Denver Police Have Already Arrested About 100 Protesters

The Associated Press reports that, as of early Tuesday, about 100 people have been arrested following the breakup of a protest by Denver police.

The confrontation erupted Monday night as police in riot gear tried to disperse a crowd of about 300 people that was disrupting traffic near the Denver City and County Building.

Police said they were forced to use pepper spray when members of the crowd, some carrying rocks, rushed a police safety line. But one protester said officers charged the protesters with no warning.

Those arrested faced charges for violating city ordinances including failure to obey a lawful order, obstructing a public roadway and interference.

"The bonds have ben set low enough so that we believe that most people will bond out in a relatively short time," said John Harrison of the Joint Information Center, a command set up by city, state and federal authorities to field media inquiries during the convention.

Harrison said two officers deployed pepper spray during the incident, while another officer shot pepper balls, similar to a paint ball containing pepper spray.

Click here to read the entire story

The American News Project has video of the protest, and the ensuing violence.

Watch:

Comments

[MeanGreenMachine]

Global Oligarchy Project Disinformation Agents agitating to discredit genuine protesters.

Common practice from the '60s; do your homework.

[BannedInBoston]

Makes sense. When I read the story, I became instantly suspicious. Whose interests does this serve?

[MeanGreenMachine]

This makes the Democratic party appear fractured and violent with no respect for the rule of law.

WHO could be behind this? Hmmmm ....

[zitlight73]

I don't see any of the Democratic bigwigs decrying the Orwellian Free Speech Zones or promising to re-enstate habeous corpus. What a sham these supposedly two parties are.

[UnbiasView]

I love how these goofballs push and push and push but when they cross the line and some action is taken they whine and scream like little 5 years olds and of course playing the innocent victim card .

[Destin]

You have quite a biased view for someone with such a nickname. Heck, you might as well just say they should have been shot on the spot since you consider them "leftists".

[UnbiasView]

Not shot at all. Arrested when they step over the line, yes.

You can't just march into something on private property you are not invited to. That is why the police acted.

[realityczech4u]

Unbias, their goal is to goad the police into an incident. If successful, they gain tremendous publicity and sympathy plus it self-fulfills their paranoid delusions of police states, fascism, and oppression. It also gives a push in their direction to the rebellious and unstable who are on the fence but uncommited. Myself, I am grateful to the police for being there. They serve to prevent us from having to resort to vigilantism to maintain our rights.

[4now]

Maybe it was turning 30 recently, but so much of this rhetoric and these tactics seem hopelessly naive, pointless, and even in some cases self-gratifying...

Aren't there more effective/inventive forms of protest and more affective routes to take to resist and speak truth to power?

I'm disappointed with ANP. I actually thought they were a more thoughtful, mature news organization. This seems really typical and decidely un-compelling.

[rhx056]

4now ,

Personally, I don't see a huge difference between Hillary and Barrack. I don't know why these people are protesting Obama when Hillary would be pretty much six of his half dozen. I don't seem to recall her voting AGAINST most of the things they condemn Obama voting FOR.

"Aren't there more effective/inventive forms of protest and more affective routes to take to resist and speak truth to power?"

Well, what would those be? I don't see much else having any real effect. Voting is pointless when all we have to vote is two heads of the same political elite. If anything, I would say their protests are misdirected, but I would say your belief in other measures is misguided. What we really need is MORE people to do what these people did, but for the right causes -- anti-corporation; anti-pollution; anti-Republican, etc.

[mjtaylor22]

didn't u see the movie re count
ALL THESE COMMENTS AND PEOPLE SAYING THEY WON'T SUPPORT THE PARTY THAT SUPPORTS THEIR VALUES AND NEEDS- I DON'T BELIEVE IT... THIS IS A REPUBLICAN SET UP. DEMS ARE NOT THAT DIVIDED. I BELIEVE MANY OF THESE DISSENTING VOICES ARE REPUBLICANS PLAYING LIKE DEMS IN ORDER TO DISRUPT THE PARTY...WATCH OUT PEOPLE, THE REPUGNANTS PLAY FOR KEEPS, AND HAVE PROVEN THEY WILL DO ANYTHING TO REMAIN IN POWER, THEY DID IT WITH THE FLORIDA RECOUNT, KEEPT PEOPLE FROM VOTING IN OHIO IN 2004, AND USE POWER AND MONEY TO BEND AND CONTROL OUR NEWS OUTLETS.YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT

These are Republicans in fake Democratic clothes.

