COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.-
Several war protesters were arrested Saturday after police blocked them from marching in the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.
The exact number of arrests was not immediately available.
Protesters accused parade organizers of trying to silence their message.
About 35 members of the anti-war group Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission had a permit to march under the name of a business owned by commission chairman Eric Verlo. Organizers asked police to keep the group from the parade when they saw their anti-war signs.
Although the parade allows political candidates to participate, it makes marchers aware that it does not allow “social issues,” parade chairman John O’Donnell said.
“It is our goal not to turn this into a confrontational political atmosphere,” O’Donnell said. “It really is to come and have fun.”
Verlo, who was among those arrested, said the group wasn’t advocating a social issue, but peace.
“We did this last year,” Verlo said. “We thought we were fairly innocuous. We were walking about peace and ending the war.”
O’Donnell said he didn’t recall anti-war signs in the parade last year.
Several marchers were led away Saturday after allegedly refusing to move when police stopped them, said police Sgt. Bob Weber. They were cited on suspicion of failing to disperse.
One protester was taken away by ambulance with what police described as “minor scrapes.” But other protesters, who identified the ambulance passenger as 65-year-old Elizabeth Fineron, showed photos of large welts that they said came from being dragged along the street.
The protesters were due in court April 10.
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Information from: The Gazette,
