Colorado lawmaker urges DOJ probe after violent ICE protest injures five students

On Sept. 4 a large crowd gathered at Denver’s La Alma-Lincoln Park to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and five participants were later hospitalized following assaults, police said. Denver officers issued three citations, one of which was a simple-assault charge against 43-year-old Armando Geneyro, while two juveniles received graffiti citations. Representative Jeff Crank sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, requesting a federal probe into alleged assaults on journalists and counter-protesters.

The protest was coordinated by the Colorado Youth Coalition, which mobilized more than 150 schools statewide. Organizations such as the Democratic Socialists of America, Indivisible and 50501 Colorado were named by Crank as threats, though 50501’s national coordinator Sarah Parker called the accusation disingenuous and emphasized the group’s non-violent stance. Denver Public Schools officials reminded students of their right to peaceful protest while stressing the importance of uninterrupted class time.