DNC parade may head to court
Protesters assail unknown ending point, time slots
By Sara Burnett, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published June 13, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Updated June 13, 2008 at 12:20 p.m.
Darin Mcgregor / The Rocky
Lupe Hernandez brings regular customer Russ Costen his lunch at the Denver Diner on Thursday. Hernandez fears that the proposed protesters' parade route during the Democratic convention could close access to the diner, hurting business and her tips.
Protesters wanting to march through Denver during the Democratic National Convention will be limited to early afternoon time slots and still don't know where their route will end - two issues that drew sharp criticism Thursday.
"It sounds like we're probably going to be heading to court on all of this," said Glenn Spagnuolo, an organizer of the Re-Create 68 Alliance, which is planning parades each day of the convention.
Protesters wanted the city's designated parade route to pass near the Pepsi Center, where delegates entering the convention for the evening could see and hear them.
The parade route released Thursday starts at Civic Center and travels west on Colfax Avenue, then north on Speer Boulevard. It stops at Speer and Larimer Street - blocks from the Pepsi Center - though city officials said that will not be the final ending point.
The city also said parades would be allowed only from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the convention, scheduled for Aug. 25-28.
Most delegates will begin arriving at the Pepsi Center around 3 p.m., with events scheduled to begin each day at 4 p.m., DNC officials have said.
Mark Silverstein, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union and several protest groups, said the limited hours - which could prevent delegates from seeing some marchers at all - could be an issue in an ongoing lawsuit against the city and the Secret Service.
So could the location to which protesters can march, whenever that information is released.
"We believe our clients have a First Amendment right to be within sight and sound of the delegates," Silverstein said.
A lawyer for the city told a federal judge Monday that Denver would release the full parade route on Thursday. But spokeswoman Sue Cobb said Thursday the city still is working out details.
She said the final parade route will take marchers "within walking distance" of a fenced public demonstration area the city plans in Lot A, just southwest of the Pepsi Center's main entrance.
She also said delegates will be all over Denver during the convention, from hotels to restaurants, as well as at the Pepsi Center.
"There will be plenty of opportunity, I think, to be seen and heard," Cobb said.
In St. Paul, Minn., city officials released the designated parade route for the Republican National Convention last month. That route goes within 300 feet of the Xcel Center, site of the convention. Marchers also must pass by the Xcel Center by 2 p.m.
Denver has agreed to allow a minimum of three parades or marches per day.
Among those submitting requests are groups advocating such issues as ending the war in Iraq, legalizing marijuana and reducing global warming.
The groups say their parades could range in size from a few hundred people to several thousand.
Several organizations also are planning to join for an anti-war march on Aug. 24, the day before the convention starts.
The city is scheduled to announce June 19 which groups may have parades, and when.
It also is considering requests for alternate parade routes, including a march from the Capitol to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals at 18th and Stout streets and another parade that would start at West 29th Avenue and Federal Boulevard and march down Speer Boulevard.
Mayor John Hickenlooper said in a news release that while the city still is analyzing the impact on transportation, downtown will remain accessible.
"Both the parade route and its hours of operation respect the desire of demonstrators to be seen and heard - as well as the needs of downtown residents and commuters to get to and from work before and after the parades take place," Hickenlooper said.
burnetts@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5343
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June 13, 2008
6:29 a.m.
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yaakovwatkins writes:
Boy, am I glad that I neither work, live, nor have to drive through downtown.
June 13, 2008
7:36 a.m.
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Mike846 writes:
Uh, excuse me. Aren't at least some of the organizers of THIS parade the same guys that every year try to STOP the Columbus Day Parade totally? Another example of "my speech is protected, YOUR speech isn't" from the Left. This whole thing with the convention, from violence to lack of money to traffic snarls to making Denver look like a hick cowtown on national television is going to test Hizzoner Mayor Hick's ability to say "that buck doesnt' stop HERE." Thats why they've hired this "expert" at $250,000 a year or whatever to organize things; that way, when its all over, the City fathers can say, "It wasn't OUR fault!".
