The rally mixed speeches, protest music and marches through several downtown blocks. Progressive activists also canvassed in the park about some of the more than a dozen ballot measures on this year’s ballot. Comedian Paula Poundstone addressed attendees at City Hall during the event.

For Laura Williams, the election is a chance to oppose President Donald Trump through her vote. “People need to wake up and see what’s happening in America,” she said, adding that she believes “our democracy is being destroyed.”

Another demonstrator, Stanley Relaford, criticized Trump’s military actions in Iran and their economic effects. He said the president began a war expecting it to be easy, but “it’s not.”

The crowd was not uniformly progressive. About a dozen young people from Worldview Crux, a Christian gap-year program based in Cañon City, held anti-abortion signs. Student Noah Montgomery said the group continued demonstrating despite nearby protest music, arguing that its members had the same free-speech rights as other attendees.

The Colorado Springs gathering was one of more than 2,500 “No Kings: Vote Early Day of Action” events reported nationwide. Republican leaders in Washington have described the protests as “Hate America Rallies,” a characterization that contrasts with participants’ stated focus on opposing the administration and encouraging civic engagement.