ASHE IN AMERICA
— OPINION
It began with a text message on a Monday at the end of August. A friend sent me a flyer for an “ICE OUT” protest — a statewide walk out of schools.
Promoted and amplified on known agitator Reddit groups, the screengrabs and flyers and discussions that began circulating featured communist adults discussing their plans to show up to be with the kids.
My youngest son is still in high school, so my interest was parental, not journalistic.
As I was trying to get the facts on what was planned, the number of schools ticked rapidly upward. 69 schools were participating…then 75…then 100…160…
There were student walkout protests during the 2025-2026 school year, and the districts were caught off guard. There were also rumors that some Colorado teachers were offering students extra credit for participation during that effort.
It will surprise no one that, as a parent, I would absolutely press for criminal charges against teachers that incentivize children to become communists (or any other pseudo political religious cult). That’s literally contributing to the delinquency of a minor and abusing a position of societal trust.
Libs of TikTok posted a list of the schools on their social feed, so I checked; my son’s school was on it.
I called the school district first, and I spoke with the receptionist. She had no idea about any protests and sent me to the mailbox for the communications department. I left a message. No one called back.
I called the school. The school staff was also completely unaware of the planned walkout, but they were thankful for the heads up, asked me to email the flyers and posts, and grateful for the time to prepare. It was Monday and the protests were scheduled for Friday.
Throughout the week, the protests were amplified by supporters and critics alike, and several local journalists shared plans to cover the events. Parent groups also organized efforts to observe.
I did not plan to attend. Again, I wasn’t paying attention to this story for journalistic reasons. I was solely focused on if and how it would impact my child. I talked to him throughout the week, and we made a plan. His day was uneventful.
On paper, the event was coordinated by the “Colorado Youth Coalition.” Based on eyewitnesses and assault victims on the ground, the event appeared organized by multiple adult-led communist nongovernmental organizations.
The stage and sound set up for the event, which was witnessed and recorded by freelance cameraman Jorge (@jorgeshottakis), was executed by the Revolutionary Communists of America. They wore RCA shirts during set up. Here they are around that time on the morning of the protest (Photo credit: @jorgeshottakis):
The Denver Communists also appeared to play a leading role in communications and amplification, based on screenshots of the event’s “collaborators” shared by Corey (@Break theChainsM). Other collaborator groups identified included the Brown Berets, No Camps, Pulse Colorado, and General Strike US.
When I learned what went on in Denver, my parental concern evolved into anti-communist anger. In Denver, the kids turned violent.
Both Jorge and Corey joined my show, Culture of Change, on Badlands Media on Monday September 7, where they shared their personal experiences and videos of the events — and of the attacks.
That’s right — attacks.
During the “student protest,” both men found themselves on the ground being kicked and punched and otherwise assaulted by a mob of high school students. Corey had some of his camera equipment stolen. Jorge, a cameraman, only has video of himself being viciously kicked on the ground because the Youth Coalition recorded their attack and posted it on social media.
Corey’s video captured a blonde adult woman appearing to incite the student protesters into the violent mob. She can be seen jumping and waving the kids off the sidewalk, at which point they charge across the street and physically assault the journalists and counter protestors.
The woman was later identified by Jorge, who recorded and posted video of Wayne’s Word Pod interviewing her at the event, sharing, “The woman in black who waved the kids in to attack @MissyMurdrem2 and @BreakTheChainsM is 22-year-old Emma Landis according to Emma Landis. This is the woman who was shot in the foot outside an Aurora ICE facility.” Landis confirms on the video that she is the person that was shot.
Missy is a first generation American who is actively engaged in immigration and second amendment civics. She was the main target of the physical violence, according to the witnesses and videos.
On September 9, after becoming aware that the victims of the violent student mob included his constituents, Rep Jeff Crank (CO-05) referred the matter to the DOJ for criminal investigation, sharing the letter on X and saying, “Multiple journalists and counterprotestors, including some of my constituents from Colorado’s Fifth District, were assaulted & sustained serious injuries. Freedom of speech doesn’t allow you to assault those you disagree with.”
Also, on September 9, President Trump spoke at the first ever “midterm convention,” and said, “Remember during the last state of the Union, I said, ‘our country will never be a socialist country.’ I was right, it’s going to be a communist country.”
The communists certainly hope so. Landis was shot at an ICE facility, and she’s on video, actively inciting Colorado children to follow in her footsteps. Adults are working to poison the minds of children and convince them to engage in violence to achieve the revolution.
And they are.
Children are engaging in violence to achieve a communist revolution.
Where have we seen this before?
History’s Red Guards didn’t start as a movement. They started as this — scattered and chaotic groups, testing boundaries and moving lines.
In Mao’s China, they were children.
Every parent with kids in Colorado public schools should read up on Mao’s Red Guard. Call it homework.
Past is prelude.
Ashe Epp is a local writer, host, and activist. Find all her work, including playlist for the Culture of Change show mentioned in this article, at linktree.com/asheinamerica.