June 13, 2008
9:05 a.m.
Suggest removal
JohnHKennedy writes:
We appreciate ACLU's efforts to help citizens express themselves in protest, however the ACLU Of Colorado and Cathryn Hazouri the Director are refusing to call for impeachment hearings.
When knowledgeable professionals are aware of serious attacks committed against our Constitution and the separation of powers and do nothing to make it right, those professionals become enablers of Bush and Cheney. The National Lawyers Guild has come out for impeachment, why not the ACLU? Should we send our donations to the NLG instead of the ACLU?
In December 2005, the ACLU took out a full page ad in the NY Times calling for a special counsel to investigate Bush and the NSA warrant less electronic surveillance. The ACLU compared Bush to Nixon. The ad is still on the ACLU website and it clearly threatens impeachment, but that was over two years ago! http://www.aclu.org/safefree/spying/2...
but ACLU refuses to actually advocate impeachment.
I found an article from February 2006, entitled "ACLU Panel Urges impeachment over NSA Spying." http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.a...
In that article John Dean, a former White House counsel during the Nixon administration, compared the Bush administration's wiretapping to the Watergate scandal, saying "There is no question in my mind that this president has already committed one or more impeachable offenses. This is pretty serious stuff. It's worse than Watergate."
Here is a link to an October 24, 1973 brochure by the ACLU http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/aclun....
in which the ACLU laid the case for Impeachment and the methods and means to do so. Some quotes.
”Always keep in mind that the highest order of patriotism is the defense of our constitutional system, for our selves and for our children.
Your (Congressional) Representative must be made to understand that this is not merely another "come and go" political question. Only you can make your Representative understand the importance of the issue and the extent to which he or she will be held responsible in the 1974 (2008) elections for his or her actions.
It cannot be stressed strongly enough or often enough that Representatives who do not move to impeach, and who thereby fail to bring President Nixon (Bush/Cheney) to trial, are accomplices to a cover-up.
They (the Congressmen/women) are either in favor of bringing 100% of the truth to the American people, or they are helping cover it up.“
ACLU's own words.
Isn’t it time for the ACLU to follow the slogan on your national web page that says
”We must preserve the protections and the checks and balances in the Constitution against government abuses of power that violate our fundamental values.”
ACLU's words! Where are the ACLU's deeds?
John H Kennedy, 43 yr Democratic voter, Obama delegate, organizer of
Impeach Colorado Coalition - http://ImpeachCO.com
June 13, 2008
9:19 a.m.
Suggest removal
timeandagain writes:
John - you are mental! I love it (sort of)!! Do you live in Highlands Ranch with Glenn Spanguolo?? You really should!! Also, as an Obama supporter, I wish you would leave the fact that you are a delegate off your resume. It only serves to discredit him and his campaign...
June 13, 2008
9:43 a.m.
Suggest removal
Johnvet writes:
FONDA FACTOR: Obama, Hillary and Obscene Al Franken are part of Fonda Factor and weak on natl defense. Demonstrations should include Liberal House of Horrors with Hillary and Fonda as witches, Obama as Dracula and Franken as Frankenstein monster representing Liberal Agenda.
June 13, 2008
10:20 a.m.
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Alive writes:
John H Kennedy, 43 yr Democratic voter, Obama delegate, organizer of Impeach Colorado Coalition - http://ImpeachCO.com ....
And complete nutcase. Old hippies used to be cute, now they are pathetic. Behold an Obama delegate! LOL!
June 13, 2008
10:43 a.m.
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sheepherder writes:
Spanguolo is nothing but a trouble maker. Yes, have your free speech, but not at everbody else's expense. He sounds like a whiny baby, somebody give a bottle to shut him up!
June 13, 2008
11:10 a.m.
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VVVV writes:
Hey now, that's insulting to babies. My son can only cry for 15 minutes before he realizes he'll have to go to sleep on his own simply because I stopped giving in. If Hickenlooper wants to not be overrun with complaints, he'd better draw the line and refuse to cross it, or parading protestors won't be the only ones walking all over him.
