DNC Protesters: We're Being Treated Like Prisoners

DENVER — Police in riot gear on Monday turned pepper spray on protesters about a mile from the site of the Democratic National Convention.

The confrontation occurred in the early evening in front of the Denver City and County Building. It's believed to be the first time police used any kind of force against protesters.

Authorities say police were trying to disperse a crowd of about 300 that had disrupted traffic. Police have led at least two people away as the crowd chanted "Let them go!"

Some of the protesters threw bags containing a colored liquid at police.

Police Lt. Ron Saunier says he did not immediately know whether there had been arrests.

He said, "The situation is still very fluid and active."

The flare up came on a day in which the turnout for protests was lower than expected. At one point, in fact, local authorities reopened some Denver traffic lanes sooner than planned. About 12 blocks along two busy streets reopened at around noon on Monday (local time), instead of 3 p.m. as planned. Authorities say they could remain open for the duration of the convention if marches can be accommodated safely.

The Joint Information Center, an emergency-response command set up by the city for the convention, cites "low attendance and parade participation" for the change.

Earlier, a small group of protesters marched to the demonstration zone outside the convention, complaining they were being treated like political prisoners.

Members of Recreate 68 Alliance visited the fenced-off zone for the first time on Monday and vowed not to return because they oppose the limits on where they can demonstrate.

Comments

[dfletcher]

*Raises whisky glass* 300 protesters? That's nothing...

Let's hope the Ron Paul maniacs manage to smash up the RNC. ;-)

[Bobrobert]

OOPS

All my freedoms have been taken away.

Funny - I can't think of any freedom that has been taken away.

OH.

Winny and Wimpy want to go out and play but need excuses to complain so they can print stuff on the internet.

Remember to vote all.

[milo9]

Bobbybob, you have no understanding of freedom and hence have no need for it.

Anybody who looks at our country after eight years of Republican rule and does not understand the anger that fuels these demonstration, would be quite content under the totalitarian control that the Republicans have in mind.

[Bobrobert]

Protest - the American way.

After they restart the draft they can join lots of protests.

They already have computer generated draft numbers and lists of folks to mail the first 20,000 letters to.

Good luck kids... the military builds strong woman and men.

:-)

[doctorwang]

"The turnout for protest marches was lower than expected, however, and that led authorities to reopen some Denver traffic lanes sooner than planned on the first day of the Democratic National Convention­."

Hopefully it will stay like this for the remainder of the convention.

[SurrealPumpkin]

Isn't the protest area right next to the media tent? I was watching CNN and could barely hear over the shouts of the crowd. There were a lot of McCain signs waving.

[SurrealPumpkin]

Oops, make that 2 former Presidents, I think Carter will be there as well.

[SurrealPumpkin]

Lets see, one Former President, one Former First Lady, One Former Vice President, One Potential President, One Potential Vice President - sheesh, I can't see why access would be restricted in any way.

[milo9]

This post has brought out more totalitarian righties than the mention of Al Gore and Global Warming.

[V4Vigilance]

At this very moment the McSame Campaign is preparing an ad appealing to these protesters.

Voice-over: John McCain knows something about being a prisoner..­.

[milo9]

Prisoner of War? Who? John McCain? Really! Wow!

[Heru1]

Did Recreate 68 just play the POW card?

[jsinclair]

Speaking of prisoners, why is MSNBC stationed a mile from the convention, in front of a handful of supposed PUMAs?

Shouldn't they be on the convention floor, you know, reporting on something IMPORTANT that's actually, you know, HAPPENING???

Chris Matthews describing 20 pro-Hillary anti Obama women chanting vs. 20 pro-Hillary pro-Obama women a "civil war" was just about the most ludicrous coverage I've seen...eve­r!

I expect The Daily Show will have a field day with the idiotic media in Denver. (And hopefully won't forget to mock CNN and Blitzer who I occasionally turn to just to see how many times I can find him in the middle of a pro-Hillary, anti-Barack comment. So far, he's batting 1000!)

[wdw101]

nothing is happening inside....­.......

[SurrealPumpkin]

All the important and boring nuts and bolts are going on now, the stuff you'd think people really upset with the party would be interested in.

