Fenced Civic Center draws criticism
By Sue Lindsay, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published August 27, 2008 at 11:15 a.m.
What do you think? What's the primary purpose of the fence around Civic Center?
DENVER CIVIC CENTER -- Protesters and other folk who planned to spend the day at Civic Center Park were surprised this morning to see the park surrounded with a 6-foot-chain link fence.
Although the official word is that it's for the Taste of Colorado, people said it looks more like an attempt at crowd control.
"What's this?" Storm Waters, an environmental activist, said as he came to the park to distribute flyers on global warming and his group Rising Tide.
"I'm being told this is for the Taste of Colorado, but if you want to know the truth, I think it has more to do with police control of protesters. Something's fishy here."
Keith McHenry, of Food Not Bombs, said he understood the set-up for the festival doesn't usually start this early.
"I think it's a little suspicious," said McHenry, of Taos, N.M. "We've been told this always gets started on Thursday, but for some reason , after all these years, they did this today. Why?"
"My concern is that it's all an orchestration to try to diminish the visibility and effectiveness of the peace movement," he said. "It's social manipulation."
McHenry and others said it appeared police wanted to keep protesters from having easy access to the 16th Street Mall.
Several people said the fence made the park look like an extension of Gitmo on the Platte, the detention facility at 38th and Steele streets.
"That's the impression you get when you see the chain link fence," said Steve Laudeman who was manning a table of literature for Friends of Sabeel Colorado.
"It's my recollection that they've always started this late Thursday, never this early," he said. "That's ridiculous."
"Every hundred years the convention comes to Denver. Couldn't the city let us have some room for free speech before marketing moves in? I love the Taste of Colorado, but that's mainly what it is, a marketing tool."
Two women walked up to the Sabeel table, expressing their dismay at "Fortress Civic Center."
"I've been here in the park off and on all week and it's been so peaceful," said Iris Keltz. "It's kinda scary. It kind of took my breath away."
She said the fenced park gives an ironic balance to attempts to control protesters.
"Here we're fenced out and at Pepsi Center, we're fenced in."
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August 27, 2008
11:31 a.m.
Suggest removal
pinewood writes:
Yes, it's all about them, and their protests.
August 27, 2008
11:57 a.m.
Suggest removal
riosmom6 writes:
Is the guy's name really Storm Waters, or is that just what he stirs up?
August 27, 2008
11:59 a.m.
Suggest removal
RoloFan writes:
The DNC has been here since SATURDAY. The city waited THREE DAYS to put up the fence, yet Denver has The Taste Of Colorado every year during Labor day weekend, which starts on FRIDAY. Just exactly when did Spagnola and his crowd expect the city to make preparations for an event that means more to the people who live here year round. Spagnola and his crowd will be gone, and the rest of us want our lives toget back to normal.
Selfish, selfish, selfish.
August 27, 2008
12:04 p.m.
Suggest removal
POHA writes:
Umm...
Denver's a small city. We have multiple things going on all at once. It would be terribly difficult to set up for a huge even like the Taste while there are still people hanging out in the areas where the Taste puts up all their booths, rides, etc...
Some people take things so personally. Sometimes, it's not about you!!
August 27, 2008
12:48 p.m.
Suggest removal
GladysKravitz writes:
Message to Glenn Spagnuolo - It's not all ABOUT YOU dude nor your hordes! Taste of Colorado has been here in Denver a lot longer than Recreate68, and does more to help people and non-profits here than you and yours.
Hey here's an idea, maybe put some of your folks to staffing a booth there this weekend and you can raise money to cover your legal costs. Then your pathetics can't plead poverty when they can't post bail.
August 27, 2008
1:39 p.m.
Suggest removal
mokey writes:
This could just be great business for the Taste vendors if they can get some of their tents set up early and take advantage of the crowds.
But other people have pointed out correctly that on Wednesdays the fences go up for Taste, so that on Thursday the vendors can set up. The Taste gets a lot of business folks working downtown that show up on Friday for the lunch hour.
BTW there's usually a lot of free samples, so it's a way to get pretty much a free lunch.