The American Civil Liberties Union plans to lobby for changes to Colorado laws that require nude offenders to register as sex offenders, claiming the laws are unusually harsh.
"We are very concerned about the way in which the Colorado sex-offender registry is set up, resulting in sex-offender status for these kinds of activities," Judd Golden, who chairs the Boulder County chapter of the ACLU, told the Boulder Daily Camera.
The ACLU will host a public forum Tuesday called "Naked in Boulder." The forum will discuss whether nude offenders should be treated as "pranksters and protesters, or criminals and sex offenders."
Protesting in the nude is not something that Tea Party-goers will be doing anytime soon, as this remains exclusively within the domain of left-leaning organizations. But naked bike rides are hardly worthy of sex-offender registry punishments--eye bleach yes, but nothing more.
Boulder's DA provides the highlight of the article--when dealing with the issue of nudity in public, word choice is always important:
"We're dealing with a square peg in a round hole," Stan Garnett, who became Boulder County's district attorney shortly after the pumpkin running incident, told the Camera. "Most people would say people running down the mall with pumpkins on their heads may not be somebody who is at risk of becoming a sex offender in the future."
At least 80 feet separated the enclosed protesters from the inner perimeter of the Xcel Center in this area.
Stop the War!
"Brains not Bombs!" "McCain = Bush"
The socialists were out as well.
Closing the gate on protesters.
The security checkpoint was evenly distributed and quite efficient, and the buses just a short distance away.
Protesters had been confined to the narrow passage in the center, and funneled away from the Xcel Center off to the right.
Celebrity sightings:
Actor and on-screen tough guy Robert Davi chatted with guests on the 2nd floor of the Xcel Center.
Kevin Farley and Robert Davi posed for photos while discussing their new comedy, "An American Carol" due out October 3 (trailer), directed by David Zucker of "Airplane" and "Naked Gun" fame.
The effects of Hurricane Gustav:
A steady crowd monitored the reports on Hurricane Gustav.
Red Cross operations set up information tables and called for donations and other relief efforts.
First Lady Laura Bush and Sen. John McCain's wife Cindy McCain urge delegates and RNC guests to join the relief effort in any way they can.
**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.
Police have issued some advice to protesters at the Democratic convention about what they can and can't do.
A pamphlet tells protesters they can be arrested if they refuse an order to disperse, even if they aren't breaking any law. Other grounds for arrest include blocking streets, sidewalks or parades and disrupting public assemblies.
Police say it doesn't matter if those actions are civil disobedience or symbolic actions.
Police also remind protesters of their rights. They can protest on public sidewalks without a permit as long as they leave enough room for others to pass and obey traffic signals. Speech that angers other people is protected, but speakers can be arrested for advocating violence or breaking the law.
It was put together with the help of the city's Agency for Human Rights and Community Relations and modeled after reminders issued by other previous convention cities, such as Los Angeles, said Lucia Guzman, the agency's executive director. She said thousands of copies have been printed and they'll also be available after the convention leaves town.
Glenn Spagnuolo, co-founder of protest group Recreate 68, said he thinks it's the police, not protesters, who need a reminder about the First Amendment.
"We have a pamphlet called the Constitution. A lot of us have read it already," he said.
Spagnuolo also thinks the pamphlet's arrest warning is intended to discourage people from protesting at the convention, which starts Monday.
Guzman disagreed.
"We've always meant it as a supportive document. I'm sorry people are looking at it the other way," she said.
It is doubtful that any such document, whether well or ill-intended, would do much to sway protesters from their self-appointed demonstrations.
Just as the protesters began issuing their preemptive "law enforcement is to blame" for any violence meme months ago, Denver's law enforcement is trying to do a little preemption of their own by giving protesters advanced warning.
"We are making a commitment to non-violence," said Glenn Spagnuolo of Re-create '68, a group planning protests for a variety of progressive causes.
