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

[Chuckwheat]

Next time: The protestors should go into any store they have access to, and shop like good Americans.
Tell the clerks "Bush sent us".
It'd be inconcievable for cops to mess with consumer confidence.

[KaluMa]

Considering the Obama has had several threats of assassination, and one particularly in Colorado, I am sure that the Police are taking no chances.

[SwingingFromCenter]

Oh, and just as a counter-example to this:

I lived in Seattle in '99 during the protest there. Saw firsthand there just like here. Did the cops in Seattle overreact? Darn straight--the protesters were on their assigned marching path, and were licensed to be where they were.

That being said, I owned a business on that marching path, and some protesters (or more likely, just some hooligans who decided to join the mass of people) busted out 2 of my storefront windows while we were all inside and open for business. My business is one of the reasons why the Seattle PD finally said "OK, enough is enough" and shut the thing down.

What happened here in Denver today? Completely different animal. These people were NOT in their licensed path, they were NOT permitted to be blocking traffic. They were NOT permitted at the Convention Center. And they tried to go there anyways.

[TS]

I'll buy your, "they were not in their licensed path" argument. I don't know what those circumstances were. With that said, I watched the video and I don't understand where, at least according to the video, the police surrounded the protestors and refused to let them leave the area in which they had them pinned for over two hours. I'm having a hard time understanding why the focus should not have been on allowing the crowd to disperse rather than trapping them. Two aspects of that don't make sense. First, ifthey are obstructing a public thoroughfare, and that's the issue, why would you not allow them to leave, which would have solved the obstruction problem allegedly at the core of this? Secondly, the video also mentions the press being told to leave. It seems to me that trapping the crowd and then forcing independent media observers to leave the scene is a sure way to really create a tense situation likely to result in violence rather than diffuse one.

Admittedly, this is one point of view presented through an eyewitness account and there may be other accounts of the event that were taped that show a very different scenario. Still, the video posted at HuffPo seems to be lacking the alleged intimidating tactics of the protestors. I sure as hell don't see them "charging the police" and it's hard to figure why you would ftrap people, not allowing them to leave for several hours and then pepper spray them.

[SwingingFromCenter]

1) They were blocked in because they were ignoring police orders and continued marching to the Convention Center in spite of being ordered not to repeatedly. Blocking them in was the only option left. ANd yes, they were blocked in outside of their protest zone, which they had long since left.

2) Anyone who WANTED to leave to just leave? Was allowed to do so. The ones who weren't allowed to leave were the ones who wanted to leave in groups so they could continue sneaking towards the Convention Center

3) The press was not "ordered to leave". The press was advised to leave because the situation was becoming dangerous. The press did not HAVE to leave the area, they chose to. Anybody else who wanted to leave to just leave, again, was also permitted to leave.

4) If you watch the video, the producer is saying "the police have these people blocked in, they're provoking the crowd". Biased opinion. The police weren't "provoking" anybody. They were stopping a mass of people from proceeding to somewhere they were not legally allowed to be. The ones doing the "provoking" were the protesters who would run up to the police line like they were going to attack, and then pull back at the last minute.

Bottom line is this video is HEAVILY edited for sensationalism.

[SwingingFromCenter]

Oh, also missing from this video:

Shots of the people with rocks and sticks (many of them)
Shots of people charging up to the police and then turning back (common sense prevails here--3000 people and they're ALL just standing still like in the video? Please)
Shots of people throwing ziploc bags of dyed water or fruit juice or something at the police.

You need to see an unedited video of this. You won't find it on this site cause it loves sensationalism, but youtube will undoubtedly have some.

[111]

Something like Rosa Parks refusing to stick to the rules and sit only where she was allowed. Thank Goodness for civil disobedience.

[Xander]

Did you seriously just try to compare Rosa Parks to a bunch of people yelling that meat is murder?

[nabrum]

"I lived in Seattle in '99 during the protest there."

If you're talking about the WTO in Seattle, it did get out of hand. (I also live in the burbs of Seattle.) Apparently there are a group of "anarchists", better known as thugs, that go from demonstration to demonstration to try and cause trouble.

Off to Gitmo with them, or Iraq. Either one works for me.

