1. Colorado Springs Democratic Socialists of America (COS DSA / Springs DSA)

• What it is: The local chapter of the national Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the largest socialist organization in the U.S. It is a membership-based activist and organizing group focused on building working-class power for economic and political equity.
• What they do:
  • Run committees and working groups, including: Labor/Workers’ Solidarity Project (supports unions, hosts labor organizing workshops); Political Education/People’s Academy (socialist theory, history, and skills education events); Electoral Working Group (canvassing, direct action, and pushing policies like social housing, Medicare for All, and Green New Deal); Internationalist Working Group (focuses on Palestine solidarity and migrant rights); plus others on socialist feminism, disability rights, AfroSocialists/Socialists of Color, tech, membership/comms, and a Pueblo Working Group.
  • Public actions: Testify at city council on poverty reduction, justice for Club Q victims, ending police brutality, and defunding aspects of the carceral state; oppose police infiltration of leftist groups (including a petition and Indy article); passed an anti-Zionist resolution for the chapter.
  • Community and electoral work, mutual aid ties, and collaboration with other local left groups.

Related: UCCS Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) — the student chapter at University of Colorado Colorado Springs. It focuses on campus issues like student/employee rights and works in tandem with the adult COS DSA chapter.

2. Central Colorado Chapter of the Socialist Rifle Association (CenCO SRA)

• What it is: Local chapter of the national Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), a multi-tendency (social democrats, communists, anarchists, etc.) working-class organization explicitly dedicated to socialist principles of community self-defense.
• What they do:
  • Firearm safety and training: Range days, workshops on safe handling/use of firearms for personal and community defense.
  • Broader community defense skills: First aid (“Stop the Bleed”), disaster relief training, medicine, and agriculture education.
  • Mutual aid: Coordinate with other local leftist groups to support communities; volunteer and build connections between radicals and unorganized working-class/poor neighborhoods.
  • Emphasis on opposing all forms of oppression while upholding working-class rights to arms and self/community protection.
• Relevance to Colorado Springs: Covers Central Colorado (including the Pikes Peak/Colorado Springs area). Membership-based with range access and events.

3. Colorado Springs People’s Coalition (CSPC)

• What it is: A united leftist/people’s coalition and activist group in Colorado Springs focused on grassroots protests, demands for accountability, and progressive/leftist causes.
• What they do:
  • Organize rallies, protests, and public actions (e.g., ceasefire resolutions at city hall, protests against political figures like Kamala Harris, demands for police transparency after incidents like shootings or nightclub operations, and advocacy days at the state capitol).
  • Push for community issues like ending certain police policies, transparency, and broader social justice.
• How to engage: Active on social media and in local demonstrations; described in some contexts as a “united leftist front.”

4. Chinook Center

• What it is: A progressive community space and organizing hub (not a single membership group) in southeast Colorado Springs that serves as a physical home for many left-wing activists and organizations in the Pikes Peak region.
• What they do:
  • Provide meeting space, resources, and support for grassroots groups working on social, economic, and environmental justice (e.g., hosts COS DSA meetings, Colorado Springs Tenants Union, racial justice organizers, and others).
  • Facilitate mutual aid programs, community events, trainings (e.g., Community Defender Series with ACLU on rights), town halls, and coalition-building.
  • Has faced police surveillance/infiltration allegations (leading to lawsuits), highlighting its role as a key leftist organizing hub.

Food Not Bombs – Colorado Springs Chapter

• What it is: Local chapter of the international Food Not Bombs network, a decentralized anarchist/left-libertarian direct-action group.
• What they do: Recover surplus food and prepare/share free vegan/vegetarian meals publicly on a regular basis to highlight and protest poverty, war, and inequality. It operates as mutual aid with a political message.

About Face: Veterans Against the War (often called About Face Veterans or AFVAW) is an active left-wing anti-militarist veterans’ organization with a strong presence in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It fits into the local socialist/left ecosystem as a radical anti-war group that frequently collaborates with other progressive, socialist, and activist organizations in the area (such as the Colorado Springs People’s Coalition / COSAARPR, Freedom Road Socialist Organization events, Pikes Peak Justice & Peace Commission, and broader protests at City Hall).

What It Is

• National organization founded in 2004 as Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW).
• Renamed About Face: Veterans Against the War to broaden its scope beyond Iraq to oppose all U.S. “endless wars,” militarism, and the domestic impacts of military culture.
• Membership is open to post-9/11 veterans, active-duty service members, National Guard, and reservists (proof of service required). It draws from the legacy of groups like Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
• Core ideology: Anti-imperialist and anti-militarist, focusing on how permanent war abroad connects to militarization, police tactics, and inequality at home. It emphasizes exposing war profiteering, the human cost of U.S. foreign policy, and supporting veterans harmed by these policies.

