Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper says he does not expect protesters to the Democratic National Convention to be confronted by riot-gear-clad police — unless they become unruly.
The mayor also said the fenced-in demonstration area now set for a Pepsi Center parking lot likely won’t be moved, though it seems to have struck “the sweet spot” that angers most everyone involved with it.
At a meeting with The Denver Post editorial board, the mayor said police would present themselves in a user-friendly way unless provoked and have been trained to avoid conflict.
“Most of the protesters we’ve talked to, the anti-war protesters, are pro-(Barack) Obama,” the mayor said. “They don’t want to hinder his efforts.”
That said, there could be violent or destructive bad actors, the mayor said, and police would deal “directly” with them, should they appear.
Representatives for news organizations have sent a letter to the mayor asking that the demonstration area be moved because it sits next to a media tent serving as office space. They complain that protester noise will make covering the convention difficult and fear that protesters could draw a tear-gas response from police.
The protesters aren’t happy with the location either, saying it doesn’t give them access to delegates and are suing to have it moved.
Hickenlooper said changing the location “would be very difficult.” He said his office was working with the Secret Service and convention planners to see whether there could be some “tweaking” to the arrangement.
Chuck Plunkett: 303-954-1333 or cplunkett@denverpost.com
