Denver ColumBUST Day 2008

The Drunkablog--"small, ineffectual, not without conflict"--as indigenous women presented a "Treaty of Transformation" to the parade organizers. As a bonus check out the special guest--someone writing as Glenn Spagnuolo (of Recreate '68 infamy)--in the comments.

Westword has a video-to-video comparison of last year's protests and arrests, from AIM's perspective, and those who were observing (using footage from yours truly).

Columbuspalooza 2008--Denver Columbus Day Protests Announced

Though decidedly less palooza-y than in years past (maybe the epic FAIL at the DNC had something to do with it):

Resist Columbus Day in Denver 2008
1. Speaking engagement
2. Columbus Day Protest March and Rally
3. People's Council
4. Student Walk-out on Racism

Drunkablog has the details and snark.

Recreate '68 DNC "Master Schedule" Released

Finally:


(click to enlarge)

Highlights:



**Update--Moonbattery is already pouring on the ridicule. SP and allies will be bringing all of the DNC shenanigans and protester moonbattery to you as it happens beginning this weekend.

Denver's "Noxious Substances" Ordinance Passes 12-0, Moonbats Fume

Drunkablog has an extensive written recap of the proceedings.

Here is video of Glenn Spagnuolo of Recreate '68 attacking City Councilman Doug Linkhart (the bill's author and source of the "house of urine" story) and being chastised for using expletives, as well as Adam Jung of Tent State and Barbara Cohen offering their thoughts on the proposed ordinance, which passed 12-0:



Part II--including Recreate '68 resident puppet guru, Tom Mesnick:



Part III:

Don't Bomb Iran!

In a rather feeble tune up for the impending DNC festivities, a handful of local moonbats (and the intrepid bloggers who cover them) sweltered in 100 degree heat around noon yesterday on the west steps of the Capitol. The message? Don't bomb Iran!

Drunkablog has plenty more photos as well, with some, uh, responses, for Denver's finest moonbats. Also via Drunka, Urban Infidel, who captured the New York edition.

Nothing like a little preemptive protesting:


Yep--a CCCP shirt right there in the midst of the signage, and a request to read Lew Rockwell.


The folks from Colorado Gathering of Eagles were there to support the troops and engage in a little counter-moonbattery.


As Drunkablog points out, nothing says moonbat protest like quoting Churchill. Ward Churchill, that is.


"Obama + McCain = Imperialist War Pigs"


The clouds didn't offer much relief from the triple-digit heat, but the relatively few protestors were balanced out by a good number of tourists taking in the sights.


It kept looking like things were about to kick off, but nothing really happened--no redundant songs, no manifesto speeches--they didn't seem angry, but more resigned. Heh.


That's Spagnadoodles (Glenn Spagnuolo of Recreate '68) on the left. Observe the moonbat with the most hateful, and most revealing sign of the day, right there in the middle--"Abort the Troops." But don't--I repeat--don't question their patriotism.

Alliance For Real Democracy DNC Schedule Released

Highlights: Cynthia McKinney, CodePink, Resurrection City Free University--focusing on praxis and theory, Flobots, Cornel West.

Lowlights: Cynthia McKinney, CodePink, Resurrection City Free University--focusing on praxis and theory, Flobots, Cornel West.

Via NotMyTribe:

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23

All Day City Park
Set up at City Park

Afternoon (TBD) City Park
Resurrection City Free University
Non-Violence Training

5:00 - 10:00 PM Gates Crescent Park
Welcoming BBQ & Drinks for the Delegates

——————————-
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24

All Day Platte River & Cherry Creak Trails
AFSC Banners
AFSC is planning on displaying banners for about 100 yards in each direction from REI.

All Day City Park
Art Installations
A variety of art pieces representing progressive ideals.

(9:00 AM
Begin at the WEST STEPS OF THE CAPITOL.
End on Speer Blvd in front of the Pepsi Center.
End the Occupations March and Rally
March to end all illegal imperialist occupations in Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Hawaii, North America, and others.)

1:00 PM Various Denver Locations
Funk the War: Dance for Peace
A creative action with an emphasis on music and visuals. Smaller feeder marches lead to a central location with a concert.

Immediately Following Funk the War/Dance Party for Peace City Park
Concert featuring: Son of Nun, Jello, Brian Harvey, David Rovics

7:00 PM Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theater
Evening of Conscience: No Attack on Iran
Feature performances on opposing any moves towards a U.S. attack on Iran.

(Evening Central Presbyterian Church, 1660 Sherman St.
Progressive Welcome to Denver)

——————————-
MONDAY, AUGUST 25

10:30 AM City Park
Town Hall Meeting
Brief ARD meeting to review the day.

