Denver To Begin Accepting Democrat National Convention Rally And Protest Requests

Gotta beef with the Democrat party? Want to levitate the Denver Mint? Or simply participate in likely the most media-drenched event in Denver's history?

Then you better get your plans in early or face the "blind lottery":

The city of Denver has set up a process for groups to apply for permits and licenses for the use of parks and city streets before and during the Democratic National Convention.

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper on Friday declared the convention an "extraordinary event," which requires special procedures to handle permits and licenses for use of city property and facilities.

The city on Monday will start accepting requests from groups that want to hold rallies, marches and other events before and during the convention.

"We're working as hard as we can to make it a fair and transparent process," said Kevin Scott, the permitting liaison for the convention.

From March 3 to March 14, the city will be accepting requests for use of parks and suggested parade or march routes. The requests will be for events to be held from 12:01 a.m. Aug. 15 to 11:59 p.m. Aug. 31. The convention runs from Aug. 25-28.

A few DNC details are still TBD:

Two things have yet to be determined - the security perimeter or First Amendment Zone around the Pepsi Center, where protesters can gather.

"That comes from the Secret Service," said Archuleta. "When we know it, we would release it."

Another is the parade route. The city is committed to having at least one route open to groups that want to hold a parade or march that will end within view and earshot of the Pepsi Center.

"We share the protesters' concerns about that and they will be taken into consideration," said Archuleta.

Guess who isn't pleased with the new rules--that's right, Recreate68! wants a place to camp:

"The city has made some very positive changes as far as removing insurance requirements," said Glenn Spagnuolo, one of the organizers for Recreate' 68 Alliance. "But we are upset with the fact that the city has made one specific change to stop Recreate 68 what it is intending to do."

Under the old park ordinance, Spagnuolo said the city allowed overnight camping at the Civic Center park. However, that provision was not included under the new permitting process.

Spagnuolo said he expects thousands of people to come from across the country for the Recreate '68 events, but most will not be able to get hotel rooms, because they would have long been booked up, and have no place to go.

"That's a major problem," said Spagnuolo. "The city knows that they are creating a confrontational event that we're trying to avoid."

But Archuleta said that the city's park ordinance has long prohibited overnight camping except in Denver's mountain parks.

"They understand the laws," she said. "What we want them to do is honor the ordinance."

They won't honor the ordinance in August any more than they honored it in October 2006 ahead of the annual Columbus Day Parade protests. By preemptively threatening confrontation--a common moonbat intimidation tactic, despite protestations that they are the "peaceful" ones--Recreate68! puts Denver's police on the defensive and creates the meme that the police are, in fact, provoking the poor, innocent protestors.

Boo hoo.