#OccupyDenver Defies National Movement, Elects 'Shelby' As Official Leader

One of the loudest critiques of the 'Occupy' movement centers on its lack of leadership. As a democratically-structured protest, Denver occupiers meet twice daily (3 p.m. and 7 p.m.) to discuss needs, group policies, etc. at a 'General Assembly.' While this is certainly an equitable process, city and state officials lament they have no one person at the movement to contact.

In what may be a first for the national movement, Occupy Denver has elected a leader. Don't expect her to add clarity to protesters' grievances, however: the leader is "Shelby," a three year-old Border Collie. Occupy Denver explains in a press release:

In response to Denver Mayor Michael Hancock's insistence that Occupy Denver choose leadership to deal with City and State officials, and drawing inspiration from the notion that corporations are people, Occupy Denver’s General Assembly has elected a leader: Shelby, a three year old Border Collie. "Shelby is closer to a person than any corporation: She can bleed, she can breed, and she can show emotion. Either Shelby is a person, or corporations aren't people," said a Shelby supporter at the time of her election.

Occupy Denver reserves the right to alter leadership status, but for now, Shelby exhibits heart, warmth, and an appreciation for the group over personal ambition that Occupy Denver members feel are sorely lacking in the leaders some of them have voted for on national, state, and local levels. Accordingly, Occupy Denver looks forward to communication with Mayor Hancock and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper sometime this week to introduce their leadership.

Newly-elected leader Shelby will be leading this Saturday's Occupy Denver march against Corporate Personhood, and invites all other civic minded dogs (and their leash-holders) to join.

Comments

[m362000]

06:52 PM on 11/13/2011

for the mean hearted people Portland still going strong ! Porland live feed>
http://www.livestream.com/occupyptown

[m362000]

06:43 PM on 11/13/2011

We the people have the right to protest , we have the right to defend our home land from those who pillage it and put people in poverty, if you truely believe that the protesters are wrong that is your heart! But please do not tell me a am a bad republican because i do believe the banks have hurt our country, and our politicans have helped them! I do spend time on our streets with the people with less than enough to live on , so all you far far right FOX NEWs viewers I challange you to go try to do some good , not protest , go work at a homeless place , there are 1000s of them ,go meet the people you talk so badly about! As far as me being republican I am not alone in the support of protest! Get use to it!

[Chaucea]

01:25 PM on 11/13/2011

Two legs good. Four legs better. x-D

[Chaucea]

01:24 PM on 11/13/2011

Go go Shelby!! :-D

[WYO PROUD]

10:36 PM on 11/11/2011

Slap some lipstick on her and you'd have Pailin's twin.

[TotalTranquility]

09:52 PM on 11/14/2011

What an insult to Shelby, you take that back :) Just kidding, I know you meant no disrespect to Shelby.

[MileHighCityMan]

08:22 PM on 11/10/2011

Outstanding. Perfect. Enough said.

[kgarry1]

09:53 PM on 11/09/2011

They elected the one with the fewest fleas. That's as good a criteria as any.

[Nancy Cronk]

05:31 PM on 11/09/2011

I think Shelby should run for office.

[irrenmann]

03:06 PM on 11/09/2011

PETA, destroy them!

[mchlcorn]

01:55 PM on 11/09/2011

The Occupy movement has lost it's validity. However, as a nation we need to hit the corporations where it will hurt, in their pocket books. Imagine if Walmart was brought down so that they only sold truly American made goods. What if we demanded labels on all products as to where all the parts of the product are manufactured. What if we bought from local merchants. I am withdrawing all my investments from foreign associated companies.

[Jimbo23]

02:37 PM on 11/09/2011

I'm sure they are not losing sleep over your declaration but it's not up to you if they are "valid" or not is it?

The rest of your post leads me to believe you are with them in spirit but have bought the hype. By all means do put your investments where they will actually help America. That's spot on. But don't write off this movement...

[mchlcorn]

05:47 PM on 11/09/2011

I am not writing off the idea of getting upset with politicians, corporations, and the 1%. But electing a dog as "leader".....?

[D-Driller]

04:30 AM on 11/09/2011

Just when they had a chance to be taken seriously, to have their views and their grievances heard...

[Stilley Periodical]

06:22 AM on 11/09/2011

The bankers or politicians?

[D-Driller]

09:47 AM on 11/10/2011

Not sure what you mean - I'm talking about the protestors having a chance to actually voice their concerns.

[Jimbo23]

02:41 PM on 11/09/2011

Decentralized leadership by committee is better than blindly following bad leaders. They are making a critique of "corporate person-hood" with this move or did you not read the article?