I'm just saving up my vacation to be out that week. Between security, protestors, traffic, and looky-loos, I'd be lucky to make it to the office by quitting time anyway.
June 13, 2008
12:24 p.m.
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Shaggy writes:
This is off subject but I want to know why the RMN's took the blog about Brown running against Ritter down?
Could it be that there were no positive comments about the almighty?
This isn't the first time this has happened either.
Unbelievable how the Rocky Protects it's Liberals.
June 13, 2008
12:27 p.m.
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HankRearden writes:
Wow an Obama delegate that doesn't think the ACLU is radical enough. Thanks John H. Kennedy please keep up your good work.
"We believe our clients have a First Amendment right to be within sight and sound of the delegates," Silverstein said. Sorry I missed the part about the First Amendment compelling someone to listen and see your clients' exercise of free speech. It must be right after the "I'll hold my breathe until I turn blue" clause.
June 13, 2008
12:30 p.m.
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GladysKravitz writes:
Let 'em march...but I hope things do not get out of hand like they did in SF when the war broke out. Protesters were wreaking havoc on commuters trying to get to/from work. They ripped up (bolted) newsstands, trashcans and anything that was and wasn;t nailed down and threw them into streets and intersections prevent the general public reasonable right of way.
General public right of way has to be in the balance too. We all own the streets and need to share them alike respectfully.
June 13, 2008
1:33 p.m.
Suggest removal
Michael writes:
"We believe our clients have a First Amendment right to be within sight and sound of the delegates," Silverstein (ACLU) said.
This guy is an ACLU lawyer and he actually believes (or says he does) that the 1st Amendment guarantees someone or a group the right to not only speak what they want (which it does) but to also be heard by those that the speaker chooses (which it does not). This is why litigation costs this country untold BILLIONS of $$$$$ because of a$#hole lawyers like this who file frivolous and baseless lawsuits without fear of penalty if they lose. We need tort reform NOW.
June 13, 2008
3:49 p.m.
Suggest removal
davies writes:
Article: "and still don't know where their (parade) route will end"
I'm picturing the marching band in the parade in the Animal House movie, where they all end up in a dead end alley, marching into a wall. Maybe be can lure them in there by painting a scene on the building of a baby seal getting clubbed on the beach ;-)
June 13, 2008
5:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
drkenne writes:
$4 a gallon for gas
Record profits for oil companies
Nothing ever done to reverse our addiction to oil
Food costs rising every day
An endless war draining resources by the minute
A corrupt and unethical administration
No energy policy, except find more oil
The outsourcing of security programs to out of control mercenaries, so they don’t have to institute a draft to cover for the military shortfall cased by the unjust war in Iraq
The list is endless…
And there’s discussion about parade routes and inconveniences. When did we get so complacent and become, once again, a nation of sheep? The government gets away with it because we let them
The delegates and Democratic Party must see and hear the people's demand for real change and not just political rhetoric. Time to wake up folks! Maybe the democrats may find their spine in Denver and initiate proceedings against the real axis of evil: Bush; Cheney; Rove; and Rumsfield.
Thomas Jefferson had it right about the tree of liberty needing to be refreshed. Now the means to refresh is to be heard, seen, and vote out all those that supported this unjust war that has taken so much from this once great nation.
We have R68…does Days of Rage have to follow??
June 13, 2008
6:04 p.m.
Suggest removal
sheepherder writes:
drkenne...you clearly are posting for R68...thats alot of the same garbage on the r68 website. The real axis of evil...too funny!
June 13, 2008
8:47 p.m.
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drkenne writes:
Not posting for R68, just someone who remembers when people did care and put their safety on the front lines to have their collective voices heard.
June 13, 2008
8:54 p.m.
Suggest removal
drkenne writes:
http://www.nationalpriorities.org/cos...
Pretty sobering when you think of how this money could have been usd here at home instead of propping up a democracy that the neocons want. I wonder what will happen when the Iraqis have elections and vote in people who don't like the US. Will it still be called democracy