"We'd like to see minimal show of force by the police unless necessary," Spagnuolo said. "They could stage out of sight from the protest and be called in case they're needed at a protest."
Asked for a successful example of a mass protest marked by mutual respect between protesters and police, Spagnuolo pointed to a large anti-war rally outside the Republican National Convention in New York City in 2004.
"When people said, 'OK, we're being allowed to protest, we're being allowed to march,' there's no reason to get in that kind of confrontational, adversarial role, and it went off without a hitch," Spagnuolo said.
Ben Yager of the activist group Unconventional Denver hedged when asked if activists planned to be arrested and incarcerated during DNC protests. Asked to define success for his organization, he defined disruption.
"Everything's pre-decided, everything's preplanned," Yager said. "They have a script of everything they're going to say and making them deviate from that script, making them step outside the box of what they are comfortable doing and address what democracy really is."
Still, Yager says he did not see any point in antagonizing police into violent confrontations.
"I don't think anyone gets satisfaction out of getting beat up," Yager said.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics began today, and with the coinciding Democratic National Convention coming up in just two weeks, we (SP and Drunkablog) offer this list of 10 reasons why the DNC will be like the Beijing Olympics.
Security measures include surface-to-air missiles outside the main Olympic stadium, 100,000 anti-terrorist personnel and a half-million volunteers watching neighborhoods.
Combat aircraft, helicopters, warships, chemical-defense equipment and radar are on call. We've got black military choppers and the crap cannon (see above)
3. Both are touted as the "greenest" ever--China wants to have the greenest Olympics ever: China has relocated factories, seeded clouds, planted millions of trees, halted construction and dramatically limited traffic in recent weeks to clean up the air. We have a greening director . . .
Calling all mobile musicians, marching bands, and folks who want to make noise and reclaim the streets of Denver during the Democratic National Convention–we need you!
On the first day of action during the DNC, we’ll be reclaiming the streets from the police and corporate occupation of Denver. Our celebration in and of the streets will be one of music and noise and so we are inviting mobile musicians, insurrectionary marching bands, radical cheerleaders, and all others who want to make the streets a joyous, vibrant space to come to Denver and add your voice, noise, and music to our collective expression of autonomy and freedom from occupation.
If drums, horns, or strings aren’t your style, come with pots, pans, sticks, and boom boxes to lend your hand in the noise. We’ll demonstrate that real transformation does not come from the parties of the ruling class inside convention centers but from the people and in the streets!
Get a hold of the Urban Reclamation Front of Unconventional Denver (urfud@hushmail.com) and let us know if you’ll be arriving with a band, an instrument, a boom box, or pots and pans. We’ll have space to store noise devices and tools of clamor if you arrive early or are able to bring more than you’ll need for yourself to share with comrades. Get your noise ready and we’ll see each other in the streets!
For revolution….for music….for noise!
For pete's sake!
Better bring some earplugs along with that eye bleach to the protests . . .
Lemme guess--"hey hey, ho ho" or "this is what democracy looks like" and several other recycled protest chants.
The first in a series of lists leading up the DNC--some will be tongue-in-cheek (hopefully, like this one), while others will be informative, especially to our out-of-state readers.
Given the penchant of the radical left for acronyms (ANSWER--Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) and a desire to appear "clever," here are some suggested names that missed the cut, in no particular order:
1. A.S.S.--Anarchists Supporting Socialism! (or something like that)
2. S.H.I.T.--Stop Hate, Imperialism and Tyranny! (now!)
3. F.A.R.T.--Free Anarchist Radical Teams (they are all bandannaed, "autonomous" teams of one, of course)
4. D.U.M.B.--Denver Unconventional Moonbat Brigade (they want to reclaim "moonbat" from the evil, right-wing, Christo-fascist, imperialist capitalists!)
6. U.R.I.N.E.--Unconventional Revolutionaries Incorporating Nude Egalitarianism (see explanation above)
7. T.A.R.D.--The Alliance for Real Democracy . . . wait, that's a real one! (CWCID--Ben Whitmer really, really doesn't like TARD, and coined the phrase)
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."