12:00 - 6:00 PM City Park
Resurrection City Free University
A free university focusing on praxis and theory

5:00 PM City Park
Nomination of Partyless Youth Ticket
A chance for the youth to nominate a candidate that speaks to them.

Evening (TBD) TBD
Cynthia McKinney Speech
Speech by presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney.

6:30 PM City Park
CODEPINK Concert
A concert highlighting many powerful and talented women.

——————————–
TUESDAY, AUGUST 26

10:30 AM City Park
Town Hall Meeting
Brief ARD meeting to review the day.

11:00 AM Skyline Park
A Walk in their Shoes
Thousands of shoes will represent the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have died.

12:00 - 6:00 PM City Park
Resurrection City Free University
A free university focusing on praxis and theory

3:00 PM City Park
Concert featuring Blue Scholars, David Rovics, and others.

Afternoon (TBD) City Park
Partyless Youth Platform
The youth will be given an opportunity to create their platform.

Afternoon/ Evening (TBD) Downtown
Operation First Casualty
Street theater that demonstrates the reality of war.

(6:30 PM City Park
Democratic Party “Watching Party”
Local Democrats will host a big-screen TV for non-seated Democrats to watch the Convention.)

————————————-
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27

10:30 AM City Park
Town Hall Meeting
Brief ARD meeting to review the day.

12:00 - 6:00 PM City Park
Resurrection City Free University
A free university focusing on praxis and theory

12:00 Noon City Park
Concert featuring: Flobots, State Radio, The Coup, Wayne Kramer, Son of Nun, Jello, and others.

Afternoon (TBD) City Park
Partyless Youth Acceptance Speech
The Partyless Youth nominee will give an acceptance speech.

3:30 PM TBD
IVAW March to End the War
Iraq Veterans Against the War will march in opposition to the war in Iraq.

(Evening Buelle Theater
Cultural Events: Cornel West and the Flobots)

———————————–
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28

10:30 AM City Park
Town Hall Meeting
Brief ARD meeting to review the day.

TBD TBD
Immigrant Rights March and Rally
The march, with a national scope, will provide a venue for immigrants and their allies to demonstrate their decree for just and fair reform for our country’s broken immigration system.

12:00 - 6:00 PM City Park
Resurrection City Free University
A free university focusing on praxis and theory

(TBD INVESCO Field
Obama’s Acceptance Speech
Obama will give his acceptance speech to 75,000 people at INVESCO Field. ARD hopes to have a presence outside.)

—————————–
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29

All Day City Park
Tear Down and Clean Up
All of ARD will be needed to help clean and clear City Park

All Day TBD
Buses to St. Paul
ARD would like to help coordinate buses and carpooling to St. Paul for the Republican National Convention.

MSM Rediscovers DNC Protestors For The 1000th Time; Obama At Invesco Ticket Plans Produce More Questions Than Answers

Not much new here--a repetition of plans for "non-violence" and preemptive blame on police, with neither police nor protestors discussing plans in any great detail--except that they will be watching the watchers watch them (or something like that):

Dozens of protest groups are planning a full schedule of classes, concerts, marches and other actions during the Democratic National Convention, hoping to capture the world's attention and recruit a new crop of activists.

They are both energized and organized, and most insist they are not looking for trouble.

"We are completely peaceful," said Rob Weiland, a 37-year-old courier from Denver and member of the group We Are Change Colorado. "We follow the ideals of Ghandi."

The organization will be videotaping other groups and police during the DNC, scheduled for Aug. 25 to 28.

They'll post the videos on YouTube or the group's Web site, so the public may see what's happening without the filter of mainstream media, Weiland said.

If any protest groups are provoking police, he added, "our cameras will be on them."

So will ours.

---

Barack Obama's speech at Invesco Field has many unanswered questions, with just a little over a month to go--the who, what, and how many are still unclear:

How many people will get in? How will tickets be distributed? Where will the stage be set up? What time will Obama, the Democratic Party's presumed presidential nominee, give his historic speech?

All of it is still on the drawing board.

"When we roll it out, we want to roll it out right," said Jenny Backus, a senior adviser to the Obama campaign.

Then there's security, those pesky protestors, any potential Clinton infiltrators, road blockages to resolve, where everyone will park, etc.

We'll keep you updated.

Denver Considers Protest Tool Ban For DNC

"Diversity of tactics" meet Denver City Council's newest proposed ordinance (curiously prepared back in April):

The prospect of protesters linking themselves with devices that bolt cutters can't sever or throwing buckets of feces on police has Denver considering putting a new law on the books before the Democratic National Convention.

Demonstrators would be banned from having items such as chains, quick-setting cement, homemade locking devices that are resistant to bolt cutters and "any noxious substance," City Council members said Monday.

