City abuzz with DNC delegates, protesters and celebs
By Lisa Ryckman, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published August 24, 2008 at 8:48 p.m.
Photo by Tim Hussin © The Rocky
Esteban Perez, 15, of Denver, leads a chant as law enforcement officers in riot gear look on during a march and rally that paraded through downtown Denver.
Photo by Rodolfo Gonzalez / / The Rocky
Activist with CODEPINK are turned away and locked out of Union Station by law enforcement as they attempted to enter and parade through the station during s protest rally Sunday in downtown Denver.
The Democrats really get this party started Monday, and Denver has rolled out the red, white and blue carpet for them.
Michelle Obama, Monday night's headline speaker on the opening day of the Democratic National Convention, arrived today with daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, and her mother, Marian Robinson, to hugs from Gov. Bill Ritter and his wife, Jeannie. Obama's husband, presumptive nominee Barack Obama, delivers his acceptance speech at Invesco Field on Thursday, the convention's final day.
Today was filled with protesters, police, parties, downtown crowds and uplifting messages.
Several noisy but peaceful marches included a steady stream of protesters — with numbers in the hundreds — and a sea of cops. Police came on foot, on horseback, on motorcycles, on bicycles and in unmarked vans, some officers decked out in full SWAT regalia and toting semi-automatic weapons. There were so many, in fact, that there were people watching the cops who were watching people.
"Of course, we can't watch all of them," said Maxine Lankford, who wore a fluorescent green vest with "Cop Watch" on the back and a video camera over her shoulder, ready to tape at a moment's notice.
There were tense moments as police moved in to clear gridlock caused by a march called "Funk the War," which briefly blocked the mall shuttle and Colfax Avenue near the Civic Center. But the only vestige of the anti-Vietnam War protests of the 1968 convention in Chicago was activist Tom Hayden, who monitored the action as he strolled along the mall in a fedora.
Cindy Sheehan, whose 24-year-old son was killed while serving in Iraq, got rock-star treatment from about 200 admirers, who swarmed her for autographs after a brief speech at the state Capitol.
Sheehan helped propel the anti-war movement by camping outside President Bush's Texas ranch in 2005.
On Sunday, she urged supporters to stand up for their right to be heard and challenged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to a debate.
The state Capitol was the scene of a scuffle between a Fox News reporter and Ward Churchill, the former University of Colorado professor who caused an uproar when he called victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks "little Eichmanns." Security officers intervened after reporter Griff Jenkins allegedly put his hands on Churchill.
Speaker Pelosi, another of Monday's featured convention speakers, was briefly evacuated from her hotel Sunday when a Wyoming man without a concealed weapons permit tried to check in with two hunting rifles and two pistols. He faces a charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon.
Earlier, Pelosi praised Obama's decision to tap Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., as his running mate. Biden addresses the convention on Wednesday night.
Caroline Kennedy plans to lead the tribute to her uncle, Sen. Edward Kennedy, on Monday night.
An eight-minute video directed by Ken Burns and Mark Herzog will recount Kennedy's contributions over 46 years of political service and include footage of Kennedy talking about why he supports Sen. Barack Obama. Kennedy was diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier this year and most likely will not be attending the DNC.
Celebrities who began making the rounds at exclusive parties included director Spike Lee, who was swarmed by media when he showed up at a reception for black state lawmakers at trendy East Colfax Mexican restaurant Mezcal. He showed his liberal stripes when he refused to answer a question from a Fox News reporter with an abrupt, "I don't do Fox News," and immediately disappeared into the restaurant, which was closed to the media. Several other celebs joined Lee for the event, including Alfre Woodard and Matthew Modine.
Abortion took center stage at the DNC's opening event, an interfaith gathering that nearly filled the Convention Center's Wells Fargo Theater. It was disrupted early on by three anti-abortion protesters, including the founder of the group Operation: Rescue, who called Obama a "baby killer."
That brought boos from the crowd, which chanted "O-BA-MA" in response.
Bishop Charles E. Blake, who presides at the Church of God in Christ, called on Obama to follow through on a promise to reduce the number of abortions. "Something within us must be calling for a better way," he said to applause. "If we do not resist at this point, at what point will we resist?"
In a speech focusing on society's responsibility to its children, Blake first focused on the plight of the inner-city poor as a human rights responsibility before calling abortion a practice "that conflicts with our position and our responsibility ... to human rights itself."
Blake received a standing ovation after he praised the Democratic Party for its concern for the helpless and needy.
"Others loudly proclaim their advocacy for the unborn, but they refuse to recognize their responsibility and the responsibility of our nation to those who have been born," he said. "They are presently and historically silent, if not indifferent to the suffering of our inner cities."
