🦄 Land & Housing, Racism & Far-Right

Denver Refuses to Negotiate, Sweeps Indigenous Encampment

Denver, CO – Under the hardline stance of Mayor Michael Hancock, Denver continues to sweep unhoused encampments—more than 80 this year alone—ignoring countless requests from unhoused residents and their advocates to stop, and refusing to negotiate any alternatives. Outside the Four Winds American Indian Council…

🦄 Community, COVID-19

Denver Sweeps 300+ Tent Encampment Residents

Denver, CO – The largest tent encampment in the city, which sprung up in October 2019, is being cleared early Monday morning as about 60 advocates protest the move.

Unicorn Riot is on-the-ground covering the sweep, with live coverage starting at 5AM.

Residents at the…

🦄 Protest & Direct Action

Unhoused Residents Find Refuge at Downtown Vigil

Denver, CO – A four-day Race and Homelessness Vigil began early Wednesday morning opposite the Denver City and County Building. It began primarily as a space to educate the local community on how Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are disproportionately affected by houselessness,…

🦄 Racism & Far-Right

Bringing Poor People Back to the Forefront on MLK Day

Denver, CO – On January 20, 1986, the first nationwide celebrations took place in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., nearly 20 years after his assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. This year on the 35th annual celebration of Dr. King, the…

🦄 Social Control

Denver’s ‘Right to Survive’ Ballot Initiative Voted Down

Denver, CO – The contentious ballot initiative 300, or Right to Survive, was voted down in Tuesday’s municipal elections with 81% of votes being against the ballot question. The initiative would have effectively repealed the Unauthorized Camping Ordinance (camping ban) passed in 2012, which criminalizes…

🦄 Investigative

Denver Paid Clean-Up Company $400,000 to Help in Houseless Sweeps

Denver, CO – For at least two years, the city of Denver has been contracting Custom Environmental Services, Inc. (CES) to assist in clearing out camps of people without housing. Unicorn Riot filed Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) requests and received about 50 invoices sent…

🦄 Social Control

New Initiative Pursues Human Rights for All in Denver

Denver, CO – Over the past six months, with the direction of Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL), community members gathered nearly 10,000 petition signatures to get the Denver Right to Survive Initiative on the city’s May 2019 municipal ballot.
The ballot initiative asks:
“Shall the…