"Protesters are getting pretty sophisticated," said Councilman Doug Linkhart, chairman of the council's safety committee.

"In other cities, they're not just handcuffing themselves to each other," he said. "They put their handcuffs inside PVC tubes, which are inside concrete. They've figured out ways that keep the police from just using bolt cutters to cut them apart. They also use buckets of urine and feces and various noxious substances to pour on themselves or the police."

Denver's proposed ordinance would make it illegal to carry any "tool, object, instrument or other article" that can be used to obstruct streets, sidewalks and entry or exits from buildings or for hindering emergency equipment.

"We're just trying to very narrowly define an area where, if they have these kinds of tools and we can prove intent, then we can arrest them," Linkhart said.

Recreate WTO '99! Urine, feces, noxious substances, oh my!

The broad definition will most likely make the new ordinance "more restrictive" than the one passed last month by Arapahoe County. More ACLU challenges, Glenn Spagnuolo quotes, and moonbat shrieking (and hilarity) to ensue:

Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz, another safety committee member, said Denver's proposal is "more restrictive" than an ordinance approved by Arapahoe County, where some of the convention delegates will be staying.

Last month, Arapahoe County commissioners passed an ordinance that makes it unlawful for demonstrators to carry shafts, rods, projectile launchers and other potential weapons at picket lines and other public assemblies.

While the Arapahoe County ordinance deals with specific weapons, Denver's focuses on tools that could impede police.

The ban in Arapahoe County also includes gas masks.

Linkhart said Denver police wanted to include gas masks and bulletproof vests in the list of banned items, but council members saw those more as items for personal protection than something that could be used for disruptive purposes.

Linkhart has requested a public hearing on the proposed law, which would stay on the city's books after the convention Aug. 25-28.

A special safety committee meeting has been scheduled for July 23.

And will be well attended by the tinfoil/R68! alliance. The new ordinance, if passed, would also likely face testing at the annual Columbus Day Parade protestpalooza in addition to the proceedings at the DNC.

This appears to be a direct response to the indirect "diversity of tactics" mentioned repeatedly across the various sites of the protest groups planning activities at the DNC--vaguely defined, these "tactics" are intended to halt proceedings and impede the delegates, as well as bog traffic down and tie up police forces. The availability of tools making it more difficult to break up a group of determined protestors will only exacerbate the problem, lengthen delays, and create more opportunity for confrontation. Even with arms linked, protestors at the last Columbus Day caused delays of over an hour, and this action was limited to one street corner, a few hundred protestors, one parade, and a quiet Saturday morning. Anything but the type of conditions that will be presented at the DNC.

Democratic National Convention Countdown, No. 47-46

Democratic National Convention Daily Digest and Open Thread
Wednesday June 9 and Thursday June 10, 2008--No. 47-46

•Recreate '68 punk'd by local artist, Glenn Spagnuolo not happy (an update to this story)--"REMEMBER ‘68 HIPPY? WE BEAT YOUR ASS! WE BEAT YOU THEN! WE’LL BEAT YOU AGAIN!"

•The DNCC has a new signup for information on tickets to the Barack Obama speech at Invesco Field

•Denver can't make the homeless go away for the DNC, so they'll give them some "culture" (via Hot Air):

"If they don't want to get caught up in the protests or demonstrations, we'll find other activities that will keep them busy," said John Parvensky, President of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

A plan has been developed to provide interested homeless people with free access to cultural activities. They include the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and they won't have to worry about paying for transportation.

"We'll have bus tokens if they need them," Parvensky said.

•DemConWatch takes a look at summer temperatures and weather events for each of the days of the DNC; preseason NFL game shuffling due to Barack Obama's Invesco Field decision; Colorado Public Radio has an interview about plans for the DNC, including Pepsi Center preparations and the move to Invesco Field; the DNCC host committee tries to refute the fried food "ban" and other catering requirements that have been mentioned in the media; is the DNC really a "non-news event"?; Black Eyed Pea will play at Creative Coalition concert for the Hollywood types; Nevada leads the way in the underparticipated Green delegate challenge at DNC

•Green landscaping at the Pepsi Center for DNC--and you're paying for it

•Denver space alien guy Jeff Peckman will hold a news conference during the DNC to tout "technologies" that the aliens have to offer

---

All previous Daily Digests can be found here.http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Democratic National Convention Countdown, No. 48

Democratic National Convention Daily Digest and Open Thread
Tuesday July 8, 2008--No. 48

•Secret Service has no plans to search DNC protestors in the Public Demonstration Zone

•Rescheduled media walkthrough at the Pepsi Center took place today (slideshow); update on blogger arrangments inside the Pepsi Center reveals less than ideal conditions (blogger lounge in the Nuggets' weight room)

•Obama's decision to move to Invesco Field forces networks to seek cost reductions, including staff cuts and remote anchoring away from the stadiums:

According to several broadcast executives, the networks will still cover all the major speeches. But beyond that, all options are open as they look for savings to balance out the anticipated costs surrounding the stadium event. The acceptance event is an unexpected departure from the traditional convention hall format for which they have spent months planning.

