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Abortion foes may protest at DNC

Christian coalition vows 'peaceful' demonstrations

Betsy Lehndorff, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 19, 2007 at midnight

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An anti-abortion group known for graphic posters of aborted fetuses announced plans Tuesday for "peaceful protests" during the Democratic National Convention in Denver next year.

Christian Defense Coalition organizers said they will seek city permits and liaisons with police and other agencies to make sure their presence is safe and legal.

Coalition director Patrick Mahoney said he hopes to recruit 1,500 to 2,000 volunteers so he can get his anti-abortion message in front of Democratic front-runners, delegates and the public during the event at the Pepsi Center next August.

Volunteers will hold peaceful prayer vigils, form chains of message-bearing signs, and offer -anti-abortion concerts and speakers, he said.

Posters that depict decapitated, doll-like bodies also will be part of the strategy. "Absolutely - to show the reality of what abortion is," Mahoney said.

Special event permit applications for 2008 will be accepted beginning Nov. 1 at the Denver Parks & Recreation Department.

"We expect a number of groups to seek permits for various events and demonstrations during the Democratic National Convention," said Katherine Archuleta, senior adviser on policy and initiatives for the mayor's office. "Understanding that safety and security are our top priorities in hosting the DNC, we are committed, as always, to accommodating freedom of speech and expression."

At Tuesday's news conference in front of the Pepsi Center, Mahoney said he knows what to expect. "The city will work out a wonderful plan, and then the Secret Service will push everyone away," he said.

Mahoney, a minister in the Reformed Presbyterian Church, has been an anti-abortion activist for 20 years, working out of the coalition's Washington D.C.- based office. Mahoney said in 1992 he attempted to show an aborted fetus to then-Gov. Bill Clinton at the Democratic National Convention in New York.