Some of Colorado’s progressive legislators distanced themselves from the Denver Democratic Socialists of America, which on Saturday said it “unequivocally stands” with Palestine in its “fight for liberation from the apartheid regime of Israel.”

The group posted its position exactly a week after Hamas, a group on America’s terror list, attacked Israel, killing an estimated 1,400 people. The group also captured at least 155 others, including children. Retaliatory strikes by Israel killed nearly 2,670 Palestinians.

Rep. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver, and Rep. Lorena Garcia, D-Adams County, said they’re disappointed in the group’s position.  

“And I reject it in the strongest possible terms,” Mabrey said. “I deeply believe that we must reject violence and terrorism in all of its forms and that each of us had a duty to appreciate the fundamental value of all human life.”

Mabrey said the “horrific actions of Hamas, the murder, hostage taking, and brutalization of innocent civilians can never be justified.”

“We can recognize that, while also condemning the brutality of the Israeli response – the collective punishment and killing of Palestinians all while calling for an end to the oppression of the Palestinian people,” he added.   

Garcia echoed the sentiment, saying she’s saddened by the group’s stance.

“As an organization that works towards a society free of exploitation and oppression, this statement does not reflect its values,” Garcia said. “Violence is exploitation and oppression and all violence should be rejected.”

In the wake of the attack on Israel by Hamas, many of Colorado’s legislators and other officials condemned the incursion into Israel. Some expressed unequivocal solidarity with Israel, while others included condemnation for the Israeli government’s previous actions, while also condemning Hamas’ violence. 

In an earlier post on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, Mabrey said, “We can condemn these horrible actions and we can do this while calling for an end of the oppression and occupation of the Palestine and while condemning the killing of Palestinian civilians resulting from the response.”

Sen. Nick Hinrichsen wrote: “The actions of the Netanyahu regime over the last 14 years have made Israel less democratic, has been unjust and oppressive towards the people of Palestine,” adding, “None of that justifies the terrorist actions of Hamas.”

Newly-appointed Rep. Tim Hernández faced a backlash for attending a rally advertised as “in support of Palestinian resistance in Gaza.” A flyer for the event read, “resistance is justified when people are occupied,” referring to territories captured and occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967, including the West Bank and Gaza Strip.  

Hernández later apologized. In a video posted on his account on Friday afternoon, Hernandez also condemned Hamas for attacking civilians and said he was sorry for his actions.

“People who are harmed and suffering deserve our respect and I have to apologize for the way that I caused harm in the community by not making that explicitly clear,” Hernandez said.

In a statement, the Denver Democratic Socialists of America blamed Israel for the conflict, saying “border walls, military checkpoints and crippling sanctions … and routine bombings are the material conditions that Palestinians have been forced to live under for over 75 years.”

“The path to liberation must include ceasing all U.S. aid to Israel, lifting the blockade of Gaza, ending Zionist settler-colonialism, and ensuring the right for Palestinians to return to their homeland,” the group said. 

The group, which has made significant political inroads into Colorado’s political landscape over the last several years, said “bloodshed is a universal tragedy.”

“But under apartheid and occupation, some lives are deemed more precious than others. The negative blowback of apartheid should come as no shock; people who are oppressed will perpetually seek ways to free themselves from that oppression,” the group said. “The murder of Palestinians has been a systemically invisibilized occurrence for decades. When Palestinians quietly suffer the daily violence inflicted on them, the West calls that ‘peace.'”

The group urged elected officials it endorsed during campaigns to adopt its position “in support of Palestinian people’s right to resist” and called on chapters to “stand with the people of Palestine and organize turn-out to local demonstrations.”