Thousands protest in dozens of Colorado "No Kings" rallies; 12 arrests made in Denver, police say

Another round of "No Kings" protests took place around the country on Saturday to protest the Trump Administration, and Colorado saw rallies in dozens of locations, from downtown Denver and the broader Denver metro area to northern and southern parts of the state, throughout the mountains, and in some less densely populated communities across the Eastern Plains.

The last time "No Kings" rallies were held on June 14 -- which coincided with President Trump's birthday and the anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army -- thousands of people came to the State Capitol in Denver, and countless more attended similar rallies across the state. Most were peaceful, although a few small clashes broke out between protesters and police in Denver, leading to multiple arrests.

"Building on the momentum of the June 14 day of action, which drew more than five million people across all 50 states, the October 18 mobilization is the next chapter in this growing movement," organizers said in a statement about the event. "Together, residents in Colorado and millions across America will send a clear and unmistakable message: we are a nation of equals, and our country will not be ruled by fear or force."

Outside the State Capitol in Denver, where thousands of people showed up on Saturday, Theodore Peterson said this feels like a "very troubling time in this country," and felt he had to do something.

Holding a sign that read, "America king free since 1776, 86 47," he said it means, "get rid of Trump. That's all."

The phrase has been used by some critics of the president earlier this year, including former FBI Director James Comey, who was placed under investigation after current administration officials claimed it was a call for Trump's assassination. The meaning of the phrase has been interpreted in several ways; Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "eighty-six" to mean to "throw out" or "get rid of" something, and some who have used or defended the phrase have said it simply means to remove one from office.

"There's nothing that's not troubling since inauguration day," Peterson continued. "Every day, it's gotten worse."

Across the street, Patti Archambeault, surrounded by several grandchildren, said she's been concerned about recent missile strikes against boats near Venezuela that the White House says were smuggling drugs to the U.S. and the departure or firing of military and intelligence officials, including the one who oversaw several of those drone strikes.

"They're kids, they shouldn't have to," she said, of her grandchildren needing to understand current events. "I just brought them down here to explain to them what's going on in this world. This is going to affect us, it's probably going to affect them more ... He only has three more years in office, but how long is his ideas gonna go on?"

In Aurora, Marine veteran Randy Williams said he's frustrated with how the president is using the military.

"The military does not belong on the streets of America. You know, if you have a problem with crime, then you know how you fight crime; You get people jobs. You don't put the military on the streets," Williams said. "ICE running around like they can do whatever the hell they want to do, not showing their faces, not having cameras on, shooting a priest in the head, throwing women to the ground. I mean, it's ridiculous."

In Parker, one attendee, Karen Zimmerman, held a sign that read "NO KINGS! 'WE THE PEOPLE'"

"I like that we have the ability to voice our concerns peacefully," she said near Parker Road and Main Street. "I hope it's robust all over the country."

Other signs seen at the rallies in Denver and Parker had slogans like "not my dictator," "no justice, no peace," "love thy neighbor," and "hate will not make us great again."

The webpage for the collection of events says, "On October 18, millions of us are rising again to show the world: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people," but the president rejected the notion that he's a king on Fox News on Friday.

"They're saying they're referring to me as a king. I'm not a king," he told Fox News show "Sunday Morning Futures," in an interview that will air on Sunday.

Each event is co-organized by several organizations, and the one in Denver is being organized by groups including Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Indivisible Denver, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, SEIU Colorado, Solidarity Warriors, and more.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who's running for governor, tweeted last week, "Please show up next week at the No Kings Rally to defend our republic. The important thing is not to be afraid to exercise your First Amendment rights."

CBS News Colorado reached out to the Colorado Republican Party and several GOP leaders for comment, but did not hear back as of Saturday afternoon.

While the afternoon in Denver remained largely peaceful, Denver police said that as of 5:30 p.m., several people had been arrested.

Just after 3:30 p.m., the Denver Police Department said most demonstrators had left the area, but a small crowd remained, and one person was arrested for possession of a knife.

Then, around 4:15 p.m., a small group of protestors who marched to 20th and Chestnut Streets was allegedly trying to march onto Interstate 25, DPD said in a social media post. Several people were arrested, the department said, but it's not clear what charges they might be facing.

CBS Colorado's crews were in the area as one woman, surrounded by DPD officers and Colorado State Patrol troopers in tactical gear, was being taken into custody. It wasn't clear if she was arrested or just detained. One protester, who identified himself only as "Jason," said he and a small group were walking down the street when a large number of officers showed up, launched tear gas and other munitions, and then stopped the group "for no reason," he said.

When asked why the woman was taken into custody, Jason said, "because she was in the way," and "she was the slowest one."

Denver police provided an update Saturday night, stating that a group of protesters marched west on 6th Avenue through eastbound traffic. At the intersection with Santa Fe Drive, the DPD said officers staged at the location to prevent protesters from entering the highway announced to the crowd over loudspeaker that the assembly was unlawful. They said that they ordered the crowd to disperse and, after some time, deployed smoke and dispersed the crowd. Officers arrested three people in that incident.

The police department said there were a total of 12 arrests on Saturday, and they are continuing to process the arrestees. They said those people are facing a variety of charges, including aggravated assault, assault on a peace officer, graffiti, and other municipal offenses.

No one who's been arrested has been identified by police.

Around 3 p.m. MST, national organizers with the "No Kings" rallies said nearly 7 million people attended more than 2,700 rallies across the U.S. on Saturday.