At the Aug. 25 public comment session, Shane Wittstruck, speaking for Community United in Solidarity with Palestine and the Colorado Palestine Lobby and Advocacy Network, reported multiple protests at the Tabor Center — where the company Palantir is headquartered in Denver — and urged council members to oppose proposed state-level AI deregulation and to back transparency legislation.

Wittstruck told the council that “last week at the Tabor Center, where Palantir is headquartered in Denver, there were 3 protests. 3 protests in 1 week,” and said protesters marched as far as five miles through the city after one demonstration. He urged council members to engage with state legislators on bills he said would deregulate AI, referencing a House bill he named as “HB108” and urging support for a bill he called the “AI Sunshine Act” (Senate Bill 4 in his remarks).

Wittstruck also raised immigration enforcement concerns, saying that ICE uses Palantir’s technology to “track and target immigrants,” and he referenced Jeanette Vizguerra, whom he said has been detained in the Aurora ICE facility. He urged the council to consider the local implications of investments and contracts tied to surveillance technology and to prioritize funding for local priorities such as city workers, harm reduction and housing rather than investments he described as linked to global violence.

Discussion only: remarks were made during public comment and did not lead to a formal council motion or vote during this meeting.

Requests and direction sought: Wittstruck asked council members to (1) oppose state legislation he described as deregulating AI (he referenced a House bill he called HB108), (2) support transparency legislation he called the AI Sunshine Act (Senate Bill 4), and (3) reconsider city investments he described as tied to Palantir or surveillance technologies.

Clarifying note: Wittstruck’s statements about Palantir’s specific contracts, about ICE’s use of particular technologies and about the status of named bills are declarations by a public commenter and should be verified against official contract and legislative records.

Next steps: No council action was reported in the hearing; the speaker encouraged constituents to contact state legislators and said local leadership should take a stand on AI oversight and investment policies.