[MeanGreenMachine]

I was there in the thick of it.

The Seattle cops TOTALLY over-reacted.

Just a bunch of kids, no where near as dangerous as your average Street Gang, but the Po-po had a freak out. They ALL put on riot gear and AR-15s to defend the Capitol Hill station from a bunch of hippies dressed in black. What a bunch of candy asses.

[MeanGreenMachine]

Only FBI undercover agitators destroy property.

Very effective propaganda tool for discrediting perfectly civil protests.

The media become unwitting pawns in their well orchestrated disinformation campaign.

GOP SOP.

[strangerinthenight]

I am saddened that these protesters are in my age-generation like 27 and under. You'd think they had enough of Republican's enonomy, burdens to our parents, student loan crisis, housing crisis, spying of US citizens etc. Really, what's is going on ?

I wouldn't be surprised if they are those Repugs, elitist students that never worked a day in their lives, and whose Repugs parents (excluding my parents) just want to maintain status quo. Oh yes - they were the biggest, most arrogants students while I was in college. But you know what - I think 'am doing much better, at least wanting a reform and change the condition of the working people.

((((((((((((( shaking me head )))))))))))

This election, I will break away from my republican parents. A radical change - am voting for a Democrat !

[missjulz]

Good for you! A true adult thinks for themselves.

[111]

There is one party with two names so that we get to throw the bums out every few years without the threat of meaningful change to the 'system'. I can't remember who came up with that statement but it is very true.

The protesters want real change too and recognize that Obama / Biden '08 is not the ticket to change.

Cynthia McKinney is running and does represent true change. You might want to check out her website, runcynthiarun.com.

[BlueHorde]

Back in the days when we had a 1st Amendment, all of America was a "designated licensed protest zone".

I miss America ...

[SwingingFromCenter]

"All of America" was NEVER a "designated licensed protest zone".

You have ALWAYS (at least in our lifetimes) had to file marching paths with the licensing commission so they could know the route you planned to take and to make preparations to deal with traffic and other complications accordingly. You have ALWAYS had to stay within your designated protest zone or marching path. And you have ALWAYS had to refrain from doing things like throwing bags of dyed water at the police, charging at them, or coming at them with rocks and sticks.

[j0em0mma]

Yet another "Unconstitutional Laws have precedence therefor it is not fit for discussion." I don't care how long they've been abusing our rights. It has to stop. Now.

[hokuspokus]

Some people need a brush up on what protest actually means. Protest=dissent=disagreement with opposing position. All right wing people do all day long is protest.

1. I don't like carrying my weight and paying my taxes.
2. The Government is always hounding me when I want to rip people off
3. The Government is spending to much time trying to help people and not enough time blowing my money on war and corporations.

I can't wait for the next Democratic President to get into office and to start using all the wonderful presidential powers the Republicans gave the office to start cracking down hard on all those protesters and dissenters at places like Fox News, LGF, and think tanks like AEI and Cato. Round em up and throw em' in jail if you ask me.

I say if we are going to take away the right to protest and dissent, let's start with the police unions that protest to protect every cop that signed up for the force so that he could be up poor people and "hippies." No protest for cops, that's the rule (so half the posts here would be banned.)

Or better yet, get out of America, because you've just flunked America Citizenship and probably would feel more comfortable somewhere they don't have all those pesky rights anyway. My country, love it or leave it, right?

[JimboSlice]

Guess what whack-jobs, you might not like voting for the lesser of two evils but the reality is that one of those will win.

[darthdarcy]

People have suffered terribly spiritually, financially, morally, and psychologically, under these years of the Bush administration, and Obama raised their expectations for real change, fundamental change and a reversal of our war policies especially in Iraq, now after his FISA vote and general demeanor as someone who will uphold the status quo, many of those who were his earliest supporters and activists feel disappointed and want to be heard, since they are voiceless and have no representation..!

When you raise people's expectations and then renege or abandon that for more of the same ole same ole there will always be a reaction it's classic social psychology...

If Obama loses this election and if it is suspected the Republicans stole it again thanks to Deibold now being called Premier, or ESS, then you'll really see upheaval and a true right wing clamp down..

