Kenneth Wajda

Article and Photos by Kenneth Wajda They say the third time’s the charm. After two large protests in summer 2025, the No Kings protest returned to downtown Longmont, Colorado, on Saturday, March 28, 2026, to send a message to those in office that protesters stand behind the U.S. Constitution and not behind an administration that acts like it’s run by a monarchy as it carries out ICE raids and starts foreign wars without Congressional approval.

From Denver to Erie to Longmont, Coloradans turned out in the tens of thousands for No Kings Day, standing together against authoritarianism with laughter, costumes, and conviction. No Kings Day, Denver, Oct. 18th, 2025, photo by Shavonne Blades NO KINGS DAY: DENVER + ERIE By Shavonne Blades It was a day of love and joy, filled with color, laughter, and purpose. When it was time to name the photo files, I couldn’t help but giggle at the titles I needed to choose: Cookie Monster, a unicorn, a T-Rex.

photo credit: George Hudetz, Erie CO, No Kings Day Table of Contents hide Erie used to have 500 houses, 1,200 people, and dirt roads—not in 1890 but as recently as 1990. However, like so many Colorado Front Range towns, it’s seen rapid, relentless growth since then. Today, it’s home to 40,000 people and projected to hit 70,000. (Let’s just hope they don’t choose sprawl in the years ahead.) Back in 2000, Erie was the fastest-growing municipality in the state, posting a wild 300% growth rate.