I believe this more and more. My real issue with hits is they don't realize that is the Dems loose the White House the Republicans will completely ignore their cries for equality, the right to choose, equal pay, and universal healthcare. See 47% of single moms don't have healthcare.

[realityczech4u]

Maybe it was turning 30 recently, but so much of this rhetoric and these tactics seem hopelessly naive, pointless, and even in some cases self-gratifying...
---------------------------------
4now - you've grown up. The element that you are addressing never have. From the time daddy told them not to ride the big wheel in the street, or the babysitter scolded them for crayoning on the walls, authority in any form has infuriated them sending them into temper tantrums.

[falco]

This is just a warm up. When the people of this country get their heads wrapped around the fact that the American people are the "enemy", they will all take to the streets. Those of you who don't agree with protesting, once the elections are over and you see that both sides are just mouthing promises to the little people and that our elected officials are really working for the corporations, military industrial complex, and the bankers instead of you, the taxpayer and funder of all the wars, you too will join in. The good news is that there are many many more of us than them.

[UnbiasView]

"American people are the "enemy", they will all take to the streets"

Pretty sure 99% of people understand they can't go anywhere they want to and protest.

[UnbiasView]

The same reason these people can't get close to the conventions are the same reason the potential Obama assains can't get close . . . security for the people attending the convention and I am all for it on the GOP and DNC sides.

[UnbiasView]

Did I see a guy say it was his right to walk down any street and protest any place he wants to?

When did that become a right because I'll walk right into his living room stand in front of his TV and yell at him.

[DeadCivilian]

It became his right when the nation was formed and the Founders wrote it into the Constitution. It's called the First Ammendment, and in case you missed it:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE PEACEABLY TO ASSEMBLE, AND TO PETITION THE GOVERNMENT FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES. "

The DNC, the Colorado police department, Bush, Cheney, nor the Department of Fatherland (er, I mean Homeland) Security have Constitutional grounds to prohibit the free exercise of those rights.

Public space is PUBLIC space and belongs to all Americans, your home is your private property. The Constitution does not guarantee anyone's right to come into your home and shout at you in front of your TV, or do anything else.

The fact that you think redressing grievances in a public space and shouting in someone's home are the same thing is a testament to either your lack of education, lack of understanding or both, impressive in its scope, stunning in its blindness.

[UnbiasView]

"The Constitution does not guarantee anyone's right to come into your home and shout at you in front of your TV, or do anything else."

And throwing rocks at cops is protected where?

And trying to march into a restricted area is protected where?

If you want to let them in, you setup a potential security problem where wackjobs like the guys arrested could cause some damage.

[okjoel]

Protesters: Save it for the GOP.

[BannedInBoston]

I suspect they ARE the GOP....

[UnbiasView]

Did you see them?

[dattexas]

they didn't seem like peaceful protesters.

[UrbanInterloper]

Just a reminder folks, just because you see someone dressed like a "protestor" all scary with a bandana over the face, doesn't mean it was one. Remember 2004?

Just as we saw in New York during the RNC 2004, don't be surprised when you read (in 2009 or 2010) that members of the police force, federal investigators, or private security contractors were actually undercover at the DNC 2008 (as well as the RNC 2008), pretending to be protesters and actually instigating the trouble themselves, just as an excuse to stop what's happening.

Don't think so? Inclined to dismiss documented facts as mere paranoia? Lookey here at the extensive files released by the NYPD upon court order (which includes infiltration of a church):

Document File
Police Surveillance and the 2004 Republican National Convention
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/nyregion/RNC_intel_digests.html

NY police spied on activists before 2004 convention
New York officers posed as activists
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/25/news/protest.php

RNC Aftermath: A Look at Undercover Cops, Preemptive Detention and Police Surveillance
http://www.democracynow.org/2004/9/8/rnc_aftermath_a_look_at_undercover

I don't believe the Dems are responsible for this--the Denver police are--but the Dems should be denouncing it and loudly supporting free speech rights as guaranteed by the Constitution. The Dems should applaud the arrest of jerks with guns and those who commit violence--and simultaneously demand that the other 90+ nonviolent citizens be let go.