[JimboSlice]

Now this seems like a good way to deal with all those PUMA whackos

[Destin]

Wow, is this the USSR, or Nazi Germany?? Or is this America?? This has got to be one of the most shameful displays I've ever seen in our Country's history.

Someone remind me again, what did our dads and grandad's die on the beaches of Normandy for??

[darthdarcy]

Standard Oil..

[Destin]

Hmmm, there's probably some truth in that. ;)

[dogman44]

They died for things we no longer hold sacred. When we allow the things they died for to be taken
away from us by our own government we dishonor their service

[torrrep]

You're are ignorant if you compare this to Nazi Germany. Here's a clue. If city officials and the police decide you can't do something and you do it anyways then guess what? You have broken the law and now deserve to go to jail. You don't get to make up the laws. That is for the city officials and if you don't like it stay at home. To blame the police for upholding the law is ridiculous.

[SwingingFromCenter]

Now, my thoughts on this video:

1) Very creative editing. Most of the protests have nothing to do with Hillary vs. Barack or McCain. Most of the protesters were protesting "free tibet" or "leave Iraq" or some other offshoot cause. Yet the way this is edited makes it look like it was a giant Hillary protest. Riiiiight.

2) How nice of them to not point out that the group that was "Just trying to walk down the street" was blocking traffic on a busy street in violation of their allocated protest zone and license.

3) How nice to fail to point out that any individual who wanted to leave the protest zone to just LEAVE was allowed to do so, it was the ones who wanted to leave the protest zone to protest elsewhere that were told to remain.

4) I notice no shots of the protesters carrying rocks and sticks. I've seen other videos where they had them, yet not this one. More creative editing.

5) Where are those bags of dyed water that they threw at the cops? No show of those in this video either, yet I've seen video where they were doing it.

6) How to invoke anger in readers who won't see the whole thing: Step 1-take some shots of some peaceful protesters. Step 2-Edit out any shots of the multitude of aggressive protesters TRYING to get arrested so they could claim brutality. Step 3-Publish!

[j0em0mma]

The FBI has used agent provocateurs for generations. A perfect example is when Seattle police were ordered to allow a small group of so-called anarchists to rampage in Seattle on the first day of the WTO. The next day, the police were then ordered to "re-establish order" and beat the crap out of non-violent protestors, passive observers, and those who lived in the no protest zones. People were prevented from wearing anything that mentioned the WTO (unconstitutional) in town and were held without due process (also unconstitutional) for sometimes up to two days.

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1029

you sound like a tool. Exactly the target audience for their false flags.

[SwingingFromCenter]

Congratulations on being a know-nothing. I was IN Seattle in '99. My business was ON the protest path. That's not why they "re-established order". They "re-established order" because the protesters were destroying property (amongst them, my storefront windows).

The difference is, the way the Seattle PD reacted in '99 was unlawful. The protesters had a right to be there, and the police were responsible for just picking out the troublemakers, not dispersing the entire group. Today, the protesters did NOT have a right to be where they were, and they knew it.

[torrrep]

No. A tool is someone who thinks they can decide which laws and ordinances they are going to follow and which ones they are not. You think you know it all but you have actually proved that you know very little. You must be a product of our public schools.

[Mykel]

in violation of their allocated protest zone and license
in violation of their allocated protest zone and license
in violation of their allocated protest zone and license

in violation of their allocated protest zone and license
in violation of their allocated protest zone and license
in violation of their allocated protest zone and license
in violation of their allocated protest zone and license


What are you, Robocop?

[SwingingFromCenter]

Aside from this video being ridiculously edited to make the protesters out to be "victims" when if you see an unedited video it shows the protesters goading the police, even this video shows that the protesters:

1) Were leaving their designated licensed protest zone
2) Refused police orders
3) Attempted to intimidate the police, who were outnumbered 30 to 1
4) Tried to play the "victims" when they weren't allowed to violate their protest licenses and

5) ATTEMPTED TO GOAD THE POLICE. They're sitting there charging at the cops and then backing up, trying to circle them, carrying rocks and sticks and then "oh no, we're being oppressed, the police aren't letting us violate our licenses, so we get to do what we want!".