Network executives expect Obama’s relatively late-breaking decision to speak at Invesco Field at Mile High, a 76,000-seat football stadium, could add hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs to already cash-strapped news divisions. Each network has budgeted millions to cover the political conventions, but that spending is already accounted for in specific costs ranging from hotel rooms to staffing to building convention platforms.

For most networks, any additional outlays for the convention would come out of their 2008 campaign budget.

Obama’s decision “makes it enormously more expensive,” said Paul Friedman, senior vice president at CBS News. “It does add to the overall question of how the networks should cover what is a non-news event.”

“We're trying to figure out ways to cover what we need to cover and still stay in our budget,” said Bob Murphy, a 30-year veteran of ABC News and the executive in charge of the network's convention coverage. “The change in the schedule clearly has put some very severe cost issues on the table and we are trying to figure out how to deal with that.”

Hmmm, a "non-news event?"

•MSNBC yakkers Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann will have outdoor sets, providing an even larger draw for protestors

•Denver, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to grant a permit for Democrats to throw a party in City Park, right next to the Tent State slums "encampment"

•Minnesota Gambling Control Board's inquiry into the Barack Obama campaign's offer of admission to Invesco Field and backstage meeting prompts contest rule changes to avoid being an illegal lottery

•Glenn Spagnuolo and company are still saying Parking Lot A is too far away from delegates

•Help ease congestion and commute "green" to work Downtown in August and receive $100

•DemConWatch has its daily roundup, including an African-American TV station that will cover the DNC, but will avoid the RNC

---

All previous Daily Digests can be found here.

Democratic National Convention Countdown, No. 55-49

**The Daily Digest will resume its normal schedule this week**

Democratic National Convention Daily Digest and Open Thread
Tuesday July 1-Monday July 7, 2008--No. 55-49

Blogs:

•Barack Obama at Invesco Field--it's official . . .

•Drunkablog--Despite the DNCC's protestations to the contrary, not everything is going well for the DNC, including the much-reported dismal fundraising efforts, and Mayor John Hickenlooper strays off the "everything's just fine" story line by complaining that he can't "sell" the DNC to donors

•Drunkablog digs a little deeper into the new Alliance for Real Democracy that replaced Recreate '68s umbrella organization (which includes SDS, Tent State, Iraq Veterans Against the War, CodePink, and some Truthers) and notes that, in addition to stealing Recreate '68s ideas, followers, and musicians, it also appears to be following in the same footsteps of claiming to be non-violent while advocating potentially violent actions--progress and change indeed

•NY TImes' critique of DNCC's handling of the DNC raises questions about Democrats' ability to plan/organize/govern; no less than Aaron Myers, the director of online communications for the DNCC, shows up in comments to refute the paper of record's accusations

•Planners of the massive "pro-immigration" march on the second day of the DNC expect 50000, do not have permits to march along their preferred route, and have invited Barack Obama to join them

•Rush Limbaugh weighs in again on Recreate '68 and the DNC

•Drunkablog establishes that Glenn Spagnuolo and his minions at Recreate '68 have managed to alienate, well, just about everyone (with plenty of links):

So let's tot up the score. Feminists hate !Recreate68 because it's a patriarchal hellhole stuffed full of imperialist "brother dicks"; Troofers hate R!68 because even R!68 figured out that Troofer-brand craziness is a liability; middle-class white peaceniks hate R6!8 because R68! wants violence; and now blacks hate R68!! because it comes off as, well, racist.

•D-blog examines the city's plans to keep the homeless of Denver in Denver during the DNC (with flat-screen TVs!) and notes the NY Times' coverage of the move

•D-blog tries to keep up with who's in and who's out (mostly out) of Recreate '68 after the recent internecine squabbles

---

•DemConWatch--says the LA Times has confirmed that Barack Obama's acceptance speech will be at Invesco Field, not Pepsi Center, MSM plans emergency meeting to confront logistical nightmare; announcement on venue change to come Monday; Obama campaign remains unhappy with DNC preparations

•DemConWatch--the last time outdoor speech was tried (1960/JFK/Coliseum in LA), it didn't go so well, managing to tick off the MSM of the day who noticed (and reported) the half-empty stadium, despite a year of planning

•DemConWatch--has a short roundup; extensive details on the traveling Presidential memorabilia exhibit planned for Invesco Field's parking lot during the DNC; MSM plans only 1 hour of coverage a night, relegating "gavel-to-gavel" coverage to cable, Internet

---

•The Colorado Independent reveals some "street art" that has gone up in anticipation of the DNC--featuring John McCain as the Grim Reaper and the MSM as--wait for it--vultures; more expensive DNC events and potential celebrity sitings; supporters of Hillary Clinton plan to demand a roll-call vote at the convention to preserve the "democratic process"

---

All previous Daily Digests can be found here.

