Colorado Springs People’s Coalition organizes campaigns around specific causes in order to engage the community in political work and enact social change.
What is a Campaign?
A campaign is a project to pressure a target into making changes according to a list of demands. The demands are created in conversation with our community and the material changes that we want to see. Campaigns are how we unite on action, as we bring together people who may have many different ideas but who agree on a few changes we all want to see.
Our Tactics
The CSPC strategy for building mass movements involves…
Education
- Flyering
- Social media campaigns
- Film screenings
- Literature studies
- Press coverage
- Policy proposal
- Teach-ins
Agitation
- Protests
- Marches
- Rallies
- Non-violent direct action
- Noise demonstrations
Escalation
- Increase presence in our community through solidarity
- Escalate agitation
Current Campaigns
Justice for Anthony
On March 27th, Anthony Padilla, a local father of 2 and beloved brother and son, was shot and killed by a neighbor at his Village East Apartments laundromat who claimed he was breaking and entering. His killer, a self-proclaimed "vigilante" with a history of harassing and stalking Anthony and other residents, recorded the whole interaction and himself telling the 911 dispatch "make sure police know I'm white". The El Paso County Sheriffs responded to the scene and watched Anthony (still alive at that moment) bleed and plead for life saving aid for 12 minutes before incorrectly treating him with chest compressions. Anthony died from blood loss. The 4th Judicial District Attorney, Michael Allen, called a grand jury where he declined to show any evidence from that night, and as a result the killer was not indicted. You can read more here.
CSPC is working with the Padilla family to get this case reopened, the sheriffs fired and charged, and the DA removed. This is a campaign we are actively developing with the Padilla family, and calling on our community to support.
Sign the families petition calling for justice here
Sign up to help the CSPC and the Padilla family here
Past Campaigns
Ceasefire for Palestine
In the first few months after October 7th 2023, CSPC sought to pressure the Colorado Springs city council to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Palestine and an end to the siege on Gaza. City Council set a precedent speaking out on the issue when they put out a resolution shortly after October 7th affirming their support for Israel.
We used tactics like...
- Rallying outside City Hall
- Educating the City Council members during public comment on the genocide
- Meeting one on one with City Council members
- Marching through downtown
City Council stonewalled our efforts and refused to even hold a vote on adopting a watered down ceasefire resolution. This campaign made us more familiar with how City Council works and some of its undemocratic practices.
No More Inmate Deaths
CSPC organized to combat deteriorating conditions in the El Paso County jail, which caused nine inmate deaths in 2022.
Condemn Police Crimes
CSPC provided support for the family of Brandon Harris, who died by suicide after the Colorado Springs Police Department chased him into Burlington Coat Factory with weapons drawn in 2023. CSPC also condemned CSPD for giving chase to Brandon Harris with their weapons drawn, and endangering multiple lives within the Burlington Coat Factory.