and Flag Day.

Denver7 has learned of scheduled “No Kings” protests in several Colorado cities, including Denver, Fort Collins, Castle Rock and Parker.

Denver’s protest is scheduled to take place in front of the State Capitol. Jennifer Bradley, an organizer with Colorado 50501, told Denver7 that while marching is expected, there will be other resources at Saturday’s protest.

“What we’re going to have is an activist fair for the ‘No Kings’ event,” Bradley said. “Instead of having a standard march and rally, what we’re actually doing is bringing the community and the activist community together so people can find their fit, get involved, find what speaks to them, and get into the movement. We’re going to have tablers, live music, protest classes, a community mural that’s going to be donated to the Friday first walk, all sorts of interactive exhibits at each of the tables for people to participate in, and it’s really about bringing the community together and getting people empowered.”

Steffan Becker, another organizer with Colorado 50501, said they decided to integrate resources so participants have something to do after the protest.

“People don’t know where to put their energy after the protest, so the point of this festival — or this fair — is to get everybody the opportunity to plug in with different organizations so that they can find out how to use their energy, find out what they’re passionate about, and then not just show up at the protest, but be able to show up consistently, day in and day out, throughout different causes across the political spectrum,” Becker said.

Denver’s protest at the Colorado Capitol did receive a permit, which listed a potential attendance of 8,000 people. Organizers expect a much larger crowd size.

“We’re expecting about 10,000 to 12,000 people at this point in time, and probably even more than that,” Bradley said.

In Arvada, Arvadans for Progressive Actions said it is expecting at least 500 people. Jim C. with the organization told Denver7 the group decided to still hold its own demonstration to let audiences everywhere know how Arvadans feel.

“This is not just in blue Denver and the blue big cities,” Jim said. “This is in places that are more purple, and Arvada is an average American suburb with average American people.”

“We’re concerned,” Jim added. “We want everybody to know we’re concerned.”

On Friday, the Denver Police Department posted a “know you go” resource sheet on X.

In its post, the department said community members have the right to peacefully protest, and its officers are present at every major protest. Denver PD also reiterated that it does not cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in federal immigration enforcement.

Earlier this week, Denver7 spoke with Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas, asking him about future protests and how his department and officers planned to respond.

“It’s often best to over-prepare,” Thomas said. “So, I’m confident that we will have a number of officers, the appropriate number of officers, to handle the size of the protest and whatever activities they choose to engage in.”

• Watch the full interview in the video player below

Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas discusses 18 arrests during ICE Out! protest | Full intverview

Denver7 also asked protest organizers about safety at their respective demonstrations.

“We don’t expect any violence or trouble at our event,” Jim C. said.

“We are very adamant in reaffirming our nonviolent stance,” said Bradley. “We do have safety marshals who are well-trained, well-experienced. They will be monitoring the event, walking around.”

With high temperatures expected on Saturday, Bradey said they will have medics on-site should someone need help.

“We’re going to make sure every table knows the symptoms of heat stroke,” she said. “We’re bringing plenty of water to keep everybody nice and hydrated. Then, of course, we will have a medic tent located on the edge of the grounds over there for any issues that arise. But we do have a registered nurse. We have people that are trained in first aid.”

Denver7 reached out to Colorado’s Republican delegation for comment on Saturday’s planned protests across the country. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert sent the following statement.

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Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said the city doesn’t need the National Guard or federal enforcement to handle protests and he will oppose it.

“We’ve had protests almost every single week since Trump became president,” Johnston told 9News reporter Marc Sallinger in an interview. “We’ve had protests almost every week for the last two years, and every one of them has been peaceful. This is the first time we’ve had any arrests in, maybe more than a year, at one of these types of events – and that’s because there were a very small number of people who were hostile and were violent.”

On Tuesday night, 18 people were arrested in connection with local protests over the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

“We do not need a National Guard,” he said. “We don’t need any federal support; we don’t need Marines, and there’s not gonna be behavior on our streets that’s going to show that there’s a need for that. We will continue to make the case there is no need for federal intervention, and we will oppose it if they try to bring it.”

In a statement released Wednesday morning, the Denver Police Department said that, as demonstrators marched along streets and blocked roadways, officers had to divert vehicular traffic as a safety precaution.

At times, officers deployed smoke and pepper balls to disperse crowds blocking roadways or deny their access to areas.

