Our Glimpse Into the March For Solidarity

Iris Butler organized an all-day event, March for Solidarity August 28. Speakers, poets, musicians, and protesters assembled together at the Greek Theater across from Civic Center Park. The protest was to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the first march in Washington D.C. for jobs and freedom lead by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963.

According to the event’s Facebook page, “The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic rights of African Americans.”

Butler, a queer community member, posted a message via Facebook after the event.

Denver streets were damp with afternoon showers, and the rain continued throughout the evening. Groups of people came and went. It was not until dark when more people emerged. Parasol Patrol, Fitness Protection, and Wall of Moms were monitoring the grounds for counter-protesters and instigators.

Don Quenick, a licensed RN, spoke on behave of Give Us Our Harvest, a non-profit organization. Quenick’s speech was thought-provoking as crowd members moved closer to hear.

“We never needed you. But you needed us, and you still do. Black, brown, Indigenous people. Caged up animals, you like to treat us like. If we had our own harvest, we wouldn’t need an overseer,” Quenick says. From the 1800s to the mid 1900s, cotton was the highest-exported material in America. Black people in America produced over 80 percent of the cotton exported.

As the night progressed, more protesters came. Afro-beat and Chicano local band the Pink Hawks performed for the crowd. The band had everyone moving their feet to their EP, Elote.

There were reports of far-left and far-right protesters present. Protesters marched from the Greek Theater to District 6 late in the night. They were dressed in all black and had gas masks and other eyewear protection. Some were holding milk jugs and shields. Medically trained veterans were there for aid. Fifty-seven years after the March on Washington, the fight against racism persists.