DENVER — A group planning demonstrations during the Democratic National Convention got protest permits for the state Capitol and nearby Lincoln Park but urged state officials to guarantee that the city respects its right to free expression.
State officials were “easy to work with” in getting the permits for the eve of the Aug. 25-28 convention, said Glenn Spagnuolo, an organizer for Recreate 68.
“The state of Colorado has stepped in where the city has refused to and acted in a responsible manner,” Spagnuolo said.
Recreate 68 had protested the outcome of a city lottery in which the nonprofit convention host committee won a permit to use Civic Center on Aug. 24. Spagnuolo warned then the city could face a “dangerous situation.” “If you remember at the end of the lottery process, they promised to work closely with anybody who did not obtain a park to assure their voices were heard. That was a complete lie and fabrication by the city,” Spagnuolo said.
Sue Cobb, a spokeswoman for Mayor John Hickenlooper, pointed out that Recreate 68 and affiliated organizations had won access to eight of 12 city parks and two of four days available at Civic Center.
“I am perplexed this is coming up again,” Cobb said. “The permit process was a fair process, and Recreate 68 was awarded 34 permits and eight out of 12 major parks.” The American Civil Liberties Union has urged the city to review procedures at the Denver jail to ensure anyone arrested during the convention has access to food, toilets, medical care and attorneys.
The ACLU said the city earlier rejected a request that Denver police handle minor infractions with a summons or notice to appear in court rather than with arrests.
The ACLU sued the city and safety manager Al LaCabe when the city refused to provide a copy of its jail policies. LaCabe said the city provided as much information as it could without compromising security.
Recreate 68 originally associated its name with the 1968 Democratic National Convention and encouraged visitors to its Web site to make that convention’s demonstrations and violent clashes with police “look like a small get together in 2008!” The coalition of organizations that opposes the two-party system has since pledged nonviolent protest.