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 thugsactivists 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.
**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
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.
Broomfield Extends Invite To Protestors Ahead Of State GOP Convention
A community meeting is planned next week to address potential concerns and "open a dialogue" of protestors contemplating demonstrations outside the Broomfield Event Center May 31:
Broomfield Police Department will host a community meeting on Wednesday, May 28, 2008, at 1:00 p.m. at the Broomfield Municipal Library auditorium, 3 Community Park Road. The purpose of this meeting is to open a dialogue with individuals and/or organizations that intend to demonstrate at the Republican State Convention, being held on May 31, 2008, at the Broomfield Event Center.
Broomfield Police Department is aware, that at events such as this, organizations plan demonstrations to convey a message to attendees. Broomfield Police Department is committed to protecting the rights of those demonstrating, as well as the rights of those attending the Convention. This meeting will discuss the types of activities that are protected by law, as well as what is considered unlawful conduct.
It is the desire of the Broomfield Police Department to communicate and collaborate with all interested parties to ensure the safety and protection of all.
If you have any questions about this press release, contact Sergeant Mark Goodell, Public Information Officer, at 303-438-6419.
There hasn't been much stirring from the usual gang of protestors, but Broomfield's proximity to Boulder certainly does not preclude another round of moonbattery outside the GOP state convention.
DNC Meme In Action--Law Enforcement, Not Protestors, To Blame
Drunkablog and SP have been detailing the extent to which the anti-war, anti-capitalist, anti-American moonbat protestors led by Glenn Spagnuolo, Recreate '68, and others at this summer's Democratic National Convention have denied any violent intent--they claim to be pursuing the First Amendment freedoms they are guaranteed (and rightfully so).
If there is any violence, it will not be the protestors, but law enforcement cited as the instigators of the resultant mayhem, mass arrests, and possibly worse.
Reporters kept asking me if the local Colorado Democratic State Convention was going to be a “dry run” for groups planning something big at the national convention in August. Perhaps their curiosity was peaked* by our mention on Michael Moore’s list of DNC dry run opportunities. I told them I was aware of no such plans, but it became clear to me today that my callers had been on to something. There was a dry run in the works, and it was being carried out by law enforcement.
I was arrested today, through no planning of my own. There was confusion over where the First Amendment applied and where it did not. The police seized upon the chance to arrest, process and hold us, until our opportunity to be heard had passed. We were mighty confused at the time, but in retrospect the police maneuver was carried out like clockwork.
Yep, those dastardly law enforcement officers went out of their way to personally target the two moonbats who were merely confused about what was going on, and where they could and could not protest.
It is a certainty that similar arguments will be leveled at the security detail surrounding the various venues of the Democratic National Convention. Claims of ignorance (on the part of protestors), lack of consultation with the protest groups, ill-defined "secure" areas, etc., are sure to be the order of the day. "Provocative" acts will be redefined as tests of freedom, and outright refusal to obey lawful police orders recast as the usual illegal oppression, silencing alternative viewpoints, yada yada yada.
Spagnuolo himself has stated, "if there's going to be violence, it will be instigated by the police." Even the law suit filed by the ACLU on behalf of the protesting groups positions the muddled moonbats as preemptive victims of a conspiracy by law enforcement and the Secret Service to keep them intentionally ignorant of the exact security parameters as a way of justifying the protestors' subsequent arrests.
“We are going to mop the floor with John McCain”--Rep. Diane DeGette, D-Denver
If you're interested in what our friends across the aisle are doing at the Colorado Democrat Party state convention, the folks at Colorado Confidential are team-blogging the event:
They also have some photos, a roundup of the invited state party bigwigs (Gov. Ritter, Congresswoman DeGette, Rep. Salazar and Sen. Salazar, Senate candidate Rep. Mark Udall, Rep. Perlmutter, and Clinton groupie and campaign manager Terry McAuliffe-stirs a bit of controversy with Clinton vs. Obama speech), and an update on two anti-war protestors arrested for leaving the "Free Speech Zone".