What They Do in Colorado Springs / Colorado

• Anti-war organizing and protests: Regularly participate in or co-organize demonstrations against U.S. military actions (e.g., protests against potential war with Iran or Venezuela, delivering letters to local representatives like Rep. Jeff Crank in Colorado Springs, speaking at City Hall rallies). Members often share personal testimonies from deployments in Iraq or Afghanistan to critique U.S. imperialism.
• Direct action and public pressure: Letter deliveries to elected officials, vigils, coalition events, and speaking at larger protests (sometimes alongside hundreds or over 1,000 people at Colorado Springs City Hall).
• Collaboration with local left groups: They endorse and join actions with other Colorado Springs leftist organizations, including socialist-aligned groups, mutual aid efforts, and racial justice coalitions. Examples include joint protests with FRSO, 50501, and anti-repression alliances.
• Veterans’ support and education: Connect the realities of war to community issues; provide a space for post-9/11 vets to organize and heal through activism rather than traditional veteran service models. They link overseas militarism to domestic problems like police militarization.
• Colorado chapter activity: The state-level group (About Face: Veterans Against The War – Colorado) is active in the Pikes Peak region. They maintain a visible presence through social media and street actions.

50501 Colorado Springs is the local chapter of the national 50501 movement (“50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement”), a progressive grassroots effort that started in early 2025 on Reddit. It focuses on nonviolent protests, education, direct action, and coalition-building against perceived authoritarian policies (especially related to the second Trump administration).

50501cos.com Overall Structure (National and Local)The entire 50501 movement is decentralized and grassroots. There is no central top-down leadership or professional organizers at the national level — it’s described as “people-powered” and volunteer-driven by “neighbors, not professionals or politicians.”

• Local chapters (like the one in Colorado Springs) operate independently.
• They handle their own logistics for protests on national action days (e.g., permits, speakers, volunteers, music/art).
• They build coalitions with other local groups focused on democracy, climate, LGBTQ+ rights, education, immigration, etc.
• Decision-making is collective and bottom-up; anyone can get involved without needing “permission.”

This setup allows flexibility but means events can vary by location and may overlap with other resistance groups.How 50501 Is Organized in Colorado Springs SpecificallyThe Colorado Springs chapter (often called 50501COS) is a volunteer-led local group. It describes itself as:

• Training, mobilizing, and showing up for protests and mutual aid in El Paso County.
• Building collective power through protests, education, direct action, and partnerships.
• Focused on “defending democracy, justice, and community” while emphasizing that every voice counts. 50501cos.com

Key details:

• It’s explicitly decentralized and non-hierarchical — no prominent single leaders or figureheads are highlighted publicly.
• Activities include organizing rallies (often at City Hall or Acacia Park), participating in national days of action, and local efforts like mutual aid (food/housing support).
• They coordinate with broader Colorado 50501 efforts and sometimes partner with groups like Indivisible or other activist collectives.

Indivisible Colorado Springs (often abbreviated as Indivisible COS or Indivisible CS) is a local grassroots chapter of the national Indivisible movement. It focuses on progressive advocacy, defending democracy, and organizing community action against policies associated with the Trump administration and Project 2025.

indivisiblecoloradosprings.orgMission and FocusThe group describes itself as a grassroots community advocacy organization that empowers people through education, collaboration, and action. Its mission emphasizes connecting locals to create positive progressive change at the local, state, and national levels. Key areas include:

• Democracy protection
• Elections and voting rights
• Civil & human rights (including anti-racism, LGBTQIA+, women’s rights, BIPOC, Indigenous, and youth issues)
• Environmental/climate action (renewable energy, water quality, wildfire risks)
• International affairs (e.g., NATO, Ukraine/Russia, Israel/Gaza, war and peace)
• Housing, homelessness, and local infrastructure

They stress working as a united front while allowing members to focus on passion-driven “action teams.”

indivisiblecoloradosprings.orgOrganization StructureLike the broader Indivisible network, the Colorado Springs chapter is volunteer-led and grassroots. It is part of Indivisible Colorado, which coordinates multiple local groups across the state. There is no rigid top-down hierarchy — instead, it operates through:

• Action teams focused on specific issues (Democracy, Elections, Human Rights, Climate, etc.)
• Membership levels and an “APA” (likely Action/Participation/Application) sign-up process for getting involved
• Collaborative events with other local progressive groups

It is non-partisan in name but clearly progressive in orientation, often partnering with groups like 50501 Colorado Springs, El Paso County Democrats, and others for joint actions (e.g., “No Kings” rallies and protests).

indivisiblecoloradosprings.orgActivities and EventsIndivisible COS organizes and participates in:

• Rallies and protests (e.g., “No Kings” days of action, bridge protests)
• Educational events and candidate forums
• Community sings (“Resistance Sings COS”)
• Advocacy targeting elected officials
• Local election work (e.g., school board races, midterms)

Comparison to 50501 Colorado Springs
Both groups overlap significantly in Colorado Springs — they often co-host events like “No Kings” protests. However:

• 50501 COS is more protest- and direct-action focused (part of the national 50-states protest movement).
• Indivisible COS has a wider scope: more emphasis on education, issue-specific teams, electoral work, and sustained advocacy.

Many locals participate in both groups, as they complement each other.