Denver To Reveal DNC Protest Parade Route June 12

**Update--Drunkablog notes that the ACLU is already discussing their "demands" in regards to the city's announced parade route plans

Following the ACLU/protest groups' lawsuit filed earlier this month, Denver will disclose the parade route, but will not specify where the route ends (cue whining):

Denver city officials said today they would disclose, by June 12, the route parades would be allowed to follow during the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Responding to a lawsuit the American Civil Liberties Union filed on behalf of a dozen protest groups earlier this month, city officials also released some details regarding public demonstration areas.

By June 12, officials say they will provide the route street-by-street, but will not indicate exactly where the route ends. They said it would end "within walking distance of a public viewing area."

This is sure to draw the ire of the protestors, who feel that nothing less than unabated access to all areas of Downtown where delegates, the media, and anyone else within shouting distance is satisfactory for their planned rantings and theatrics.

The city will still process parade requests for the next month:

The city agreed in papers filed in federal court late Thursday to complete processing of pending requests for parades during the convention by June 19, and consider new requests thereafter. Competing requests are to be resolved through a public drawing.

The city said it won't charge a fee normally assessed to cover police overtime. The city is getting $50 million in federal dollars to cover police and emergency responders' extra effort convention week, Aug. 25-28.

The ACLU said in a press release that the city had stipulated the public demonstration zone, "is not an isolated zone by which the city will confine demonstrations. This public area is simply a designated location that will provide sight and sound access to the convention delegates, and is open to demonstrators, delegates, curious onlookers and others."

But not all the details on how the zone is to work have been released.

The ACLU and protester groups are trying to make sure Denver doesn't restrict demonstrators to a caged area, such as the one that infuriated First Amendment advocates at the 2004 Democratic convention in Boston.

Taxpayers are comping the police overtime for the parades/protests--how nice.

We're still awaiting the response of the ACLU and the protest groups involved.