DNC Protest Groups File Bigger Lawsuit, Seek More Concessions

Give 'em an inch:

Groups wanting to protest at the Democratic National Convention filed new court challenges to Denver and the Secret Service's rules governing protests and parades, saying they violate the public's right to free speech.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents 13 protest groups, has filed an amended complaint in federal court asking U.S. District Judge Marcia S. Krieger to order the city and Secret Service to make changes.

What are the protestors seeking?

Glad you asked:

Move the "public demonstration zone," a fenced area where groups would be allowed to protest, to be within sight and sound of delegates entering the Pepsi Center.

The zone is currently planned for a corner of Lot A, or VIP parking, farthest from the Pepsi Center entrance.

"No human voice, or any other sound ... can ever hope to reach a person at the entrance to the Pepsi Center from inside the Public Demonstration Zone," the ACLU wrote in court documents.

No sound perhaps, but the wafting patchouli/body odor might be overwhelming. Believe me, the delegates will know the protestors are there.

Next:

Allow protesters to hand out leaflets to delegates or others attending the convention who are within the "hard security zone," or secured perimeter, of the Pepsi Center. The city has said this will not be allowed, according to the ACLU lawsuit.

Nope. Security concerns aside, leaflets aren't "green." Come on protestors, get on the "green" bandwagon!

Allow parades to pass near the Pepsi Center and at times when delegates are present.

The city's approved parade route runs from near Civic Center, west on Colfax Avenue and north on Speer Boulevard, and ends at Seventh Street and Auraria Parkway, which is the entry and exit point for the public demonstration zone in Parking Lot A.

It does not include Chopper Circle or Ninth Street, as the protest groups want.

The city is allowing parades only between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Convention organizers have said delegates will arrive at the Pepsi Center around 3 p.m. each day.

Unlikely, though corraling thousands of protestors left over from the afternoon parades into the small public demonstration zone in Lot A or getting them to disperse before the Pepsi Center will be a tall task.

Approve alternate parade routes for two groups. One group wants to hold an immigration parade that would start at 29th Street and Speer and run south to Sunken Gardens park. The other wants to march from Civic Center to the federal courthouse at 18th and Stout Streets to urge the release of political prisoners. The city has denied both requests.

City officials and the Secret Service have said they must balance the rights of people to express themselves with the need for security during the DNC, scheduled for Aug. 25 to 28.

They insist the public will still have ample opportunity to communicate with the delegates and others attending the convention.

Krieger has scheduled an all-day hearing for July 29 to consider the ACLU's requests.

Protestors want "Parade-A-Palooza" and the city has bent over backwards allowing at least SIXTEEN hours of parades during the four days of the convention. That is all, apparently, not enough.

20K Anti-War Protestors Plot DNC Camp Out At City Park

There's just one snag--they can't stay past 11pm--but first the moonbats from Tent State discuss the small city they are hoping will arrive in Denver:

Neighbors are bracing for 20,000 anti-war protesters planning a five-day camp in City Park during the Democratic National Convention.

The city issued an assembly permit for Tent State University to bring the tribe of college kids from across the country for an "alternative university" Aug. 24-28 in the southwest corner of the park.

"Come to Denver to end a war!" declares the Web site for Tent State University, which describes itself as "a a positive, youth-led initiative to fund education instead of war."

Tent State will be a staging area "to experience real democracy" and DNC protests and it will be a campus for "classrooms" teaching nonviolent antiwar tactics and strategies, the Web site says.

But organizers have to iron out some big kinks before they can pitch the tent city just two months from now.

While city statement said the permit is for "approximately 20,000 participants," chief Tent State organizer Adam Jung said he dreams of luring up to 50,000 protesters if he locks up hot music acts ranging from political hip-hop to Southern honky tonk.

Honky Tonk?

Now for that pesky city law that might put a crimp in their plans:

The hang-up: Overnight camping is illegal in the park.

That means each night, thousands of protesters could be forced to exit the park by 11 p.m., roaming the city for places to sleep. Jung says there's not enough nearby hotel rooms at prices college students can afford.

"It's not a camp out," said City Councilwoman Carla Madison, whose district includes the 314-acre park, home to Denver Zoo, a golf course, tennis courts, a lake with paddle boating, and popular music and arts festivals.

"The park closes at 11 p.m. and they have to be gone," she said.

