A statewide anti-ICE student walkout in Colorado erupted into violence Friday as demonstrators chased, shoved, kicked, and threw bottles at pro-ICE counterprotesters gathered in a Denver park. Police reported five assaults or altercations during the September 4th demonstration, with three people taken to the hospital. Two others were treated or reported injured, while two people were cited for graffiti.
The Colorado Youth Coalition organized the walkout, which brought students from schools across the state out of their classrooms between late morning and noon. Organizers claimed students at more than 200 schools participated, with hundreds eventually gathering at La Alma-Lincoln Park in Denver. The event was held to protest federal immigration enforcement and President Donald Trump’s deportation policies.
The demonstration included speeches, marches, and students carrying signs that compared Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the Nazis, the Gestapo, and the Ku Klux Klan. Tensions rose when adult counterprotesters entered the area, including one masked man carrying an “I Love ICE” sign. Students confronted the counterprotesters as organizers and school security personnel attempted to keep the groups apart.
Footage from the scene showed one counterprotester recording demonstrators before his camera was apparently knocked from his hand. He was then knocked down, kicked, and shoved while lying on the ground, according to Denver7. Another man carrying the pro-ICE sign was pursued by a crowd and struck in the head by a metal water bottle as he attempted to leave.
Video of the disorder was circulated Saturday by commentator Eric Daugherty, who described the students as having gone “haywire” and the resulting scene as “total chaos.” The video showed demonstrators yelling, chasing counterprotesters, and throwing objects while adults attempted to regain control. Although Daugherty’s post referred to the targets as ICE agents, local reports identified them as civilian counterprotesters expressing support for the agency.
Watch the chaotic scene here:
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Organizers reportedly urged the students to remain peaceful and stop engaging with the counterprotesters, but those appeals did not prevent several confrontations. Denver Public Schools security officers, teachers, and other adults were seen trying to restrain or redirect students. One woman whose identity was not immediately established also had her hair pulled and was punched in the face during the disorder.
Denver police said three injured people were transported to a hospital, although officials did not disclose the nature or severity of their injuries. A fourth person was treated at the scene, while a fifth reportedly left before officers could obtain a statement. No arrests were announced immediately after the event, but two people were cited for graffiti.
School districts along Colorado’s Front Range were aware that walkouts had been planned, though at least some districts said the absences would remain unexcused. The Cherry Creek School District provided students with an area on campus where they could demonstrate but said it did not endorse students leaving school. District officials said disciplinary consequences could be imposed when students violated the code of conduct.
Police also said the gathering had been organized without a permit or safety plan. “It is important to note that this was an unpermitted demonstration organized without a safety plan,” a department spokesperson said. Officers contacted or identified several suspects in the altercations and said the investigations remained ongoing.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.