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Protesters, police educate, gear up for convention
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Sara Burnett
Rocky Mountain News
July 17, 2008
 Ron Lewis shoots video and transmits it to his Web site, ronlewis.com/live, at an event Thursday by We Are Change Colorado. The organization said it plans to video DNC protests and police, posting clips on YouTube.com for the public to see. |
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 new 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.com 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 said, “our cameras will be on them.”
The Alliance for Real Democracy, a coalition of 18 groups, is planning a week of classes in City Park on topics such as non violence and how to organize a demonstration. A concert with Denver band the Flobots also is in the works.
 Patrons at the Appaloosa Grill on the 16th Street Mall peer out the window to watch Shannon McNamara, left, and Rob Weiland, right, members of We Are Change Colorado, prepare DVDs to distribute. |
The large-scale effort is being planned by six or seven different committees, focusing on areas such as fundraising, promotions and working with city officials, member Duke Austin said.
“This is on a much bigger scale than anything we’ve done so far, so it requires additional organizing,” said Austin, a 33-year-old Ph.D. candidate at the University of Colorado who leads the group Students for Peace and Justice.
“I think it will be an incredible learning experience for everybody there,” he said.
Police, meanwhile, are doing some preparing of their own.
By the time the convention starts, most officers working the DNC will have completed at least 30 hours of special training, Mayor John Hickenlooper said. It includes how to diffuse problems, so that nonviolent situations don’t escalate.
While the majority of protesters don’t want to break the law, the city is readying for “some bad characters,” Hickenlooper said.
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Denver received a $50 million federal grant for security that will be used for personnel and equipment.
The city won’t say what type of equipment it’s buying with the money.
But a local company announced last month it had sold Denver 88 guns that fire a pepper spray-like substance instead of bullets for use during the DNC. The weapons may be used to incapacitate people, stop riots or disperse crowds.
Those purchases worry Ben Yager, 23, of Unconventional Denver, a local offshoot of the national group Unconventional Action.
The group is often mentioned as one most likely to cause problems for police during the convention.
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July 18th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
VOTE FOR RON PAUL!!!!!!
July 18th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
“If any protest groups are provoking police, our cameras will be on them.”
Unfortunately, it will be the other way around and the entire Denver metro area will be under martial law.
July 19th, 2008 at 3:18 am
In my opion, maybe the protestors should show up with gas masks…..
July 19th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
it is time to get into action besides protesting! real survival action and combat action! get ready for the confrontation, train, join militias, create groups and communities to support each other! they are not impresst from protesting, maybe the contrary, they might see it as a good way of gaining time by giving you the feeling you are doing something constructive in your eyes. protesting is good to signal to other people what is going on but it is not enough, so protest but do also all the things i mentioned above as well, cause thats whats going to decide if you win or lose!
July 20th, 2008 at 6:27 am
Beware of people pretending to be activists causing trouble towards the authorities in order to make activists look bad, this happens a lot, and it is quite hard to stop the mainstream media using it to show the world how bad all us activists really are.
July 20th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
http://www.veritas144k.com and http://www.thereignofchrist.org
I will go a step further and state that it is the United States who is being targeted as we speak.
On another front, the Muslim threat is greater than most people think. The Book of Revelation (Apocalypse) says: “I saw from the mouth of the dragon, and from the mouth of the beast, and from the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.
For they are the spirits of devils, working signs, and they go forth unto the kings of the whole earth, to gather them to battle against the great day of the Almighty God. Behold, I come as a thief.
Blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” (Apoc 16:13-15). These Muslims are in every country of the world with their terrorist cells, ready to strike when the word is given to them.
The Saudis own most of Washington DC, as well as a great number of major buildings around the USA. The ‘Unholy Alliance’ which is the ‘eighth’ king has veto control of the UN, and they are aligning with the OPEC nations, as well as all countries from N. Korea, China, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Libya, etc. The net is closing, and Europe and USA are afraid to stir the sleeping bear!
July 20th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
COME TO DENVER AND SPREAD THE TRUTH. Unconventional Denver are nothing but trouble makers, We are the ANARCHISTS. Come on, marxist stupid fucks, that’s what they really are. COME TO DENVER AND PROTEST UNVONVENTIONAL DENVER’S AUGUST 26th MARCH. THE MARCH AGAINST BORDERS: NO ONE IS ILLEGAL. They support the North American Union and they’re commies. I will be there, THIS MARCH PROMOTES COMMUNISM, STOP THE NORTH AMERICAN UNION, SAVE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA’S SOVRIEGNTY!!!!
July 20th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
I’m going to the DNC and I’m bringing my mini DV camcorder to document whatever might happen. Also Colorado Public Radio reported that the homeless are being herded off the streets and into “care facilities” so that they are not “upset by all the activity”.