But if you think that the city is planning a hard-line application of its laws, then think again. More negotiations and "dialogue" are planned:

"Now, don't ask me how it's really going to shake out," Madison added. "But that's the way it's going to be: that they can put their tents up, but they can't camp out in them."

Organizer Jung is hopeful that ongoing negotiations with city officials will allow the group to camp overnight at the park.

"We've met with the mayor and we've met with police officials and they're very reasonable people," said Jung, a 28-year-old, raised in a Missouri farm family who hopes to draw people from across the political spectrum to the tent city. I think the city is open to it.

"Our main argument is, if people are allowed to camp, is that we retain control over the entire event," he said. "We're bringing in professional security, so we can direct the energy and we can keep it safe and ... a very positive event."

But, he added, "If we have to figure out a way to remove all of these people at 10 or 11 at night, it becomes very problematic."

"That's what happened in Chicago," Jung said, referring to the 1968 Democratic National Convention's notorious clashes between Vietnam War protesters and Chicago riot police.

Recreate '68 in City Park.  At least it will be a scenic riot.

Also with "professional security." That should go well.

Denver: DNC Protest Area To Have "Wire Mesh Fence"

To keep the moonbats at bay, the Democratic National Convention security plan includes a "wire mesh fence" of an undisclosed height to surround the protestors over in Lot A at the Pepsi Center.

Essentially another of those non-update updates that releases a crumb of information--followed by more whining from Glenn Spagnuolo of Recreate '68:

City officials released a few more details Monday for groups that want to protest outside the Pepsi Center during the Democratic National Convention, including the fact a wire mesh fence will be used to mark the protest area.

But other key components — including what portion of the parking lot will be designated for protest groups and how high the fence will be — were not disclosed. However, the city said it didn't plan on topping the wire mesh fence.

And then there was the issue of the marching route for protest groups and how far away it would be from the Pepsi Center during the convention Aug. 25-28.

Apparently, it was far enough to bring howls of protest from some of the protest groups.

"New York City let us march right in front of Madison Square Garden. I could put my foot on the first step," said Glenn Spagnuolo of Recreate 68. "If New York can let 600,000 people march in front of Madison Square Garden, then they should let 25,000 people march in front of the Pepsi Center."

But city officials assured protest groups that delegates going to and from the Pepsi Center during the convention would be within earshot of protestors and that there would be plenty of other chances for protestors to speak out throughout the city.

Not enough, apparently.

**Update--more details, via the Post:

There will be "wire mesh fencing" but the city "does not anticipate topping the fence," which was a major point of dispute at the 2004 convention in Boston, where razor wire topped the protest area.

More details below from the city of Denver's statement...

- Permits are not required to enter or use the public viewing area.

- Persons using the public viewing area will be protected from unreasonable search and seizure, or conversely may be subject to search and seizure, under Constitutional standards.

- No one will be allowed to obstruct the public viewing area in a way that would prevent free use of the area by others.

- The public viewing area will be open to the public, subject to laws that apply to public areas, including juvenile curfew laws and laws that govern overnight camping in parks and on any public right-of-way.

No worries. The moonbats will camping everywhere else.

Drunkablog--unfailingly--has a roundup and photos of the to-be-enmeshed Lot A, where the animals in a zoo moonbats will be "contained" within "earshot" of the delegates at the Pepsi Center.

Recreate '68 Splinter Group "Alliance For Real Democracy" Promises Non-Violence, Won't Discuss Split

The non-violence is in their bylaws--take that Glenn Spagnuolo!

A new coalition of protest groups promises free concerts, art displays, classes for activists and a "massive" anti-war march during this summer's Democratic National Convention.

The Alliance for Real Democracy is made up of 12 groups, many led by activists in their early 20s and 30s.
. . .
"This is as much a part of the process as going to a very formal convention," said Jojo Pease, an organizer with Students for a Democratic Society.

Some of the groups were previously affiliated with the Re-Create 68 Alliance, but split off after a disagreement over tactics.

Re-Create 68 has promised demonstrations that will rival those at the notorious Democratic convention in Chicago held in 1968, which was accompanied by street battles between police and anti-Vietnam War demonstrators.

Members of the Alliance for Real Democracy wouldn't talk Tuesday about Re-Create 68 or the split.

But they released bylaws that say the group "will not use or return violence - verbal or physical - toward any person or other creature," and will not damage property, bring weapons to protests or use illegal drugs or alcohol during events.

Re-Create 68, meanwhile, has said that if confronted with violence by police, members will defend themselves.

Who they are and how they party:

The Alliance for Real Democracy includes groups such as CODEPINK, the Green Party, Tent State University, the Denver International Socialist Organization and Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Members declined to say how many people they are expecting at their events, and some details - such as dates and locations of concerts - have not been finalized.