Not My Tribe, the blogging home of one of the arrested protestors, features a local Colorado Springs news bit on the anti-war protestors' plans on using this weekend's festivities as a "dry run" for Denver's Democratic National Convention in August.
There was also a moment of silence in Sen. Ted Kennedy's (D-MA) honor.
DNC Protestors Facing A Crackup As Recreate '68 Struggles To Retain Power; DNC Sponsors Bring Money To Politics
"The conflict was over R-68’s unfortunate name – a reference to the bloody 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago – and the rhetoric of the group’s leadership, interpreted by many as needlessly aggressive and reckless. Despite this blatant rift, Spagnuolo and the Cohens stuck with their assertion that their group would be playing host to “tens of thousands of protesters” this August"--Westword
So Tent State University is on the outs with their protest brethren at Re-create '68. What gives? Last Friday, when the ACLU held a press conference to declare it had filed a civil rights lawsuit against the City of Denver and the Secret Service, it seemed that all was well in the land of DNC protest. On hand at the confab were representatives of Re-create '68 – Glenn Spagnuolo and Mark and Barbara Cohen – as well as those of Tent State University, Code Pink and Escuela Tlatelolco and the American Indian Movement of Colorado. But more significant were the additional groups listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit: United for Peace and Justice, the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center, and the American Friends Service Committee.
This list was important because all three of the pacifist outfits had told Westword last October that they were NOT interested in working with R-68, which had pronounced itself the umbrella organizer for DNC protests as early as January 2007. Leaders of the Colorado Progressive Coalition, the Colorado Green Party and the national ANSWER Coalition expressed similar sentiments about R-68. The conflict was over R-68’s unfortunate name – a reference to the bloody 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago – and the rhetoric of the group’s leadership, interpreted by many as needlessly aggressive and reckless. Despite this blatant rift, Spagnuolo and the Cohens stuck with their assertion that their group would be playing host to “tens of thousands of protesters” this August.
So the fact that orgs like United for Peace and Justice – a national network of 1,400 groups – had signed on to the ACLU lawsuit suggested that R-68 and the peaceniks had resolved their differences. But appearances can be deceiving. In advance of the lawsuit filing, apparently critics of R-68, as well as some of their former supporters,had been quietly lobbying Spagnuolo and the Cohens for weeks to back off their leadership roles -- but the trio declined to transfer organizing authority.
Now it seems that the shit has hit the fan for R-68. Sources within the DNC protest movement say that assorted organizers are meeting today at an undisclosed location to discuss building a network outside of R-68. But things could get tricky when it comes time to divvy up the park event permits that Spagnuolo and company hold after winning them in a city-sponsored lottery. Will R-68 go quietly into the good night? Stay tuned.
So despite all the protestations of non-violence and the assertion of working together to achieve their radical left goals, they continue to face inequalities of power within their own movement.
Apparently the moonbats have their eyes on the prize--and it isn't fighting against imperialism, capitalism, or any other -ism. The prize is the coveted media spotlight, and the preeminence available to the group who asserts authority first. Spagnuolo and company have attempted to seize control for themselves, and it now appears that that tactic is beginning to backfire.
How exquisitely ironic. Radical socialists and anarchists facing internal turmoil because of power struggles.
Everything is for sale, and this summer's Democratic National Convention in Denver is no exception.
More than four dozen national corporations have signed up as sponsors of the convention - everyone from Allstate to Xerox. And almost all of them have the same thing in common: They either have business with the federal government or they lobby on pending issues.
And that prompts a myriad of questions.
Are the big companies simply being good corporate citizens? Or are they looking for access - maybe not to the presidential nominee, but to members of Congress and party officials who can help make sure their issues get heard?