[Paul Peete - Huffpost Blogger]

you are on point. I'm from the late sixties, arrested for inciting to riot, the feds infiltrated and pushed the issue. they have to justify the surveillance and the anti riot prep and weapons. nothing new but the Dems need to talk out about it from inside.

[steamboat]

Paul Peete, the Democratic Party big-wigs will not say a word in defense of the protesters or if the Denver Police get rough with these idiot protesters. Its only brutality if there are republicans involved or in the vincinity.

[realityczech4u]

Were you inciting to riot?

[Ramirez]

I just looked at the extensive photo blogging by Zombie. Excellent work. (It's posted at LGF, so no one here will see it, but it is the best.)

Kudos to the Denver Police, who are doing an outstanding job keeping order in these difficult times.

[realityczech4u]

They seem to be doing OK. I'm sure the DPD will be glad when it's over. I doubt they enjoy getting cursed at, stuff thrown at them , etc.

[JohnFromCensornati]

I wonder if your reactions will be the same when the police state cracks down on protesters at the RNC.

[Ramirez]

Even better.

[realityczech4u]

For the "police state" to crack down there would have to be one. Would you rather the public servants go home and the vigilantes take over for them? Before you answer that, remember how many Americans own guns and love nothing better than using them. Myself, I'd rather leave the job to the professionals.

[957]

where were these people and all of us when Bush was invading iraq and tapping phones, this is what america needs is more people taking to the streets. We need to 60's mentally back.

[111]

Bush is still tapping phones but the Dems made it legal.

[MeanGreenMachine]

It means we can tap THEIRS as well.

[SwingingFromCenter]

You know what I find really amusing?

These same people who are crying that the protesters should have been allowed to gather right outside the convention center en masse and who's rights were so "infringed on" because they had to stay 700 yards away to spout off about whatever they were protesting....are the same people who would be yelling for not providing enough security if some nitwit who was in the group at the convention center went and harmed a political official (ex: Those two kids they caught in Aurora last night)

And might I suggest those of you whining LOOK AT A MAP. Yes, you had to stay 700 yards away. Boo frickin' hoo. It just so happened that the closest parcel of public land that could accomodate that many people was 700 yards away (a park). There was nowhere else TO put the protesters unless the city wanted to shut down for a day to allow for protests--and that's just silly.

[j0em0mma]

You clearly feel strongly about this. Too bad you were duped in Seattle and led to believe it was the protesters who were violent there during the WTO. That seems to have colored your view. Yet another victim of propaganda... really sad...

[Xander]

You know, I've read this entire thread. And SFC brings up good points throughout it, and all I've seen you do is attack him without any proof otherwise. One of the two of you is a victim of propaganda, but I don't think it's him.

[realityczech4u]

Could you direct me to a website where I can find the "truth" about Seattle? The Workers World Party, perhaps? ALF? ELF?

[SwingingFromCenter]

You know what I find really amusing?

These same people who are crying that the protesters should have been allowed to gather right outside the convention center en masse and who's rights were so "trampled on" because they had to stay 700 yards away to spout off about whatever they were protesting....are the same people who would be yelling at the Denver PD for not providing enough security if some nitwit who was in the group at the convention center went and offed Edward Kennedy or Barack or something.

And might I suggest those of you whining LOOK AT A MAP. Yes, you had to stay 700 yards away. Boo frickin' hoo. It just so happened that the closest parcel of public land that could accomodate that many people was 700 yards away (a park). There was nowhere else TO put the protesters unless the city wanted to shut down for a day to allow for protests--and that's just silly.

[TovSquirrel]

Darth Vader would be proud.

[111]

so would Hitler and Mussolini

[BannedInBoston]

Their cells in Hell are equipped with cable. They're watching and applauding....