The anti-war parade is scheduled for the Sunday before the convention, which starts Aug. 25 and runs through Aug. 28 at the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver.

The concerts will include a guitarist who played in protest of the Vietnam War during the 1968 convention in Chicago, as well as a local hip-hop group, according to organizers.

Among other events planned is an "aerial image," in which thousands of people will use their bodies to form a message to release detainees at Guantanamo Bay and to stop torture, said Zoe Williams, a member of CODEPINK, an anti-war group whose name is a play on President Bush's color-coded terror alert level.

Alliance for Real Democracy--the kinder, gentler version of Recreate '68.

Same moonbats, minus the heated rhetoric. And bodies, lots of bodies, apparently

**Update--Drunkablog has another Recreate '68 roundup, and asks the question no one else would (or wants the answer to, really): But will they be naked?

My eyes, MY EYES!

DNC Moonbat Splitsville Expands As Recreate '68 Coalition Fractures Over Tactics

**Update--someone claiming to be Adam Jung says that the Adam Jung quoted in Drunkablog's comments isn't him.

Fair enough.

But Whitmer and Spagnuolo's comments still appear to be from them, so I'll keep them up.

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Apparently the Kool-Aid Recreate '68 poured wasn't strong enough, as more moonbat protest groups part ways with Glenn Spagnuolo's "non-violent" coalition (big h/t Drunkablog):

Activists who plan to protest at the Democratic National Convention this summer are splitting with the umbrella organization, Re-create 68, because of concerns over its rhetoric and tactics.

The new coalition, called Alliance for Real Democracy, is a network of local and national groups, including Code Pink, United for Peace and Justice, the American Friends Service Committee, the Green Party of Colorado, the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Colorado Street Medics, and Students for Peace and Justice.

"We've separated ourselves; we're not part of Re-create 68," said Claire Ryder, chairwoman of the Denver Green Party.

Ryder said many activists had attended Re-create 68 meetings and were not comfortable with its organizational techniques.

Nevertheless, she said, "This has all been very difficult because a lot of them are our friends. We've worked together on a lot of other issues over time."

Glenn Spagnuolo, an organizer with Re-create 68, said he doesn't mind the new structure.

"More power to them," he said.

And less power for you, Glenn. Spagnuolo popped up in the comments at Drunkablog to refute some of the groups alleged to have broken away, stating that they have asked the Post for a retraction.

What else does Glenn have to say? Well, that the "liberal Democrat" groups--including the Greens, mind you--are somehow illegitimate by virtue of class (rich) and race (white). Recreate '68, on the other hand, expresses solidarity with the legitimate view of the oppressed minorities--or some Marxist claptrap like that:

Spagnuolo characterizes the groups that are splitting with his as liberal Democrats who are largely white and middle-to-upper class and want their party to guide the country out of the war in Iraq.

He described Re-create 68 as representing minorities, anarchists, communists, socialists and "radicals" who don't support Democrats or Republicans.

Hey, when moonbats turn on one another, hilarity ensues. There is also a run on tinfoil, or so I'm told.

Drunkablog has more comments from Spagnuolo, Benjamin "Ward Churchill is my hero" Whitmer, and accusations that the Spag-man himself is not a member of the proletariat but a member of the bourgeoisie as well as being white.

Wow, that's a double-whammy.

Whitmer's blog calls Adam Jung of Tent State (the first group to bail on the non-violent thugs activists of Recreate '68) a "f-ing liar," says "good riddance" to the parting groups, while also criticizing their "pacifism" (refusal to self-defense, or resisting arrest, depending on who you ask) and accusing them of "bootlicking toadyism."

Contrary to expectations that this might disrupt convention protest plans, it seems that the true radicals are on target for unrestricted protestation without the mitigating moderation of some of the other moonbat groups. With separate groups there will be more separate, uncoordinated events--perhaps with each side trying to outdo one another in escalating their rhetoric or street theater.

Can't be shown up on your own radical protest turf.

Denver's Moonbats Grow Paranoid, Unknown DNC Security Measures Draw Outlandish Conspiracy Theories

**Update: Welcome Michelle Malkin readers--for all the latest moonbat-related Democratic National Convention news, bookmark our DNC countdown, updated daily and marking the march to August 25th (just 81 days away!).

"They'll bring out all the technologies they can get their hands on. I wouldn't put anything past police in terms of crowd control"--activist Ben Yager

Dude.

Denver's organizing moonbats allege that the city's counterprotestor activities will be grossly disproportionate to the situation, including use of the "brown note" of urban legend, longer-lasting tasers, and a microwave ray gun:

Beware of the Brown Note.

That's the word among some political activists as the Democratic National Convention nears.

