Here4TheKids Wraps Up Gun Protests in Colorado, Takes Aim at Other States

But the group’s efforts are far from over.

On Wednesday, June 7, members of its white activist horde again called on Governor Jared Polis to sign an executive order banning guns statewide — a demand that they intend to take to the 49 other American states.

“This is a national action with a state-by-state strategy, starting with Colorado,” says Here4TheKids founder Saira Rao.

While Polis swatted down the request, the movement credits itself with starting a national conversation about taking a bolder approach to curb the country’s decades-long gun violence.

On the morning of June 8, California governor Gavin Newsom proposed that a 28th amendment be added to the United States Constitution to deal with the gun violence crisis once and for all. In an Instagram post following the announcement, Here4TheKids called the timing of Newsom’s proposal — in the wake of the group’s three-day protest and extensive media coverage — “no coincidence.”

“The 28th Amendment will enshrine in the Constitution common sense gun safety measures that Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and gun owners overwhelmingly support — while leaving the 2nd Amendment unchanged and respecting America’s gun-owning tradition,” Newsom said in a statement announcing his proposal. His office did not respond to a request for comment on whether or not Here4TheKids had played a role.

The first day of the demonstration, June 5, saw a turnout of roughly 1,000 people — a significant number, but far lower than the thousands the group’s organizers had hoped to see. The protesters did not obtain an event permit to demonstrate on the west steps of the Capitol.

“We weren’t asking for permission,” Rao says.

Her strategy in creating Here4TheKids was to use white women — a demographic she describes as having “the most power in the country” and “the most privilege” — to go after gun rights in ways that would get ignored if pursued by minorities, she says.

Rao and other Here4TheKids leaders asked minority activists not to go to the June 5 demonstration as a matter of safety, according to Rao, who also stayed behind because she is not white. She says she doesn’t know if the fact that the majority of the protesters were white women ultimately prevented police from getting involved, but notes that “it couldn’t have hurt.”

“We know that white women are the most protected class,” she adds.

A spokesperson for the Colorado State Patrol, which watches over the State Capitol, tells Westword that the group was not doing anything that warranted policing. “As long as they’re not being destructive or destroying any type of property, they still are allowed to be there,” said the spokesperson, who adds that had the protest gotten rowdy, the CSP would have gotten involved..

Because of the lack of incidents on June 5, Here4TheKids invited activists of all skin colors to attend the later rallies. “It [felt] very safe for everybody, and that’s why we went down there ourselves,” Rao says,  referring to herself and Here4TheKids co-founder Tina Strawn.

Among those who showed up this week was actress Lake Bell, known for creating and starring in the TV series Bless This Mess. “I am a staunch supporter of the work that she does,” Bell says of Rao, adding that the strategy of Here4TheKids “felt logical.”

Bell recalls how she learned of Rao after reading her book, White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better, which Rao co-authored with her business partner, Regina Jackson.

“That was pretty indelible for me,” Bell says. “I actually just reached out to Saira, like cold-called her, and said, ‘I love the book and what you’re doing. Let me know how I can help.'”

In late March, Rao called Bell and asked her to be involved with Here4TheKids. Bell began spreading the word about the movement on social media and among her personal circle.

Other celebrities who have shouted out the cause include Seinfeld and Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, comedian Amy Schumer, Community cast member Yvette Nicole Brown and former Saturday Night Live cast member Michaela Watkins.

In a newsletter sent to members of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, a pro-gun rights lobbying group, executive director Taylor Rhodes called the protests a “hilarious” failure.

“After spending thousands of dollars, knocking on countless doors for months, having the media give them ample coverage, and even getting Hollywood involved, this group of ‘commie mommies’ couldn’t even turn out enough ‘woke white women’ for a Karl Marx book club, let alone a political rally that would, in theory, repeal the Second Amendment,” Rhodes wrote.

Rao says Here4TheKids chose Colorado as the starting point for its national movement because guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens here — and because of her personal connections to the state.

The anti-gun advocate ran for Congress in 2018 in the Democratic primary against U.S. Representative Diana DeGette. After losing against the longtime incumbent, she started Race2Dinner — an organization through which Rao and Jackson host expensive dinner parties where they confront groups of white women about their conscious or subconscious complicity in white supremacy and teach them how to abandon their racism.

Rao has garnered a large following over the years through both her congressional run and her Race2Dinner endeavor. Rao used that support to kick-start the launch of Here4TheKids in March.

Polis staunchly refused to sign the executive order proposed by Here4TheKids, calling it “simply unconstitutional.” But the group will not be deterred.

“It’s an endurance race,” Bell concludes.