Attorneys Hold 'Know Your Rights' Training for Democratic Convention

By: Erin Rosa

DENVER-- All this week attorneys here will be conducting trainings to teach prospective demonstrators protesting at the Democratic National Convention how to react to common scenarios involving police.

The effort is being spearheaded by the DNC-People's Law Project and the Oakland-based Midnight Special Law Collective, two groups of citizens and attorneys who specialize in First Amendment rights.

Training is meant to teach individuals to serve as legal observers during police encounters at the convention, along with educating protesters about their constitutional rights. They are being conducted at University of Denver's Sturm College of Law and are open to the public.

The training sessions come after Colorado Confidential reported that Denver police are stocking up on material for convention security but have refused todetail the nature of the equipment.

The DNC-People's Law Project is being headed by Brian Vicente, an attorney who is also executive director of Sensible Colorado, a nonprofit that advocates for a decriminalized drug policy in the state. The project was formed by the National Lawyers Guild in 2007 over civil rights concerns for the convention, to be held Aug. 25-28.

The Midnight Special Law Collective has provided similar training to various groups across the nation.

Read more on the convention at Colorado Confidential's DNC in the Mile High City section.