Hands Off! 50501 Day of Action in Douglas County, Colorado, April 19th, 2025, 12:00 Noon

Location: Commons Street and Lincoln Avenue, Lone Tree, Colorado

Hosted by: Douglas County Activism Task Force

The April 5th Hands Off protests and marches attracted thousands across all 50 state capitals as well as various towns and cities nationwide. People from diverse backgrounds participated to voice their concerns regarding the current administration's impact on our democracy. Douglas County progressives actively engaged, with over 800 participants gathering at Highlands Ranch Parkway and University Boulevard, displaying thoughtful signs and receiving positive responses from passersby.

We invite you to join us for another Hands Off 50501 Day of Action on Saturday, April 19th, at 12 noon. The event will take place at Lincoln Avenue and Commons Avenue, near the Target store. Participants will line up along the south side of Lincoln Avenue, extending to the pedestrian bridge, aiming to gather enough people to fill the bridge and the north side of Lincoln Avenue as well.

Please sign up for the April 19th DougCo Activism 50501 Day of Action at the following link:

https://actionnetwork.org/events/dougco-takes-action-hands-off/

In addition to expressing concerns about the president and co- president Musk, we are also concerned about the economic instability associated with the new tariffs, the pressure on immigrants to self-deport, and the ongoing degradation of governmental institutions. Furthermore, we are discontent with our congressional representative's absence and her preference for "Tele-Town Halls" instead of in-person meetings. We hope Representative Lauren Boebert will hear our grievances as her county office is in Lone Tree.

Additionally, there is a critical local issue in Douglas County—the proposal by the Board of Commissioners to establish Douglas County as a "Home Rule" county. This change would allow the county to bypass certain state laws and determine its own regulations regarding elections, taxation, and public input processes. More information on this matter will be available at the event.

The Douglas County Activism Task Force is an independent coalition hosted by the Douglas County Democratic Party, welcoming collaboration from all progressive organizations within the county.

We encourage your participation in this protest. Families and leashed dogs are welcome. Please create large, colorful, thought-provoking signs and banners (while maintaining decorum for potential media coverage). The Lone Tree Police Department will ensure safety, and volunteers will be on hand to prevent disruption to local businesses.

The Kidnapping of Abrego Garcia

We of the Douglas County Colorado Democratic Party wholly condemn the removal and incarceration of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia by the Trump administration. Abrego Garcia is one of many immigrants who have been removed from the USA and transferred to an El Salvadoran prison under horrible conditions — all without any due process and against court rulings. Abrego Garcia had been granted protected status by an immigration judge that prohibited his deportation to El Salvador, and his removal was due to “administrative error.” The Trump administration now says nothing can be done to bring him back to the US, because he’s in El Salvadoran custody. 

The indiscriminate and thoughtless nature of these removals and incarcerations is horrifying. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments guarantee the right of due process to all people - regardless of citizenship status. 

We are appalled at the dismissiveness with which the Trump administration approaches issues of human rights. Tolerating this violation of due process is not only wrong, it is incredibly dangerous. We call on the Democratic Party nationally, as well as members of Congress and other elected officials, to publicly condemn these actions and demand that these people be returned to the US and given their legal due process. 

Activism Today in Douglas County

There is a lot of anxiety in our country right now, especially among progressives.  It’s almost impossible to watch the news and not become angry or sad.  It can be overwhelming. But there are things we can do here in Douglas County to counter these feelings. By becoming actively engaged and helping to amplify progressive messages while also countering misinformation. There are many ways people can become engaged; from writing post cards and attending town hall meetings, to participating in peaceful protests and marches. The Douglas County Democratic Party (DCDP) wants to activate our party members to make this happen.

Introducing the Douglas County Activism Task Force

On March 17, county activists from around the county met to establish the vision and objectives for an Activism Committee.  The meeting, led by Party Chair Meg Furlow and 1st Vice-Chair George Jackson, solicited suggestions and recommendations for actions and activities the group could support.  Suggestions included:

·      creating a coordinated activist calendar,

·      hosting town hall meetings, including empty chair events for our House Representative who doesn’t want to have a public town hall meeting.

·      launching a recall effort for our House Representative.

·      strongly suggesting that our elected democratic representatives be more confrontational,

·      encouraging participation in large events held in Denver and elsewhere,

·      attend town and county business meetings, and publish bullet point lists of meeting discussion topics and action items,

·      encouraging individual activism activities like 5 calls, sending post cards for out of state races, and participating in GOTV phone banks

Taking all these ideas into consideration, and after some thought and discussion, we’ve decided to create a Douglas County Activism Task Force.  This group will consist of leaders of the different activist groups: Indivisible Lone Tree, Parker and Larkspur, Red Wine & Blue in Castle Pines, Living Liberally Castle Rock, Douglas County Parents and others.  The Task Force will set up a new Facebook private group off the DCDP Facebook group, as well as a BlueSky group. Heidi Bonilla will fill the role of Facilitator.  DCDP will host an Activist Events calendar, and the overall expectation for this Task Force would be to facilitate cross promotion and cross participation in events and activities.  We wish to encourage participation among all progressive people, including independents. 

We will produce a calendar of events and protests that people can participate in, and we will publish a list of things people can do, both individually and with others, to become involved locally in the coming weeks.  Keep an eye on our website for updates and additional information.