The answer is simple, said former Denver City Councilwoman Susan Barnes-Gelt: "It's always about access."
"Here's the reality," Barnes- Gelt said, "and this comes from the experience of an old fundraiser: The first people you go to for money are people who have an interest in making sure you're in a decision-making position. And that's true whether you're the DNC, the president of the United States or the local city council person."
Seems that even Democrats aren't immune to having money in politics.
The committee staging the Democratic National Convention is concerned that Denver's fundraising efforts have been hampered because local officials also are raising money for several cultural events that are expected to be part of the week-long event.
The host committee was about $5 million short of its March fundraising goal of $28 million, and is supposed to have about $40 million raised by June. Meanwhile, the city is planning and trying to raise additional money for several cultural events.
"Every host city can and should develop a plan to showcase its culture, diversity and attributes on the international stage that a political convention offers," the DNC Committee said in a prepared statement Friday. "Numerous host cities from conventions past have had tremendous success in this regard, and we think that's a good thing.
"But to ensure a successful convention for all parties, fulfilling the contractual obligations that brought this convention to Denver in the first place must remain the top priority.
"Given all the host committee and the city have to support during convention week, we would hope they would be very selective in limiting both the number and costs of any auxiliary events requiring their support."
The DNCC's concerns have raised some internal conflict.
"They should call me and talk to me about it," Mayor John Hickenlooper said. "I'm happy to sit down and explain to them that obviously we understand the importance of putting on a good convention.
Glen Spagnuola, an organizer with Re-create 68, described the split as a mutual one. Spagnuola said that his group had concerns over the images that the name Tent State seemed to convey, because it suggested Kent State, the university where four students were shot to death by National Guardsmen during a Vietnam War protest in 1970.
"There's been so much confusion over the last couple of months. People keep insinuating that we're going to be violent when we've been organizing for a nonviolent protest," he said. "We don't want the image of dead students on a lawn being associated with the positive message that we're putting forward."
Pease countered that Tent City's name has nothing to do with Kent State. It's so named because students taking part in the protest sleep in tents.
She called that fact that tent rhymes with Kent an "immature argument" and said it was not an issue that had come up between the two groups.
First, it's Glenn Spagnuolo. Second, who knew the bad blood between the groups would devolve into attacks--Spagnuolo calling Tent State "hypocritical," and Tent State firing back with charges of "immaturity."
Geez, can't we all just, you know, get along?
**Update--two weeks ago, Adam Jung of Tent State offered this defense of Recreate '68 and Glenn Spagnuolo, over charges from a Truther group about potential violence:
We work with Recreate 68, and we've attended most of the meetings, and I know for a fact nothing of this sort is being discussed. For one thing, our organization has a strict non-violence commitment.
Scroll for more . . .
"Tent State University, a national group represented locally by Adam Jung, says it is having trouble organizing support and bands to perform because of the violent imagery associated with R-68's name, and with recent heated rhetoric from R-68 organizer Glenn Spagnuolo, who has been the face of the local effort to date"--Denver Post
A close ally with the local war protest group Re-create 68, which is organizing for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, is severing its ties, the group told R-68 today.
Tent State University, a national group represented locally by Adam Jung, says it is having trouble organizing support and bands to perform because of the violent imagery associated with R-68's name, and with recent heated rhetoric from R-68 organizer Glenn Spagnuolo, who has been the face of the local effort to date.
From the outset, Spagnuolo's group has attracted criticism because of its name, which suggests for many the violence outside the convention hall in Chicago in 1968.
"We don't feel that Re-create-68 is working well with the anti-war left," Jung said.
Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the national group CodePink, seconded concerns over R-68's message and image, saying she wanted to portray the anti-war message as positively as possible. But Benjamin didn't rule out working with R-68, as long as the group's message conformed with CodePink's.
Geez, Glenn. Couldn't hold it together until the convention?
Good lord, making Medea Benjamin sound like the sane one in the room is quite a feat.
