A move to quell conflict with Navajo communities collapsed at a National Mining Association and Nuclear Regulatory Commission uranium conference Thursday afternoon.
The trouble began after Navajo demonstrators opposing uranium mining asked to attend a panel discussion of recent litigation inside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Denver.
NMA general counsel Katie Sweeney said she invited four demonstrators to attend on the condition that, as nonpaying participants, they stand or sit in the back of the conference room.
Chairs were still empty as mining company and federal government participants entered the room after lunch, so one of the demonstrators, Nadine Padilla, 25, a college student, sat in an empty chair.
An NMA contract employee helping to run the conference told her to go to the back of the room.
Padilla and a colleague, Mario Atencio, decided to leave. As they were leaving, Atencio disrupted the speaker by yelling: “It will never happen!” referring to proposed mining on Navajo land.
NMA employees and the contract employee hustled three Navajo demonstrators out. Padilla and others said they pushed her near an escalator.
NMA employee Anthony Hagman said no physical contact was made.
The fourth demonstrator, Jen Nordstrom, who is not an American Indian, cried and was allowed to stay inside. She later said this was evidence of racism.
“It wasn’t right for them to treat us like second-class citizens and ask us to sit in the back of the room and to sit on the floor,” Padilla said.
Denver police Sgt. J.B. Sullivan responded with other officers outside the hotel.
“I see no criminal action here whatsoever,” he told demonstrators.
Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700 or bfinley@denverpost.com
