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

[BradPittsburgh]

a sample of an O presidency.

[Big0725]

Brad? It's happy hour and you're online? What happened, couldn't get your mom's basement door open?

[08politicaljunkie]

If only people so passionately opposed GWB's elections

[UnbiasView]

Yeah, a lot of people listen to hippies that throw bags of piss at police and charge them . . . they are the rationale ones right?

[drumz]

What the hell would you know about rational?

[lornejl]

Hippies ? How old are you Pop's ?

[KOisGod]

Born bitter, stayed bitter, died bitter.

Good job

[jood42]

There were a hell of a lot of us protesting here in Chicago. We never really got heard.

And every single person who tried to hold up signs or wear t-shirts or state their opinions anywhere near the president or vp was either penned up in a "freedom zone" (or whatever they're calling the fenced-off protest zones miles from the motorcades), removed from the premises or arrested.

It's not much of an excuse, but it really did get disheartening.

[UnbiasView]

What about their freedom of speech right liberals?

Doesn't that give you the right to infringe on other people's freedoms by blocking traffic or charging cops?

[lornejl]

Nothing upsets fascist more than civil disobedience Bwahahahahah !!!..

[lornejl]

Nothing upsets fa scists more than civil disobedience Bwahahahahah !!!..

[JoeBlough]

Bought and paid for by the G O P .

Hope we can return the favor next week.

[ohiomark]

Wrong, these nutbags are crazy all on their own.

I'll bet if you ask them if they were paid for by the GOP, they would throw a urine bomb at you.

The more they show these moonbats on TV, the crazier the Dems look.

[research]

Wrong! watch the videos, they have Conservative signs! The rest are lying republicans pretending to be democrats.

[SwingingFromCenter]

It saddens me that there are so many uneducated people here whining about police brutality when, if you looked at the videos out there, it shows that the protesters were clearly antagonizing the police in an ATTEMPT to get the police to take action against them. They were goading them the whole way.

*Charging at them and then backing off at the last moment
*Carrying rocks and sticks. Yeah, that doesn't look ominous
*Those bags full of dyed water that they threw at the cops after the arrests were made--obviously they didn't make those 10 seconds before. They came with those. They knew they were going to throw them at the cops.

These protesters wanted attention, that's it. For whatever causes it was they were trying to further. And they got together and realized the best way to get attention was to be arrested, and they took the steps necessary to achieve that goal. Well, their mission is accomplished.

Anybody who knows me around here knows I rarely stand up for the police, but in this one instance the cops were spot-on.

[MNinWI]

Who knows who was behind these people-paying them to make trouble in Denver. Don't believe everything you see. Everything must be looked at with a critical eye. I would not put ANYTHING past the repugs-they want to win at any cost--rules, morals, decency be damned.

[Wiredwilly]

Usurp people's Constitutional Right to peaceably assemble , herd them into a " Free Speech Zone ", and then blame THEM when they get angry ? News Flash : AMERICA IS A FREE SPEECH ZONE. Free Speech is not restricted to a pen designated by some corrupt local Fascist trying to appease his boss.

[zitlight73]

It's as Orwellian as it gets! You can excercise your freedom to demonstrate inside this black, sound-proof box.

[bbrecht]

Don't be surprised if some of the protesters acting violently are infiltrators. The police too have been preparing to battle for months. Along with Homeland Security-- more than spooky the way our police are being militarized.

I agree with Ron Kovik-- we must take the high ground and practice civil disobedience in a non-violent way.

Who is teaching young people our history?

[jmyoung666]

I haven't seen the footage of these protests, but certainly the violence at the '68 convention, the violence in Seattle in 99, and most modern police-protestor conflicts have been instigated by police. Perhaps the facts here are different.

It's common practice for police to attempt to divide and separate protestors, so the comments about the police charging in and attempting to divide them sound perfectly plausible.

[steverexxx]

Where's Abraham Ribicoff when you need him?

[txshldm0007]

Colorado Police => Facism in action!!!

We talk democracy but we act like a dictatorship,
We talk freedom of speech, but we act to shut up anybody who does not agree with us
We talk freedom to demonstrate, but we arrest anybody that does!!!

Facism in action

[jpcline004]

They don't arrest anybody, just the ones throwing stuff and pushing against the police. Freedom to peaceably demonstrate doesn't mean standing in the road throwing stuff

[jmyoung666]

If only your statements were true. It would be quite unusual if those were the only people targeted by police.

[SwingingFromCenter]

Get a clue. Get an education.