Police said two people were arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault on a peace officer and a third for second-degree assault.

“You’re making a statement by assaulting our (police) officers,” Johnston said. “You’re just making the city less safe; we’re not going to tolerate that, and we’ll step in on it.”

He added: “We want folks to come and protest peacefully, but they should make sure the folks that come with them also are here to protest peacefully, because you’ve damaged the movement when you start committing crimes and damaging property.”

Johnston has been on the Trump administration’s radar since before the president took office in January over the city’s refusal to arrest individuals based on immigration status alone.

In March, he was summoned before the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that was investigating “sanctuary” jurisdictions.

At one point during the hearing, he was threatened with jail.

Some say the recent demonstrations against deportation actions in Los Angeles could put a spotlight on Denver.

However, Johnston reiterated his belief that Denver has done well in keeping its most recent protests peaceful and that “there’s no reason to invite a new battle with the president” in a city that doesn’t have a crisis.

Johnston argued that while the Trump administration is “looking for every opportunity to make this the news story in every city in America,” it’s not “good” for migrants and businesses.

When asked about how Denver would respond to the president deploying federal forces or the National Guard, Johnston said the key is for the city not to reach that stage.

“What we know is we can protest peacefully, people can be heard, and we can enforce the rule of law,” he said. “We can have both the First Amendment and public safety, and this is why, I think, last night also proved Denver doesn’t need any help to manage this problem.”

Johnston said the city would respond appropriately and balance the right amount of force based on the behavior of demonstrators.

To date, the City of Denver has paid out close to $15 million in settlement claims stemming from police actions during the George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020.

Plaintiffs’ claims range from free speech violation to injuries resulting from excessive force, less-than-lethal force such as rubber bullets, tear gas, pepper spray, and pepper balls, according to court documents.

The Denver City Council agreed on Monday to pay $399,000 to settle a police misconduct case, bringing the city’s total for such settlements for 2025 to $5.1 million.

Council members unanimously approved five separate resolutions relating to a U.S. District Court case where a group of activists, journalists and YouTubers alleged they were the victims of police violence while filming and documenting police activity during the George Floyd protests in 2020.

Johnston added that he has “100% confidence in the Denver Police Department.”

“If people are violent and they’re damaging someone’s small business, we’re gonna arrest you,” he said. “If you are assaulting an officer, we’re gonna arrest you. If you’re trying to light cars on fire, we’re gonna arrest you.”

Denver Gazette news partner 9News contributed to this story. To read more, click here. 

A series of limited liability corporations have purchased at least 13 parcels of land around a potential future Broncos stadium site in Denver since last summer and paid more than $150 million combined to do so.

The transactions, first reported by BusinessDen and later confirmed by The Denver Post, started in August 2024 and have continued through this spring. The plots surround the Burham Yard railyard, a state-owned, 58-acre property in Lincoln Park that is for sale and has many of the hallmarks of a potential stadium site.

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At least nine of the LLCs that purchased the properties were created in 2023, and none of the sales were connected to a loan, a review of public documents revealed.

Citing an unnamed source familiar with the real estate deals, BusinessDen reported that at least 10 of the LLCs have ties to the Broncos’ Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group. The Post has not independently verified that connection.

The Broncos declined to comment on specific real estate transactions around Burnham Yard or elsewhere.

“As we’ve previously shared, we are involved in a comprehensive process regarding the future of our stadium,” a Broncos spokesman told The Post. “No determinations have been made as we continue to evaluate several options in and around the Denver metro area.”

Real estate records reveal that these LLCs are not just random corporations with no connective tissue.

The Post found that in at least nine of the transactions — including six plots that sold for a combined $22 million all within two blocks directly north of Burnham Yard — the sale was handled on the buyer’s side by Lea Ann Fowler, a real estate attorney at Hogan Lovells. Fowler previously worked with Broncos general counsel Tim Aragon at the same firm, where he was the managing partner of its Denver office before leaving in 2022 to work for the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group.

Each of those six purchases was made between August 2024 and January using a variety of LLCs, including Villard LLC, Compass Peak Holdings LLC, Summitt 55 Company LLC and 1396 Canyon Lane LLC.

Just south of the rail yard, Tim Armitage sold his property at 657 North Osage St. in October.

