Thank you to the loyal readers and supporters of The Colorado Independent (2013-2020). The Indy has merged with the new nonprofit Colorado News Collaborative (COLab) on a new mission to strengthen local news in Colorado. We hope you will join us!
Matt Gnojek, dressed as a character he calls Colorado Captain, holds a sign in support of World Refugee Day. (Daniel Sauvé)
Coloradans from across the globe gathered on the steps of the State Capitol in downtown Denver yesterday to celebrate World Refugee Day, a time to honor the millions of refugees and displaced people around the world.
Participants danced to the beat of Montbello High School’s drum line and held signs welcoming refugees. They prayed together for peace. A flashmob performed a Bollywood-style dance.
Throughout the event, a variety of speakers took to the podium to address the crowd. Travis Weiner, an Iraq veteran, gave a powerful argument for the admittance of refugees into the United States.
“I participated in the Iraq War for two years, and that war, more than anything else, is responsible for the massive humanitarian crisis we see in that country today,” he explained. “Iraqi and Middle Eastern refugees are fleeing governmental collapse and humanitarian catastrophe capitalized on by ISIS that would not have occurred if we had not intervened in the first place.”
Weiner added, “As a nation, we can never replay them and those like them for what we have done to their homeland, but the least we can do is allow them to start over in this country.”
Gov. John Hickenlooper also spoke, reading a proclamation in which he noted the resiliency of the refugee community. Since 1980, he said, Colorado has welcomed more than 57,000 refugees from dozens of countries.
Photographer Daniel Sauvé brought his camera to capture the highlights of the day.
Toluwanimi Obiwole, former Denver Youth Poet Laureate, recites poetry at a celebration of World Refugee Day in Denver. (Daniel Sauvé)
Coloradans gather to honor millions of refugees world wide as part of a global celebration of World Refugee Day. (Daniel Sauvé)
Deepali Linbdlom leads World Refugee Day attendees in a dance. (Daniel Sauvé)
Maytham Alshadood looks out from the capitol steps before addressing the crowd at World Refugee Day in Denver. (Daniel Sauvé)
Coloradans gather at the state capitol in Denver on June 17, 2017 to honor millions of refugees worldwide as part of a global celebration of World Refugee Day. (Photo credit: Daniel Sauvé)
Gov. John Hickenlooper reads a proclamation proclaiming June 20, 2017 World Refugee Day in Colorado. (Daniel Sauvé)
Coloradans gather to honor millions of refugees world wide as part of a global celebration of World Refugee Day. (Daniel Sauvé)
Coloradans gather to honor millions of refugees world wide as part of a global celebration of World Refugee Day. (Daniel Sauvé)
Coloradans gather to honor millions of refugees world wide as part of a global celebration of World Refugee Day. (Daniel Sauvé)
Coloradans gather to honor millions of refugees world wide as part of a global celebration of World Refugee Day. (Daniel Sauvé)
Coloradans gather to honor millions of refugees world wide as part of a global celebration of World Refugee Day. (Daniel Sauvé)
Matt Gnojek, dressed as a character he calls Colorado Captain, holds a sign in support of World Refugee Day. (Daniel Sauvé)
All photos by Daniel Sauvé.
1 COMMENT
Thanks for your wonderfull and great heart for refugees.continue to pray for them the are suffering too much, you can not imagine the life the live, please let us pray for tahrir resettlement in the name of Jesus Christ!!! Amen!!
Thanks for your wonderfull and great heart for refugees.continue to pray for them the are suffering too much, you can not imagine the life the live, please let us pray for tahrir resettlement in the name of Jesus Christ!!! Amen!!
Be blessed