How embarrassing.
That’s the only way to describe the Friday night anti-ICE rally at the Aurora federal facility.
For those totally tuned out over the weekend, thousands of protestors were at the facility to protest the planned arrests Sunday of illegal immigrants who were denied asylum or didn’t bother to show up for their hearings.
About a hundred protestors trespassed onto the facility property while Aurora Police watched and did nothing as the American flag was lowered, burned and spray painted with the message “Abolish ICE.”
Adding insult to injury, the Colorado flag was taken, and replaced with the flag of a foreign nation, Mexico.
Protest organizers insisted afterwards the incident was caused by a handful of radicals, who they say belonged to some mysterious other organization no one has named. Does this look like just a few stray protestors?
Protesters took down the GEO Group, American, and Colorado flags and put up the Mexico flag. They left the POW/MIA flag. pic.twitter.com/AiPnivHRtk
— Conor McCormick-Cavanagh (@ConorMichael28) July 13, 2019
Does this sound like only a small number of people involved support the flag removals?
Anti-ICE protesters rip American flag off flag pole, raise Mexican flag at ICE facility in Aurora, Colorado pic.twitter.com/aK0FGY5l4P
— Terri Green (@TerriGreenUSA) July 13, 2019
Aurora Police made shockingly lame excuses why they didn’t stop the illegal action — they were protecting the safety of the officers.
Beyond the removal, attempted destruction of the US flag, replacement of the flags, and some signs and poles being put on the main doors and windows, the protesters did not engage in behavior that warranted immediate intervention.
Police must have forgotten that trespassing is also illegal.
Police actually blamed the facility for not putting up Jersey walls to protect their own property, as if protestors could not easily step over them.
Not to be outdone in irresponsible actions, Gov. Polis refused to condemn the actions, and instead demanded we be angry with the federal government for holding non-citizen detainees in cages a federal holding facility for breaking the law, or entering the country illegally.
Of course I condemn the desecration of our flag, who wouldn’t? Now will you condemn the ongoing and even more serious offense to our flag and values of putting children in cages and tearing families apart? @GregAbbott_TX @cologop pic.twitter.com/u2IrqFc11A
— Jared Polis (@GovofCO) July 13, 2019
Adding the shocking photo of a dead father and daughter who drowned while trying to cross illegally into the U.S. was beyond disgraceful, Mr. Governor.
To suggest the U.S. or its citizens are in any way responsible for this tragedy, is shameful.
John Hickenlooper practically embraced the actions as our American right to desecrate the American flag, steal the Colorado flag, and hoist the flag of a foreign country over a federal facility as “part of our core freedom.”
According to our governor, it’s okay to break the law if you’re upset over a tragic drowning.
The man who would be president is okay doke with burning American flags at federal facilities and recognizing foreign country flags instead.
And the police, they’re not willing to risk their own safety to arrest angry protestors breaking the law.
The shaming of Colorado, indeed.