U.S. Mint levitation may not take off
By Paul A. Anthony and Ryan Sabalow, Rocky Mountain News
Published August 25, 2008 at 4:42 p.m.
Updated August 25, 2008 at 4:42 p.m.
OUTSIDE THE U.S. MINT -- Re-Create 68 is supposed to levitate the U.S. Mint in 15 minutes. At this rate, they might be happy just to have 15 protesters.
Continuing a theme that has become more and more apparent throughout the week, the large group expected to show simply has not done so thus far -- no more than five protesters have congregated at Cherokee Street and Colfax Avenue for an event that is supposed to draw enough people to ring the entire block-wide structure.
"I have no idea why" protests have been unexpectedly light in Denver this week, said Gem Bordages, 73, a volunteer with Democrats for Life of America, an anti-abortion, anti-capital punishment group. "I was one of the '60s hippies. I was in the middle of the civil rights, anti-war, all that stuff, and we would get thousands of them out. A lot of us went to jail."
Police officers well outnumber pedestrians of any kind outside the mint -- protesters or otherwise. Along with lining the walls inside the building's fences, they also are posted on the second floor of a nearby building.
"It's a different generation," Bordages said. "Maybe it's a lack of passion."
They chanted "Property is theft" while throwing coins in the air.
"I'm trying to levitate money from these people's pockets," said David Brown, who was selling buttons. "I'm the only one here that's going to levitate any money."
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August 25, 2008
4:59 p.m.
Suggest removal
Andy writes:
...or maybe it's a dumb idea.
August 25, 2008
5:02 p.m.
Suggest removal
Elwood writes:
It's the threat of getting busted for pot possession keeping them all at home stoned and watching CNN.