Colorado "No Kings" protest expected to attract 1000+ in Castle Rock

CBS News

14-06-2025

This Saturday, June 14, hundreds of "No Kings" rallies are expected to take place across the country, including in Douglas County, Colorado.
A thousand people are expected to fill the upper lot of the Douglas County Fairgrounds at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The group will march down Plum Creek Parkway, turn on Perry Street, and continue to Festival Park.
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The organizer expects it to be one of the largest demonstrations she's seen in the county and says the group will be protesting both federal policy and the local "home rule" effort.
"We're seeing our constitutional freedoms being chipped away at little by little," said organizer Heidi Bonilla. "There's a lot of people that are saying, 'This isn't okay.' Wherever you sit on the political spectrum, this isn't okay."
Bonilla says the No Kings protest she's organizing in Castle Rock is drawing in people from both sides of the aisle.
"I actually have my phone going off every couple of minutes with a new sign-up to this protest," Bonilla said.
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But as she prepares to march with hundreds of her neighbors, District Attorney George Brauchler has a warning.
"For those people that think they're gonna come down to Douglas County and they're gonna be treated like this is Denver, if they wanna step over the line and violate the laws, you picked the wrong county," said Brauchler.
"We're not bussing people down from Denver. I just want to make that very clear. We're Douglas County residents. We live here," Bonilla said. "We're not trying to make problems in Douglas County. We're trying to keep this county and this country a beautiful place to live."
Bonilla is working with Castle Rock police to make sure the protest stays safe.
"We are not going to tolerate any kind of harassment, any kind of violence, to each other, to the police, to anything. That will not be tolerated tomorrow," Bonilla said.
The Town of Castle Rock shared the following statement:
"Organizers have been in contact with our Police Department regarding their plan to walk on Town sidewalks, and CRPD is preparing accordingly."
There will be a safety table on site, and volunteers will ensure marchers obey traffic laws. Bonilla says they will have water to offer, but she recommends attendees bring water to stay hydrated on the hot day, as well as sunscreen and walking shoes.
"This is peaceful, and this is lawful. My little boy is going to be here. I have a 15-month-old, and he will be with me tomorrow. We're not going to make this violent," Bonilla said.
For Bonilla, the event is about preserving a future for her children.
"I'm doing this for him, and someday I want to be able to look him in the eyes and say, 'I fought as hard as I could, I did everything I could do, to make sure that you grew up in a free country,'" Bonilla said.
A "No Kings" rally in Parker will also take place Saturday, starting at 10 a.m., despite being told by the town they could not hold the event because it coincided with Parker Days. The organizer says they plan to stand their ground and peacefully protest at intersections on Parker Road, skipping Main Street and the festival.