It was, however, the fault of the darn conservatives--conservative liberals that is:
Spagnuolo, in anger weeks ago, said the city was creating "a very dangerous situation" because it had given a permit - in a blind lottery - to the committee hosting the convention for use of Civic Center park on the Sunday before the convention. He has since vowed the group would be peaceful.
"We feel like a more positive message would be more attractive to people and we prefer it to be a more positive message," Benjamin said. "We fully intend to work with all the groups, but we want our message to be more positive."
Spagnuolo said Jung's call today was "disappointing."
"This is typically what happens when you have these conservative liberal groups who come in and pressure the smaller groups with their resources," Spagnuolo said. "It's a shame. It's not going to stop us from what we're doing. We have upwards of 40 groups working with us."
When asked to elaborate about what he meant concerning the "conservative liberal groups" Spagnuolo said he would rather refrain from further comment and work to resolve any issues internally.
After reading a press release that Tent State issued Monday afternoon, Spagnuolo said he thought Jung's decision was "hypocritical," because the name "Tent State" conjures up images of college students who died at Kent State during protests of the Vietnam War.
"They really need to look in the mirror," Spaguolo said. "This is something we talked about for quite a while. ... We look at this as a mutual split."
So is Tent State "hypocritical" or is it a "mutual split?" Hmmm.
After reading the smear piece written by jonathan, I was of course concerned. But upon reading the full text of the article, not only the parts some bloggers are using to create this picture, I saw this as the best example of fabled Cointelpro tactics I've personally seen.
We work with Recreate 68, and we've attended most of the meetings, and I know for a fact nothing of this sort is being discussed. For one thing, our organization has a strict non-violence commitment.
Other things that stood out: "Code Pink was not radical enough for them." What? Code Pink is part of Recreate 68. I also noticed the racist disdain the author held for immigrants and the anger over not having his conspiracy march allowed to displace the peaceful plans already organized.
Tent State University will continue to work with Recreate 68 and others and will rightfully ignore this obvious smear piece. I'd encourage others to do a little research themselves before jumping in with the likes of "jonathan."
Adam Jung, Tent State University
Thoughts: either the move is strategic--overtly "severing" ties to better diffuse the scrutiny associated with the groups ahead of the convention (although this places Recreate '68 and its head honcho Spagnuolo on the hook should anything go down at the convention), or actually represents a conscious attempt to distance peaceful moonbat groups--the ridiculous but relatively harmless Code Pinkos--from the increasingly suspicious and potentially agitating groups like Recreate '68. Despite protestations of non-violence, it appears Spagnuolo's well-broadcast propaganda message isn't being well-received, even among his erstwhile allies on the extreme left.
Exit question--any other possibilities? Conflict of egos amongst the chief moonbats? Not enough exposure for non-Recreate '68 groups? Something in the patchouli?
Bonus video--Spagnuolo sat down with Politics West (Denver Post) and reiterated the group's "non-violent" intentions just this past weekend (May 2, 2008):
U.S. District Court Judge Orders Denver, Secret Service To Respond In 10 Days To ACLU Lawsuit Over DNC Security Plans
The latest update on the ACLU's lawsuit against the City of Denver and the Secret Service to disclose Democratic National Convention security plans indicates a rather earnest attempt to speed up the process:
The ACLU filed its lawsuit Friday morning on behalf of 12 groups who are planning to hold parades and demonstrations during the convention. That afternoon, District Judge Marcia S. Krieger gave the city and federal officials 10 business days to respond. Judge Krieger has not yet set a court date, which would be the next step in the process.
"It's not clear how the judge is going to proceed," said Mark Silverstein, legal director of the ACLU of Colorado. "But the fact that the judge wanted a response right away indicates that the judge agrees that the case needs to be moved on a fast-track and that the concerns being articulated in our papers should get attention." . . . After the ACLU announced its lawsuit on Friday, Denver City Attorney David Fine released a statement indicating that no group has been denied a parade permit and that there will be a "vigorous exercise of free speech" during the convention in "many ways and in many places."
