Students gathered around the UMC fountain on Monday in protest of the recognition of Columbus Day.
The protesters lay down in completely black clothing as a representation of the deaths caused by Christopher Columbus, according to CU graduate student Jason Romero, 21, the creator of today’s protest.
They also handed out fliers and buttons and talked to students.
Romero added that the purpose of the protest is to end the federal recognition of Columbus Day, and to acknowledge the people who populated America before Columbus arrived.
“Right now we’re trying to make people aware and spread the word, because a lot of people hear about Columbus Day, but he isn’t this great discoverer,” Romero said. “He started a genocide in this great nation. We’re told that he discovered this country, but there were indigenous people here before that.”
“The nation was built on accepting people but here’s someone who killed people and raped women,” senior business major and protester Luis Morales, 22, said.
“There are usually protests that go on throughout the state, and we’ve heard about it happen in years past at CU, but this is the first time we’ve decided to bring it back to CU,” said junior history major Cibonet Salazar, 21.
The protesters are made up of a collection of multicultural and politically active student groups on campus. The groups in particular prefer to remain anonymous.
“Columbus Day directly affected multicultural people more,” Salazar said.
The protesters have no formal group or name, and do not have any direct affiliation with the school.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Danielle Meltz at Danielle.Meltz@colorado.edu, twitter/justmeltz.