[silvertongue]

That's why I turned to CSpan. It's so refreshing. No spin; no commercial breaks; more music. Those of you who're tired of the same old MSM/Cable BS should try switching.

[ultrabop]

Why are they protesting now? The damage has already been done. Eight years of $%#@# and now we get protesters at the DNC?

What's wrong with this picture?

[wdw101]

"Why are they protesting now? " because it is Monday

[milo9]

It's called a start.

[Pastilles]

Prisoners? Give me a break.... If you think you're being treated badly, wait till you all get to the republican convention; they will keep you miles away. They are not as nice as Democrats. Besides, I'm sure Fox will give them all the air time you need. Personally I'd rather watch the convention.

[cruisepuppy7452a]

The RNC is a vile organization. They won't allow anyone ethnic, of even remote color, near thier convention. They are the most extreme of racists I have ever seen. When Romney was running for office I watched how he conducted a supposedly public ralley at D& B"s in St. Louis. A fellow Huffpo writer and I sat and watched as they refused anyone remotely ethnic. It had nothing to do with safety, that wasn't a dangerous facility, not people packing anything more than thier empty stomachs wanting to be fed. It was a family resteraunt, open to the PUBLIC. Like the other GOP idiots, Romney and his people literally put up baracades treating the public(children included) like they were terrorists to be arrested. It was the most blatant, grotesque, display of racism I have ever seen, proof they have no business in office. The idea the conventions are doing this doesn't surprise me, but it scares me the DNC is pulling the same thing. They know better.

[wdw101]

"Personally I'd rather watch the convention­." why?

[cdub1991]

I consider myself a 1st Amendment purist, but the amendment says you have the right to say WHATEVER you want to say without fear or punishment, not that you can say it WHEREVER you want to say it. It seems to me that if these folks were really determined to get their message out to the world instead of just making a scene, they would set that as their first priority and plan accordingly. The city is responsible for managing the space for the public interest. (At least I assume it's the City's space) Let them do their jobs and the protesters should concentrate on doing theirs, which is gaining media access and framing their issues effectively. (Still don't know what their issues are.)

Man, I must be getting old...

[dogman44]

Peaceful demonstrations don't get much media coverage anymore. Even large ones. I think
it has something to do with the right wing owned "liberal media". The thing to do is not enter
the "for your safety" protest area, and fight back if they try to force you into it. Article 1 of The
Bill of rights places no limits on where and when people can assemble, nor does it place in
government hands the right to restrict such assemblies according to time or place. I know
that article 1 is talking about peaceful assembly, but in reality any demonstration that
questions government policy will be treated as hostile. I've been at demonstrations that
erupted into rioting. They usually start when police resort to violence to try to make the crowd
disperse

[ShawnMichel]

The blatant hypocrisy of the Limpocrats is that most, like the sheep they are, don't mind, and even defend, the Orwellian-named "freedom cages."

But sheep need to feel secure; they need to be penned and watched over.

That the Limpocrats, at their convention, will speak of freedom is a grotesque joke.

It's why I'm voting for Cynthia McKinney, Green Party, come November. Because in reality, and at core, there is no difference between John McCan't and Obama.

Wake up, idiots. (That includes you, the person reading this.) It's far, far later than you think.

[Heru1]

I'm glad they made a barbed wired warehouse for you ignint tr0lls in Denver.

[JohnFromCensornati]

Your comment is redundant. All you've done is confirm what ShawnMichel said.

[kinnycut]

You wake up idiot. You are throwing your vote down a black hole. Around any political event this large and with this kind of excitement solid security measures must be taken. These kinds of events are a an absolute nightmare for our Secret Service alone, not to mention the massive burden put on local authorities in Denver. They can't leave nothing to chance.

[wdw101]

true......­...but McCain is a little less left leaning...­...Mckinne­y will not even get 1%

[SurrealPumpkin]

Since you don't know me you are out of line calling me an idiot. I will not return the favor. However, how much effort is being put into politics at the local level? The city selectmen, county commissioners, state reps and senators, federal reps and senators, governors what is the Green Party doing to develop local participation?

The Green party has something important to say and could be a strong voice, but the base has to be built up first.

[going2ireland]

Nobody's reading it. Nothing worth reading in there.