However, Silverstein noted that the ACLU's lawsuit is designed to force the city and Secret Service to disclose the specifics of the parade routes - including exactly where and where demonstrators and others will be allowed to gather.
"The people who are not delegates, the people who want to participate in demonstrations and protests to communicate their views shouldn't be treated like they're some kind of irritating meddling interlopers," Silverstein said. "Their participation is equally a part of our democratic life and the government actors--the city and the Secret Service--have to treat their right to peaceful expression with the same respect that the delegate's rights receive."
The city and federal officials have until May 16 to respond.
Not only will the expedited release of information benefit said protestors/moonbats, it will alleviate some of the growing unease about the specifics of the as yet undisclosed security blanket cited by Denver residents and commuters.
Denver Headed For A "Very Disastrous And Catastrophic Situation" At DNC Warns ACLU
"We think there is a strong possibility that Denver is headed for a very disastrous and catastrophic situation"--Mark Silverstein, director of the Colorado American Civil Liberties Union
Civil-rights activists say a Denver police policy could result in mass arrests and a clogged jail during the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and they have filed a claim seeking monetary damages over its use last Columbus Day parade.
"We think there is a strong possibility that Denver is headed for a very disastrous and catastrophic situation," said Mark Silverstein, who directs the Colorado American Civil Liberties Union.
The policy regards police handling of misdemeanor offenses committed by protesters.
Until last year, Denver's policy for minor offenses was to give the accused a summons to appear in court. But before October's Columbus Day parade, the police changed the policy to arrest and detain protesters, even for minor offenses. More than 80 protesters were arrested for trying to block the parade route, leading to the ACLU complaint early last month. The claim marks the precursor to a formal lawsuit, although Silverstein said the intent of the filing is to "nudge" the city into rethinking the policy change.
Silverstein says he first learned of the change during a meeting with city officials in July. During that meeting, he says, he brought up the example of New York City's much-criticized — and litigated — policy of arresting and holding protesters during the 2004 Republican convention. More than 1,800 were arrested, and many were held longer than 24 hours, though charges were largely dropped later.
According to notes that Silverstein kept of the meeting, Denver Deputy Police Chief Michael Battista said that for arrests made during protests, Denver "doesn't cite and release."
Battista said the change followed the mass citations in 2004 during the city's Columbus Day parade, in which 230 people were given a summons after they linked arms and stopped the parade. Protesters claimed the event celebrated the genocide of American Indians.
The 230 were cleared, and Battista said a review of the matter found that had they been taken in for a formal booking and bonding out, the city's case against them in court would have been stronger.
And yes, protestors are concerned about the "chilling effect" of the policy due to the charges stemming from the Columbus Day protest--including suspended sentences that will trigger automatic jail time if they are re-arrested at the DNC:
Instead of issuing a summons to the 83 charged with blocking the parade route, the protesters were taken to jail. At least 40 of them were held several hours before they were allowed to post bond, and then they were held several more hours before being released. The claim was made on their behalf.
Paul Bame said he was arrested about 10:30 a.m. on the day of the Columbus Day parade, kept in a cell and not allowed to post bond until midnight. He wasn't released until 3:30 a.m. the next day.
"Some of the marshals in the jail were harassing us, saying, 'Well, you feel pretty smart about what you did now, huh?' That kind of thing," Bame said. "They were communicating to us: 'You've been punished.' "
Bame, who faces three minor charges, worries there will be a chilling effect on his ability to protest during the Democratic convention since some of his peers have received year-long suspended sentences for their Columbus Day activities.
"You can pretty much count on going to jail if there is another instance," Bame said.
Poor, poor thing.
It's hard out there for a moonbat.
Post poll on protests and violence at the DNC--at least 53% believe that there will be major protests and worse:
**Update--more changing headlines: Original story headline
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