Activist Sues Colorado Police Over Seized Projector Used in Anti-ICE Protest
Lawsuit alleges officers violated free speech rights by confiscating equipment used to project political messages onto state judicial building
DENVER — A Colorado activist has filed a lawsuit against state troopers and Denver police officers, alleging they violated his constitutional rights by seizing a projector used to display anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement messages during a protest and refusing to return it months after charges against him were dismissed.
Trevor Ycas filed the lawsuit in Denver District Court, claiming law enforcement officers unlawfully confiscated his projector after he projected political slogans onto the Ralph L. Carr Judicial Center during an evening demonstration in January.
According to the complaint, Ycas used a portable theatrical projector from a public park adjacent to the judicial complex to display messages including “ABOLISH I.C.E.” and “STOP I.C.E. MURDERS” on the exterior of the building during a protest against federal immigration enforcement policies.
The lawsuit alleges Colorado State Patrol troopers ordered Ycas to stop projecting the messages before Denver police officers arrived and cited him under a municipal ordinance regulating the use of lights for advertising and display purposes. Officers then seized the projector, which Ycas says is worth approximately $2,000.
Charges dismissed, property still held
The municipal citation was dismissed in March, according to the complaint. But Ycas alleges the Denver Police Department has continued to retain the projector despite repeated requests for its return and the absence of any ongoing criminal case.
His attorneys argue that the continued retention of the equipment amounts to an ongoing restriction on his ability to engage in protected political expression.
The lawsuit contends that the advertising ordinance cited by officers was never intended to apply to political speech and that law enforcement targeted Ycas because of the content of his message rather than any legitimate public safety concern.
Attorney Andy McNulty, who represents Ycas, argues in the complaint that the projection was directed at an unoccupied government building during evening hours and did not interfere with traffic or public access.
Free speech claims at center of dispute
The complaint names several Denver Police Department officers and Colorado State Patrol troopers in both their individual and official capacities.
Ycas asserts five claims under the Colorado Constitution, including violations of free speech rights, retaliation for protected expression, unreasonable search and seizure, infringement of the right to petition the government, and malicious prosecution.
The lawsuit also challenges the city's application of the municipal ordinance, arguing it was used in a manner that discriminated against political viewpoints.
Civil liberties advocates have increasingly focused on projection protests in recent years, a form of demonstration that allows activists to display messages on buildings without physically altering property.
Lawsuit seeks return of projector and policy changes
In addition to damages, Ycas is seeking a court order requiring the immediate return of the projector and a declaration that the ordinance is unconstitutional as applied to political projections. He is also requesting policy reforms and additional training for law enforcement officers regarding protected speech activities.
The Colorado State Patrol referred questions about the lawsuit to Denver officials. The Denver City Attorney’s Office declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
The case now presents a broader question likely to resonate beyond Colorado: whether projecting political messages onto public buildings constitutes protected speech and, if so, how far law enforcement can go in restricting that expression.