[D-Driller]

09:54 AM on 11/10/2011

Oh, I read the article. I've got to be honest with you, I live down 15th from the protestors, and I don't know what their specific grievances and suggested mitigation to those grievances are. I still don't. They won't tell us. Corral any 10 protestors and ask them what they are protesting, and you will hear, not necessarily in this order: The WTO, "mean" corporations, TeaBaggers, Tea Party, GOP'ers (various forms of that), "The Banks", The government (but not Obama, they love him, he's cuddly or something I guess) - the list goes on. Oh, one was talking about jobs, which seemed poignant, I liked that one. NONE had any solutions to offer, other than, and I liked this one, "Give the corporations' money to us". I did not ask the dog for her opinion, to be honest - maybe she will give me a straight answer? I hope she is not dumb enough to use a nationally recognized platform to mutely critique 'corporate person-hood" like the bozo humans in the group...

[1oldhippie]

12:19 AM on 11/09/2011

Between Ohio, Mississippi and now Denver,we the people have had a great election day!

[pfreddie88]

07:53 PM on 11/08/2011

Since I like most animals more than I like most people, I think this is a good idea. Shelby for president!

[Sojourner303]

07:47 PM on 11/08/2011

Our GAs are comprised of anarchists who want to overthrow the government and install anarcho-Marxism. The sensible people are threatened and intimidated out of the process by the more violent anarchists, resulting in the GAs being a clusterfuck of useless people getting approximately nothing done next to passing the repressive St. Paul's Principles and talking about how the police are pigs and capitalism is dead.

Please don't give Occupy Denver's GA any support. Only a group of lunatics would consistently sabotage opportunity after opportunity to work with the current system (while simultaneously working outside of it) and elect a dog to be their representative.

[mlasser]

02:08 AM on 11/09/2011

I came to similar conclusions about a month ago. After expressing similar sentiments, the Occupy Denver group not only blocked me from their Facebook page, they also went through and erased any comments I made about issues ranging from Glass-Steagall to Citizen's United and when folks asked for explanations for my being erased, Occupy Denver told them I had been "bitch slapped". Hmm.

This group in Denver is very different than OWS in NY. For example, OWS wants audits and reform of the Fed. Occupy Denver officially called for an end to fractional baking systems which would create massive harm workers.

OWS promotes non-violence. Occupy Denver claims to as well, but in practice, not so much. TheDenver GA agreed to form actions that would scare and intimidate police. Additionally, Occupy Denver sided with the protestor that attacked the cop on his motorcycle and when posts overwhelming disagreed with them on Facebook, they removed the video and comments.

Occupy Denver shows movies in the park at night about 9/11 conspiracies and and tolerates anti-Semitic literature and groups at events. Drug use at the Occupy site are rampant. GA updates have not been available on the website since 10/27.

Please do not support Occupy Denver if you believe in the platforms being promoted by OWS. To be very clear, I am not saying don't support OWS. In fact, please do support OWS and the many other gatherings around the country. But Sojourner is right about Occupy Denver.

[debekniss]

12:16 PM on 11/09/2011

Hickenlooper erased many comments on his face book page also. Not sure how one does that since I can't find a way on my wall page. He has done it more then once too. So much for finger pointing. No movement is perfect we can all agree to this but Occupy Denver is a outlet for people to stand together and use free speech. For this I support the movement and what is trying to do. Enough with corporations running our government. Those who think this is group of dead beats who are useless really are not looking at the whole picture here. I support 99% more if each time I hear people griping about it but offer no other solution to a serious problem we all are having in this country. Let's hear solutions to a problem and see if it could work because right now people are sick of what is going on. So what is the answer to this problem I ask?

[Martinblack4795209]

10:22 PM on 11/09/2011

I agree. When I e-mailed the Occupy Denver website people asking for updates, they didn't respond. When I looked for calendars of events I couldn't find any. When I kept looking for anyone who knew anything, I couldn't find anyone or anything with any kind of brain functioning. I would never volunteer or donate anything to a "movement" that would give me the bird by electing a dog as their leader. It's a ridiculous flip-off to anyone who has ever hoped for something positive to come from this.

[m362000]

06:35 PM on 11/13/2011

Quick Question , are you a employee of FOX NEWS , or are you just a parret!

[MsAmerkinpie]

12:07 AM on 11/09/2011

smarter than the politicians

[Martinblack4795209]

10:23 PM on 11/09/2011

In the case of Denver, you are right. The dog is the smartest one of them all. And that is why I refuse to volunteer for Occupy Denver, donate a penny to them, or put any hope for anything in them. Denver is a small cow-town that will never be more than that, and it's "leaders" are no more than corrupt businessmen dreaming of bigger back room deals and pay-offs.