Denver’s city attorneys unveiled two bills on Wednesday intended to help prevent clashes during the often-contentious Columbus Day parade.
The legislation marks the city’s attempt to clarify its laws governing assembly and disruption of free speech. City officials want to do so before the October festivities, when American Indian protesters often clash with Italian-American parade participants.
Denver cited 230 protesters for loitering during last year’s festivities. However, one county judge threw out the charges as unconstitutionally vague, and two others warned that they might do the same. In response, city attorneys dropped the remaining charges and vowed to clarify Denver’s laws prior to the next Columbus Day.
The new bills outlined Wednesday for a City Council committee are modeled after similar state laws.
One prohibits the prevention, disruption or obstruction of “any lawful meeting, procession, parade or gathering.” The second prohibits people from knowingly blocking a public access, such as a sidewalk, street, waterway or building entrance.
The council will host a public hearing on the bills and cast the first of two votes on them on June 13.
“Our intent is to put into place ordinances that are constitutional and respect the rights of everyone,” City Attorney Cole Finegan told council members.
People from both sides of the Columbus Day debate watched the introduction of the legislation Wednesday.
Pavlos Stavropoulos, a member of the All Nations Alliance, asked city attorneys for more clarification on what would constitute a “verbal utterance” that disrupts an event, and which “persons of authority” can order protesters to disperse.
“We have no objections to the ordinance,” Stavropoulos said after the meeting. “Our concerns were that there were some aspects … that were unconstitutionally vague, and we asked that they be further defined.”
Three members of the Columbus Day parade committee said after the meeting that the potential new laws will not be effective if police don’t enforce them.
“If they follow what it says, it’s exactly what’s needed,” Joann Zamboni said.