As legend has it, the Brown Note is an infrasonic frequency believed to resonate through human body parts and cause a loss of bowel control. Some protesters are convinced that Denver police will amplify such low frequencies to subdue them in August.

"They'll bring out all the technologies they can get their hands on," says activist Ben Yager. "I wouldn't put anything past police in terms of crowd control."

Sounds paranoid?

Maybe. But Mayor John Hickenlooper's administration is only fueling conspiracy theories by refusing to disclose what equipment it's buying with $18 million in federal money. Even after being sued last week, the city insists on keeping its list a secret.

"Commenting on specific security preparations is not helpful to ensuring their effectiveness," says city spokeswoman Sue Cobb.

The "brown note" myth has been debunked, but that doesn't stop the moonbats' wild flights of fancy when it comes to police equipment and security tactics employed at the convention:

In May, council members gave their nod to major expenditures such as a new SWAT vehicle, communications equipment and an amplification system. Rather than any serious discussion about why such big-ticket items may be needed, the council's safety committee instead chose to crack jokes.

"I'm not quite sure I know what a SWAT vehicle is all about," said Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz.

"Can we use it for insects?" quipped Councilman Doug Linkhart to much guffawing.

The city flat-out refuses to say how it plans to use the $385,000 amplification system that council members approved with little public discussion. That's why activists like Yager are buzzing about the Brown Note, real or imagined, and sonic weapons that cities such as New York have mounted on SWAT trucks to control protesters.

The moonbattish nuttiness gets even more delicious when Recreate '68 bigwigs like Glenn Spagnuolo start spewing insanity positing theories about Denver's security plans:

The source of much chatter is Glenn Spagnuolo, co- founder of the Re-create 68 activist alliance and who claims to have inside information about the Police Department's cache of so-called less-lethal weapons — a term as absurd as "low-fat Oreo."

As Spagnuolo tells it, the list includes new Taser guns that stun people for 20 seconds (as if the 5 seconds in the good old days wasn't long enough).

Don't tase me, bro!

Here comes the MOALLW--"mother of all less-lethal weapons"--and the protestors who love them:

Activists also prognosticate that Denver will dispatch the mother of all less-lethal weapons — a microwave ray gun said to cause a burning sensation in the skin. The Pentagon hasn't used the system in Iraq, lest it be accused of torture. Lefty activists speculate that Raytheon is seeking to test a limited-range civilian version for domestic crowd control in Denver this summer.

"That, we think, is not a conspiracy theory," says Re-create 68 co-founder Mark Cohen, 62, who cut his teeth in activism when the highest technology that protesters feared was wooden billy clubs.

In a letter to the city Tuesday, Hickenlooper touted the convention as a "tremendous marketing opportunity" for Denver. Being the skilled marketer that he is, you would think the mayor would be the first to put an end to wild speculation about his police and their new bowel-moving sci-fi toys.

Unless, of course, it's true.

In which case I would remind the mayor that we aren't hosting a war but a convention — and a purportedly democratic one in a time of turmoil and widespread distrust of government and its all-too- heavy hand and secretive ways.

Even the most gifted humorist couldn't imagine a parody more demonstrative of the distance with which the moonbats have placed between themselves and reality.

In the blogosphere the phrase "you can't make this stuff up" comes up a great deal--and in this case, the saying assuredly fits.

Democratic National Convention Countdown, No. 88

Democratic National Convention Daily Digest and Open Thread
Thursday May 29, 2008--No. 88

MSM:

Hillary Clinton's supporters plan to march on the DNC convention--no not the one here in Denver in August, but the rules meeting in DC this weekend.

DNC security will include officers from Boulder County.

Top Dems don't want the primary going on much longer, and certainly not all the way up to the DNC, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Blogs:

Drunkablog--Recreate '68 just misunderstood?

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All previous Daily Digests can be found here.

Democratic National Convention Countdown, No. 89

Democratic National Convention Daily Digest and Open Thread
Wednesday May 28, 2008--No. 89

MSM:

Diversity quotas determine DNC delegate selection.

The New York Times notices that the DNCC is a few dollars short as well--about $15 million with a little over two weeks left until the June 16 deadline.

Blogs:

The ACLU has filed yet another lawsuit, this time using Colorado's open records, to gain access to the city of Denver's DNC security and equipment plans and purchases.

The "Afrosphere" levels charges of racism at the DNC's blogger selection.

Drunkablog discusses Glenn Spagnuolo's (Recreate '68) questioning of the new wireless video surveillance plans for the DNC--and the city's further plan to retain that system once the convention has concluded.

The Denver Post will sit down with the Colorado state blog at the DNC--SquareState.net--for a webcast and moderated Q&A.

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All previous Daily Digests can be found here.

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.