Colorado Speaks: The Black Lives Matter Protests

All of our protest-related coverage, in one place.

Staff June 4, 2020

Demonstrators move through Denver's streets on June 2, 2020, the seventh night of protests in the city. Photo by Lindsey B. King

On Memorial Day, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was killed by a Minneapolis police officer who knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, despite Floyd repeatedly saying he could not breathe. The story—of police brutality against Black citizens—is not new, but Floyd’s murder would galvanize a country. While we waited to see if charges would be filed against the officers involved, waves of Black Lives Matter demonstrators took to the streets in Minneapolis. Soon after, protests erupted in nearly every major American city—including Denver.

More than a week later, those protests are ongoing. Thousands of people have descended on Capitol Hill every day and night since Thursday, May 28, demanding more accountability for law enforcement officers in Denver and beyond, and calling for more value to be placed on the lives of Black citizens.

At 5280, our editors, reporters, and photographers have been listening to protestors and searching for stories amidst the movement that might have otherwise gone uncovered.

We’ve spoken to people who were tear gassed and fired upon by police officers (including our staffers); people who have been lost—and found—in the mayhem; people who are downright scared; people who are trying to chart the legal path forward; and people committed to changing the country. We’ll continue to listen, report, investigate, and share these stories with our readers. On this page, you’ll find all of our protest coverage, which we will be updating regularly for the foreseeable future. You can also read our journalism from years past that sheds light on issues of race, police accountability, and activism in Colorado.

And we want to do more. If you have a story to tell or something you think we should cover, please email us at digital@5280.com.

READ: 5280 Statement on Denver’s Black Lives Matter Protests