The price — $2.7 million — felt like an above-market deal for the 9,361 square-foot warehouse he owned for five years.

As for the buyer? He has no idea.

“Never met them; never knew a thing about it,” Armitage told The Post on Wednesday. “I didn’t care; it didn’t matter to me. They had the money and I was selling it.”

Another property owner reached by The Denver Post said they couldn’t comment because language included in the contract prohibits talking about the sale.

All of these smaller parcels are set around the 58-acre Burnham Yard, which the Colorado Department of Transportation owns and is currently in the process of selling. It says it intends to do so by next spring.

“The (CTIO) is still conducting due diligence on the most beneficial uses and site preparation to eventually sell the property,” CDOT communications director and special adviser to the executive director Matt Inzeo told The Post on Wednesday.

Burnham Yard is considered a possible site for a new Broncos stadium should they ultimately decide to move from Empower Field at Mile High.

“In terms of the vein of keeping it in urban Denver or close to downtown … I would put a bet that’s where it happens,” Chris Phenecie, a senior vice president at the commercial real estate firm CBRE, told The Post recently.

Several consultants agreed last year that Burnham Yard fits the bill for the type of parcel that works for a professional sports stadium, with one exception.

The yard itself is too small.

For a stadium and an adjacent entertainment district of some kind, anybody wanting to build a stadium there would need to acquire additional land surrounding it.

That can be an expensive proposition, but even working through purchasing multiple plots from various buyers over a long period of time can be worthwhile.

“When you’re talking about a $2 billion venue, land cost does become a drop in the bucket unless you’re really acquiring a prime site,” Erin Talkington, the managing director of RCLCO, a real estate advisory firm whose work includes consulting for sports ownership groups and municipalities on major development projects, told The Post in 2024. “It is one of the reasons why you often see new venues go to areas that have always been somewhat underutilized or in need of reinvestment.”

Recent sales made near Burnham Yard late last year and early this year were averaging close to $300 per square foot of built space. By contrast, the list prices per square foot for four industrial properties in other parts of central Denver that are being marketed averaged closer to $155 a square foot, or about half. That comparison doesn’t account for differences in the amount of land involved in each deal.

Two of the biggest parcels are Denver Water’s 36-acre campus to the west and SRM Concrete, which is wedged between Denver Water and the yard on the north end. Denver Water and Burnham Yard extend south to and beyond the 8th Avenue bridge.

While those plots have not sold recently, several others in the area have. The total purchase price for 13 recent sales around Burnham, according to public records reviewed by The Post and BusinessDen reporting: Nearly $153 million.

Acquiring land like this can serve multiple purposes for a professional sports franchise. It can set a club up to build and develop or it can be used to serve as leverage while negotiating with a municipality.

Once a site is finalized, ownership groups are interested in using a stadium as an anchor to any number of kinds of entertainment districts. Such projects are in various states of progress up and down the Interstate 25 corridor from Burnham Yard, with Kroenke Sports and Entertainment set to develop around Ball Arena and the new NWSL franchise coming to Denver setting out to develop Santa Fe Yards to the south.

“Most of the deals that we’ve worked on, incoming owners, their primary question is around venue and the potential upside around the surrounding area,” Edwin Draughan, a director and partner at Park Lane, a sports-focused investment bank, told The Post in 2024. “… There’s only so much additional revenue you can get from the team. But there’s a layer of influence and there’s also a level of just real estate ownership.”

The Broncos’ current lease with the Metropolitan Football Stadium District runs through the 2030 season, though the club has the ability to extend it for five years if needed. Still, the 2030 date does put the team in a position where it has some time and flexibility.

Stadium projects around the NFL tend to take about four years between the time they’re first announced and when the stadium is built and ready for use. That same timeline would put the Broncos within about a year of needing to have a project site approved and announced if they do indeed decide to build new.

Team president Damani Leech said earlier this spring that the club had “a healthy amount of pressure” to move forward in their decision-making process.

“We are not holding ourselves to that to say we absolutely have to have something by that year,” he said. “The components of what happens, though, are real and important. Stadiums typically take about 48 months to build from a construction standpoint. You think about what has to happen from a permitting standpoint and all those things. We’re starting to build out those calendars to get a better understanding of, once you do decide what to do, how long it’s going to take.”

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Originally Published: June 11, 2025 at 8:36 PM MDT