I hope they all get 90 days in county lockup.

[j0em0mma]

Interesting... I didn't realize 1st Amendment to the Constitution had a "designated licensed protest zone" provision. Very interesting... What would prevent the authorities from making the "designated licensed protest zone" so far away as to render the voices moot? Oh, wait, they already did that.

[SwingingFromCenter]

It's a matter of public safety, security AND expediency. If you just let people group up and protest wherever the heck they want, they'd clog up major arteries and bring cities to a standstill.

Protest zones and walking paths are ALWAYS licensed. Always. Not just here in Denver. If these people wanted to walk down a road to protest, they should have registered a protest path with the licensing commission. This is why we have protest licenses in the first place--to maintain that a city continues running during a demonstration.

[SwingingFromCenter]

BTW, the video itself says it: "After getting blockaded by police, the protesters took an alternate street to the convention center".

They were not LICENSED or AUTHORIZED to go to the Convention center with their protest. They knew it in advance and they willfully disregarded their license.

[j0em0mma]

I love Right Wing Nationalists who bleat on and on about patriotism yet neither support nor comprehend the document (The Constitution) that establishes the Nation in the first place. Sheesh, take a civics class or something sometime...

[SwingingFromCenter]

I love lefty loon short bus all stars who think I'm right wing (I'm an Obama supporter, nitwit) who think that thousands of people can just congregate and do whatever the hell they want in a major city with no regard to public safety or infrastructure.

I especially love the ones who preach about the Constitution that don't have a clue what it says. They have a right to gather and protest--in an ORDERLY fashion. By leaving their protest zone, they became disorderly.

[SwingingFromCenter]

Yeah that must be it, short bus. I'm right wing. Who happens to support Obama (read my post history).

Or maybe I just know more about the Constitution than you do. People have the right to organize and protest--peacefully and under context. People do not just have the right to get 3000 strong and march to the convention center and compromise security, grinding an entire major city to a standstill as they blockade traffic in the process.

[creationwaits]

I know most people here probably hate LGF, but if you're interested in what is going on, he has photos and reports from someone "embedded" with the protestors:

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/31048_Zombie-_Recreate_68_Finally_Lives_Up_to_Its_Name-_Riot_in_Denver

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/31036_Zombie-_The_Denver_Games_-_Opening_Ceremony

[Ramirez]

"Zombie" may be the best protest photographer in America. He usually covers the SF bay area.

I strongly recommend his website "Zombietime."

[YankeeCanuck]

It's hard to discern from the footage what is being protested. So much of it looks like a lot of folks who were born too late for 1968 but wish they had been there. The issues that were shouted about were not particularly rational -- they seem to be choosing the wrong venue for the protest if they are anti-war. They surely have the right to protest that they want more radical change, but it looks like a disparate crowd with no focus except disaffection and anger.
The police do not look like particularly shining lights either.
hard to tell from this clip, but it looks like a messy noisy bunch of people and over-armoured police.
Oh well.

[prattvictory]

These cops would make Mussolini's Blackshirts proud. Yes me must have order and the free flow of traffic, commerce trumps the Constitution.

[SwingingFromCenter]

Congratulations on winning the "I'm one of the biggest morons on the site" award for not knowing what you're talking about, yet still feeling justified to speak.

The protesters in the videos were goading the police, charging at them, carrying rocks and sticks. In short, shut up and pull the plug--you're just taking up space.

[esquire07]

This is America - there is no room for protest. Freedom of Speech is no more. Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists.

At some point the civilian population will have to take the law into their own hands and put the "Police" in their place.

[Bystander]

What's your weapon of choice? A bucket of poo? Hey, seriously, if you're there and get arrested on camera, could you wave to your fellow HuffPo anarchists? That would be special! In any case, please don't burn my car.

[dogman44]

Collectively the civilian population couldn't pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were written
on the heel!
The only thing an agent for change should expect from the mass is smug ignorance. As long
as they are physically comfortable most people won't risk the stuff they've acquired. When the
balance of people who have nothing to loose excedes those with all the wealth we have
revolutions. Obama is trying to stave off a revolution. If he fails we may once again be called
upon to fight, ferociously, for our freedom.