DENVER — Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said he will encourage people to protest President-elect Trump’s planned deportations in Colorado and is willing to go to jail to stop efforts made by the future president that he believes are illegal or wrong. 
Johnston is also walking back his comments this week made to Denverite about sending Denver Police officers to the county line to stop federal forces from coming in.
“More than us having DPD stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there,” Johnston told Denverite. “It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment with the rose and the gun, right? You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants. And you do not want to mess with them.”
In an interview with 9NEWS on Friday, Johnston walked those claims back. 
“Would I have taken it back if I could? Yes, I probably wouldn’t have used that image,” Johnston said. “That’s the image I hope we can avoid. What I was trying to say is this is an outcome I hope we can avoid in this country. I think none of us want that.”
Johnston believes that Denver residents will participate in civil disobedience if Trump moves forward with his campaign promises to deport illegal immigrants. In cases where Johnston believes the future commander-in-chief is wrong or performing something that is illegal, the mayor says he is willing to go to jail to stand up against it.
WATCH: Full interview with Mayor Mike Johnston
“Would you be willing to go out and protest these things?” 9NEWS Reporter Marc Sallinger asked Johnston. 
“I would if I believed that our residents are having their rights violated,” Johnston said. “I think things are happening that are illegal or immoral or un-American in our city, I would certainly protest it, and I would expect other residents would do the same.”
“Trump’s new border czar, Tom Homan, has said that he is willing to arrest leaders like yourself for standing in the way of these policies that they want to enact. Would you be willing to go to jail for these things?” Sallinger asked.
“Yeah, I’m not afraid of that, and I’m also not seeking that,” Johnston said. “I think the goal is we want to be able to negotiate with reasonable people how to solve hard problems.”
The mayor said he would encourage people to protest. 
“I think we’re gonna look at every option,” Johnston said. “But, yeah. I talked to some high school kids this week who were terrified about this. I don’t think those kids are gonna stand there and watch three of their classmates get pulled out of a history class while the other 27 stand by and do nothing. I don’t think that’s what Denverites or Americans would do in this context at all.”
Johnston said he is not opposed to all deportations but fears people who have committed no crimes in the United States other than being in the country illegally will be targeted. 
“I think our line is clear,” Johnston said. “We think if you are a violent criminal that is committing serious crimes like murder or rape in Denver, you should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and you should be deported. We support that, we have always supported that, we’ll continue supporting, that we’ve worked with previous administrations on that we will do it going forward.”
9NEWS asked the mayor several times what his plan is on day one if federal forces or national guardsmen from other states show up in Colorado. He said right now there is no plan, but city leaders are hoping to come up with one before the inauguration in January.