[ohiomark]

"We talk freedom of speech, but we act to shut up anybody who does not agree with us"

You just descibed Al Gore and the whole "green" movement.

"We talk freedom to demonstrate, but we arrest anybody that does!!! "

You are allowed to demonstrate. You are NOT allowed to break any laws while you do it. I don't think you Libs know the meaning of a "peaceful" demonstration.

[STParker]

Martin Luther king broke the law.

Ghandi broke the law

Henry David Thoreau broke the law

and the founding fathers broke the law

they say if you do nothing wrong you have nothing to fear, but who decides what's wrong?

you can't define right and wrong simply by what's legal.

[darthdarcy]

When you arm police in this manner with long batons and full tactical vests and shields, mace, tasers and face masks, you then create a situation where any citizen is "the other" and not part of this militarized force..

Then confrontations are inevitable the police develop a pack mentality and will always create a situation to act out and be predatory...also these outfits and uniforms make them anonymous and that contributes to the likelihood of abuse and violence...It's classic Pavlovian response acting out..!

[CrittersRTasty]

Yeah, anyone with any sense knows the cops should have been in Speedos and flip flops. That way they could have contained any violence by the judicious use of hugs.....

[darthdarcy]

Not exactly...!

[Furby]

The judicious use of hugs might not have been necessary, I think the sight of police in speedos and flip flops would have stopped the protesters dead in their tracks!

[realityczech4u]

Speedos and flip flops. ROFL.

The vests, shields and face masks are protection against the rocks, bottles, bags of urine, feces, and other projectiles that malcontents have bombarded the authorities with in prior "actions".

The batons, tasers, pepper spray, mace, etc. are non-lethal weapons reserved for use against unruly and potentially violent mobs.

[realityczech4u]

You mention a 'pack mentality' as it applies to the police. Are you seriously trying to imply tha a mob of protestors does NOT have a pack mentality? Everything about an "action" is orchestrated and demonstrates a pack mentality.

You also mention the anonymity created by outfits and uniforms. Of what purpose are the face masks and bandannas if not anonymity plus an attempt to appear intimidating?

[WillPower]

A bunch of liberals are being arrested in a pretty liberal city. There must be a way to blame the Republicans.

[CrittersRTasty]

you have to scroll waaaay down to minimax's post to get to that. I was surprised it was so hard to find...

[darthdarcy]

Yeah a Republican Mayor..!

[research]

Why do you think the police arrested Democrats?

Search videos of the confrontation and you will see such conservative picket signs as: "homo sex is sin"

Don''t jump to conclusions.

[BigLib]

Best.Convention.Evah.

[Swerinjer]

The cops have no credibility. I'm sure it was them who initiated.

[CrittersRTasty]

I'm only typing this because you cant see my eyes rolling...

[SwingingFromCenter]

Congratulations on winning the clueless award. You've not seen any of the videos (obviously, judging by your, for lack of a better word, STUPID analysis), yet still feel qualified to comment. Bravo!

[Rule Of Law]

Like we used to say---You don't know...You weren't there!

[Hirnlego]

Agent provocateurs must be busy.

[Eric8869]

In other news Chicago is very peaceful today, the parks are beautiful - not a protest is sight.

[Rule Of Law]

The Populist Revolution of the 60's where kids, parents, Grandparents, students and Vets all exercised their power as Citizens to challenge the policies of a government that had lost touch with its people, scared the heII out of the powers that be.

The Trilateral Commission wrote a paper in 1975 that outlined how to destroy the movement and disempower the people. Google it--read it! The Republicans--architects of the Patriot Act (written well before the attack on the twin towers) masters of repression and leaders in Constitutional deconstruction have studied the methods of totalitarian governments since Mussolini and Stalin (read Naomi Klein's The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, and Naomi Wolf's The End of America to see fascism on the move).

I expect them to ignore our laws and our history. However when the DNC and the people who trumpet "change" and "yes we can" allow our rights to be trampled, I worry. When the differences between the two parties shrink to the point where both betray the Constitution, I worry for us all.

[McLaren76]

People who understand the reality of the real world dont want Obama, They dont want McCain, They dont want Hillary. There is no choice....

[Pdubya]

yes there is:

www.campaignforliberty.com

if not now, when?

the rEVOLution will continue....

[McLaren76]

Yes Bingo! Too bad most folks cant get a grip that there is this choice! Thanks for sharing!

[Daps]

What is "the real world", pray tell.

[McLaren76]

The one that is not the one that you think you are living in. See post below! Make a stand, make a difference...