For the Future: How Denver’s Youth Spent the 4th of July

Demonstrators gather outside the Colorado State Capitol building in Denver on July 4, 2026, with an American flag flying in the foreground. (Photo by Finn Feldman)

On July 4, 2026, a crowd of about 50 people gathered at the Denver Capitol building. Unlike a typical Denver protest, this demonstration was organized and led almost entirely by young people.

The march was spearheaded by The Youth Coalition, a Gen-Z civic organizing group, in partnership with several local organizations ncluding PULSE, Jews Against ICE, and People’s March Denver.

Sam Parker, 16, led the crowd in a series of chants that included, “ICE, ICE, Shame on you, immigrants are welcome too,” “From Ireland to Palestine, occupation is a crime,” and “Trump is in the Epstein files, Trump is a pedophile.”

Co-organizer Sam Parker (left), wearing a Keffiyeh and a patched jacket, rallies the crowd during the July 4th demonstration outside the Denver Capitol. (Photo by Finn Feldman)

For many of these young demonstrators, the current political climate carries a profound sense of urgency. Parker emphasized this momentum: “The youth [are] not gonna rest. We’re not gonna let shit happen to us, we’re not gonna be complicit.”

Parker co-organized the event alongside fellow sixteen-year-old Bre Kennedy, who planned the demonstration for July 4th specifically to challenge standard narratives surrounding the holiday. Kennedy emphasized that “no one is free until we are all free,” noting that this sentiment includes Palestinians and all other oppressed populations.

Co-organizer Bre Kennedy (center) marches alongside other demonstrators during the Youth Coalition protest in Denver. (Photo by Finn Feldman)

To build this crowd, the organizers relied heavily on digital outreach. Many attendees discovered the protest via Instagram while looking for a way to voice their dissent on the holiday, highlighting how social media has become a key tool to mobilize a younger demographic

A sousaphone player with the activist marching band Notes of Dissent performs (Photo by Finn Feldman)

As the demonstrators marched down 14th Street, cars raced by, honking in both support and annoyance. Music echoed through the streets as Notes of Dissent, a local activist marching band, accompanied the demonstration.

Seattle Kay (right) speaks to another protester, marked with a positive attitude while still chanting for political change. (Photo by Finn Feldman)

The band provided background instrumentation to the crowd’s chants and played tracks ranging from “When the Ants Go Marching In” to Chappell Roan’s “Hot To Go.” According to their website, the collective aims to build solidarity across the Front Range, inviting community members to “dust off your old instrument and help us fight fascism with music.”

The protest retained some of the traditional joy of a Fourth of July celebration, balanced with sharp political critique.

“While we’re celebrating America, we are also fighting for America,” said 27-year-old attendee Seattle Kay, who described the atmosphere as both festive and purposeful. “We’re all out here getting to know each other and having a great time, but while also standing for the people who aren’t able to, and the people who are separated from their families.”

Protesters, including Seattle Kay (Center) march down 14th Street carrying a Palestinian flag and signs reading “Liberty & Justice for All” and “Convict, Impeach, Remove.” (Photo by Finn Feldman)

The sound of the demonstration even drew in passing residents. Xexal Night-Shade, 28, joined the crowd mid-march after hearing the music from their apartment.

Xexal Night-Shade marched through downtown Denver alongside other youth demonstrators after joining the protest from their apartment. (Photo by Finn Feldman)

“I heard the protest at my window, and I was looking for a protest to join today,” Night-Shade said, recalling how they quickly threw on their boots and ran down to the street.

Like many other attendees, Night-Shade had intentionally sought out a space to express political dissent on the holiday.

Beyond the immediate anti-ICE and pro-Palestine focus of the march, the crowd shared a distinct wave of optimism regarding local electoral politics. Much of the excitement centered on 29-year-old Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member Melat Kiros, who recently unseated 15-term incumbent Diana DeGette in the primary for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District.

For the young organizers and attendees, Kiros’s primary upset represents a structural shift in political representation.

“[As young people] this is our future,” co-organizer Bre Kennedy said. “A lot of these older politicians or older people that are also fighting, they’re not going to live to see what we’re going to see in their own actions. Older representatives don’t have the experiences we have as kids to effectively voice how we feel.”

Kay echoed this sentiment, noting that seeing a woman in her 20s secure a major congressional nomination signals a broader trend of youth voter turnout and civic engagement. Kay expressed optimism about the rise of the DSA in Denver, citing the organization’s platform on universal healthcare and equal rights. However, Kay also emphasized that structural change requires a return to grassroots community unity. “Love your neighbor,” she said, urging a focus on mutual support despite political polarization. “They are trying to divide us, so the more that we let them divide us, the less we’ll be able to actually do.”

Nineteen-year-old MacGregor Lang, who spent the primary cycle canvassing for Kiros, stood at the front of the march. He views Kiros’s victory as a catalyst turning chronic youth pessimism into active urgency.

“This is our future,” Lang said, “it’s up to us to defend it.”

For Lang, meaningful political change requires individual courage and direct local action.. “Whatever you want in your life, take it,” he said. “And for me, that’s that’s taking action in my community: that’s standing up to oligarchy, that’s saying free Palestine, that’s saying we need a green new deal, and that’s saying fuck ICE.”

Lang raises a fist in the air with his back turned toward the crowd during the July 4th march. (Photo by Finn Feldman)

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