At a church in Northeast Denver, the Rev. Al Sharpton Jr. told the 125-member congregation that Obama's candidacy represents the culmination of decades of civil rights struggles and the realization of part of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. King called for an America in which a person's merit was not determined by skin color.
"One thing Dr. King meant by that was that I would rather have a president be right rather than just be my color," Sharpton said. "I'd rather have a white president do right than a black one do wrong."
Obama's acceptance speech falls on the 45th anniversary of King's speech.
At least two tornadoes touched down southeast of Denver on Sunday, but the sun shone on the crowds downtown, which has been dressed to impress. Buildings bristled with flags and balloons, streamers fluttered from every lamppost, and windows played up the patriotic. The 16th Street Mall was bursting with banners, buttons and a blizzard of Obamabilia.
One table featured sparkly pins — "Obama-bling" — with various red, white and blue designs. "Michelle Obama wears one," said a sign, which urged people to buy it at Obama-bling.com.
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August 24, 2008
10:26 p.m.
Suggest removal
MereMortal writes:
"Several noisy but peaceful marches included a steady stream of protesters — with numbers in the hundreds..."
That's it? Hundreds?
Phfffffft...
August 24, 2008
10:54 p.m.
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EZBakeOven writes:
"Police came on foot, on horseback, on motorcycles, on bicycles and in unmarked vans, some officers decked out in full SWAT regalia and toting semi-automatic weapons."
I doubt very much they were semi-automatics. Most likely they were pepperball guns.
August 25, 2008
1:04 a.m.
Suggest removal
Hstowell writes:
Protesters? Yeah there were some protesters who came with what they perceive to be a legitimate message but there were also a bunch of freaks who just came to Denver to start trouble and nothing more. Spike Lee doesn't want to talk to Fox. Well guess what Spike? Not many people want to hear from or about you anyway.
August 25, 2008
1:39 a.m.
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Chadley25 writes:
From the article: "The Democrats really get this party started Monday, and Denver has rolled out the red, white and blue carpet for them."
____________________
That's some fine grammar there, RMN writers and editors. Even "Pink," whose song you both alluded to and slandered in one fell swoop, would shake her head. I do understand what was trying to be said, but that was a sloppy way of writing it and a lousy job of editing to let it stand that way. Try:
"Though the Democrats' party doesn't start until Monday, Denver has rolled out the red, white, and blue carpet for them today."
August 25, 2008
6:28 a.m.
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kc02 writes:
Cindy Sheehan, rock star. Are the clowns still in town?
August 25, 2008
6:39 a.m.
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danirobi writes:
Who cares what Spike Lee thinks or says for that matter, the guy is the biggest racist out there.
August 25, 2008
6:53 a.m.
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ashlandbus writes:
"Spike Lee doesn't want to talk to Fox. Well guess what Spike? Not many people want to hear from or about you anyway."
Clearly Fox News wanted to hear from him.
August 25, 2008
7:14 a.m.
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LingLingfor_prez writes:
The "Denver Roundup" starts today. Trying to contain my excitement.
August 25, 2008
7:32 a.m.
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Hedz writes:
woooooo.......hoo
August 25, 2008
8:44 a.m.
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kodijack writes:
Very little traffic on I-25 northbound, the sidewalks on the east side of downtown were empty. I think that a lot of the Denver populace took the week off.
I wonder what Spike Lee is going to do at the convention? Is he a delegate? Matthew Modine is a delegate?
August 25, 2008
9:49 a.m.
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broncofan73 writes:
That's the differance between a liberal and a conservatives. Liberals only talk to their own kind in the media, because they get the softball questions. Conservatives will talk to any media outlet and answer the tougher questions. Why do you think Obama hasn't taken up Bill O'Reily offer. He's affraid, very affraid.
As for Spike Lee, why is he even getting media coverage. He's just a race baiter who has yet to produce a good movie.
August 25, 2008
1:07 p.m.
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anderson writes:
Danirobi: "Who cares what Spike Lee thinks or says for that matter"
to borrow a quote from Joe Buck: "Fox News cares!"
August 25, 2008
6:44 p.m.
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h8r writes:
"it is illegal to try and start riots and I want every GOP agitator that tries to give the protesters a bad name photographed and cataloged. We will have some problems but I have to commend the DPD and the peace marchers for turning the other cheek to the agitators. WE SHALL OVERCOME!!! I guess the GOP wanted riots in Denver so much they are trying to start them."
GOP agitators probably outnumbered r68 tards, then...