COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Thousands of people are expected to fill downtown Colorado Springs this weekend for a protest and Pride events.
There are also other Pride events happening in the state this summer.
Saturday marks the start of Pikes Peak Pride at 10 in the morning, while a No Kings Rally is scheduled to start at noon at City Hall as a response to President Donald Trump's military parade. Organizers of No Kings in Colorado Springs wrote that the rally is a nationwide day of defiance. At the top of the minds of many for both events is safety.
A spokesperson for the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) reports that they have extra-duty and special-event officers who the Pride Event Organizers have hired to be downtown.
"We have also been working closely with event organizers to ensure they have everything they need for a safe, secure, and fun event," Senior Public Communications Specialist Caitlin Ford Blanco with CSPD wrote to News5 about the Pride celebrations. "We have been monitoring trends and other chatter for any potential threats to the event. At this time, we are not seeing or hearing anything specific, but of course, we will continue to monitor and let event organizers know if something changes."
As for the protest, CSPD wasn't able to share many details of their involvement, if any.
"For the planned protest, CSPD is committed to protecting the First Amendment rights of our community members to peaceably assemble," Ford Blanco wrote of the planned protest. "Just like with the Pride event, we have been monitoring trends for any threats of potential violence. We are also prepared to respond should any unlawful behavior take place."
Ford Blanco did want to point the public to the CSPD's community liaison officer program, where they have officers ready and available to work with protest organizers to answer questions about what is and isn't legal, walk them through the permitting process, and more. Click here for more on the Community Liaison Officer Program.
The Colorado Springs Police Department shared more details on their message to the public when it comes to the Pikes Peak Pride celebrations.
"If you see something, say something rule," Ford Blanco said of the Pride events. "If you notice something suspicious or just out of the ordinary that kind of catches your attention... don't try to investigate it yourself. Don't try to figure that out yourself. Even if it isn't anything, it winds up being nothing. It's better to just go ahead and let an officer know, or let security nearby know what's going on."
During the 2024 Pride celebrations, the FBI and DHS issued a public service announcement providing awareness related to foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) or their supporters potentially targeting LGBTQIA+ events during Pride Month. No such alert has been issued by the agencies in 2025 as of the writing of this article, Friday morning.
"We do work closely with our federal partners to understand what the trends are nationally and globally when it comes to this," Ford Blanco explained. "We're keeping in close contact with them and the information that they get for those trends, as well as with our local partners, other local law enforcement agencies in the Pikes Peak region, of what they're seeing."
Ford Blanco added that there is coordination that occurs between CSPD and security that was hired by event organizers.
"We have a very close relationship with those private security groups, whether it's the downtown partnerships security that they have, or maybe that's the one that the event has hired," Ford Blanco added. "We work very closely with them so that we know who they are, we know where they're going to be and what their role is, and then they know where we're going to be and and what our role is and how to get in contact with us if they need that help in an emergent situation."
A representative with Pikes Peak Pride also provided News5 with the following statement:
"At Pikes Peak Pride, safety is at the core of everything we do. We’ve worked closely with the Colorado Springs Police Department and have professional security on-site throughout the entire weekend to help ensure a secure and welcoming environment for all.
In addition, all vendors and parade participants received safety briefings that included our “See Something, Say Something” protocol, so everyone involved is empowered to support a safe community experience. Our incredible team of volunteers has also been briefed on these procedures and will be actively supporting throughout the festival.
We’ve also coordinated with the Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC) to stay informed with the most current intelligence regarding any potential threats. CIAC works by synthesizing data from multiple federal, state, and local agencies to help communities like ours prepare and stay aware. You can learn more about their work here: https://ciac.colorado.gov [ciac.colorado.gov].
Ultimately, Pride is a celebration of love, inclusion, and community and we’re committed to ensuring everyone feels safe and supported while we celebrate together."
News5 also reached out to Pueblo Police about their plans, if any, for the No Kings protest in their city.
"We do not share details like these for officer safety reasons.," Community Engagement Manager Bianca Hicks wrote to News5. "As far as messaging, we encourage attendees to protest in a peaceful and respectful manner."
Fraud in the summer: One Pueblo family approached by a woman claiming to be a landscaper
These people may promise to spruce up your yard, but if you're not careful, you could get left in the weeds, out of money, and with no work done.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
