Slapstick Politics: Democratic National Convention Countdown, No. 24-21

**Update 2--here are all 7 moonbats who argued against the Denver ordinance (YouTube video in 3 parts) and today's DNC updates

**Update, breaking--DNC protestors to offer "Non-Pooliferation Treaty" to Denver's City Council over a proposed ordinance at tonight's meeting . . . SP will have live updates . . .

Democratic National Convention Daily Digest and Open Thread
Friday August 1, Saturday August 2, Sunday August 3 and Monday August 4, 2008--No. 24-21

**Back from exile following Google's latest Blogger spam snafu . . .

DNC:

•Invesco Field protest zone announced--North VIP parking lot, clear view of Invesco Field:

The protest zone at Invesco Field on the final night of the Democratic National Convention will be located in a VIP parking lot north of the stadium, and will have a clear view of Invesco, city officials said today.

The fenced-in area will be about 53,000 square feet in Lot J.

Delegates entering the convention will pass by the area from between 200 and 400 feet away after they are dropped off for the night's speech by Sen. Barack Obama.

Protesters will be allowed to use bullhorns, and the city will provide a stage, amplification equipment, and at least two speakers that will be located outside the zone and pointing toward Invesco Field at Mile High.

The site will be accessible from the designated parade route, city officials said.

The parade route starts at Mariposa Street and 13th Avenue, and travels north to Colfax Avenue, then west on Colfax to Federal Boulevard and 19th Avenue.

People wanting to proceed to the protest zone may then travel east on 19th, then north on Mile High Stadium Circle to 20th Avenue and Lot J.

•**Update--apparently this all started off because a local alternative newspaper, Westword, posted a tongue-in-cheek online petition to pledge that Denver citizens too won't fling poo at the DNC, making the gesture all that much more pointless (humorous, but pointless; and the Rocky didn't bother to source the "Doo Doo Accord" to the folks at Westword, so our apologies)--"Doo Doo Accord"? "Non-Pooliferation Treaty"? Good lord (the latest story from the NY Post on the "urine" rumors, and it is not just scatological items that would be banned, but also chains, locks, etc., more details here):

Representatives of three groups planning protests during the Democratic National Convention will be signing what they're calling a "Doo Doo Accord" in advance of a City Council meeting where an ordinance that would ban protesters from carrying certain items, such as buckets of feces, is up for final consideration.

The groups — Unconventional Denver, Re-create 68 Alliance and the Alliance for Real Democracy — are calling the accord a "Non-Pooliferation Treaty."

"We're hoping this puts everything poo-related behind us so that we can focus on the real issue, which is the fact that the Democrats are part of a crappy system oppresses and coerces communities into a capitalist economy and undemocratic government," Ben Yager, a member of Unconventional Denver, a group of self-described anarchists, said in a statement.

After they sign the accord, the groups said they will attend tonight's council meeting and "offer the city the opportunity to sign on so that all sides are in agreement and can move beyond the constipating public discourse on feces and urine."

•DNC protestors plan a little demonstration at City Council public hearing on an ordinance banning "noxious substances":

Protesters opposing an ordinance that would prohibit people from carrying items that could block access or deter police during the DNC are also planning to express their opposition with theatrics when the council takes up the ordinance on final consideration.

The ordinance would make it illegal to carry items such as chains, padlocks and noxious substances, such as buckets of urine and so-called feces bombs, if the intent is to use them to obstruct streets, sidewalks, buildings or emergency equipment, or hinder crowd control measures.

"I think some people are just going to talk about how foolish (the ordinance) is, and I think some people will want to have like a symbolic showing of how foolish it is," Glenn Spagnuolo, an organizer with the Re-create 68, said this morning.

When Spagnuolo was asked if that included bottles of what looked like urine, he said: "We're a law-abiding group, and if (a bottle of urine is) going to be illegal, we need to turn it in somewhere."

•Clearing the dockets for a deluge of DNC arrests:

Denver judges are clearing their dockets and preparing to work longer hours during the week of the Democratic National Convention.

Two courtrooms will be reserved for arraignments in DNC- related cases, said Presiding Judge Andrew S. Armatas.

They will operate from 8 a.m. to midnight, if necessary.

"Everything is 'if necessary,' " Armatas said. "We're ready for everything."
. . .
Capt. Frank Gale, spokesman for the Denver County Sheriff's Office, said the department is planning to open a temporary detention facility during the DNC to augment the existing predetention center and jail.

The location for the temporary facility still is up in the air, but Gale said the department wants a facility that would allow 30 to 50 people to be processed per hour.