After the second shooting at Denver East High School in the past several weeks, parents and students joined teachers in a protest at the state Capital to demand that lawmakers pass a series of bills aimed at reducing gun violence.
The march was seemingly the largest to take place at the Capital since the racial justice protests in the summer of 2020. What seemed to be pretty close to a thousand people gathered in front of the Capital, marched around the building and peacefully entered the building as they chanted "What do we want? Safe Schools. When do we want them? Now."
The demonstration was organized by the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA).
The general tone of the crowd was focused on 1) school safety, 2) passage of the four bills currently circulating in the legislature that target gun violence and 3) change of DPS policies including those that require schools to take students regardless of prior issues with other schools as was the case when the Denver East student who shot two school staff members after being expelled from Overland High School for violent behavior and possession of weapons. (specific details of this are limited because the student was a minor).
Completely missing from our experience of the crowd were the cynical reactions that blame "woke policies" or misguided school board members that removed police officers from providing security at DPS schools. Its not that people aren't aware of these issues, but the general tone was more along the lines of common sense which to many meant 1) having both police and DPS security at the schools and 2) implementing disciplinary policies and practices that do not endanger students and staff at the schools.
The crowd was welcome in the Capital and both security guards and demonstrators were respectful and we saw no one behaving in any disorderly ways. On the contrary, the crowd was pleasant as were the guards.
Students and teachers enter the governors office.
There was a small group of PSL members (the same PSL we have seen at many protests) at the protest, seemingly aligned with the DCTA and the anti gun violence bills. They did not appear to be involved in any of the organization of the event.
...and also s small presence of State Patrol was located outside the Capitol.
Awaiting the governor outside his office.
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