53 protesters accused of throwing stones, missiles

Judi Villa

Published August 28, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Half the protesters arrested during a widely publicized confrontation with police Monday night have been charged with "throwing stones or missiles," according to a review of documents provided by Denver police.

Police said they surrounded a group of anarchists and fired pepper spray to control them after some of the protesters were seen "carrying rocks and other items that could be used as weapons." There also have been reports that some protesters were seen stopping by portable toilets to "refuel their weapons" with feces.

But activists have denied all of it, saying the group was not armed or violent.

Videotapes of the incident do not show any weapons, and Rocky Mountain News reporters who were at the scene also didn't see any.

"If there's people saying there were rocks and stuff, that's so untrue," said Hawzien Gebremedhin, 19, who was detained but not arrested while documenting the march for a college class.

Denver police Lt. Ron Saunier said Wednesday that police generally "don't talk about evidence."

But he said, "There were numerous pieces of evidence that were recovered."

Police did provide a list of those arrested and the charges each faces. Of the 106 people arrested, 53 were charged with "throwing stones or missiles." One was charged with using "irritants."

All were charged with interfering with police. Other charges were obstruction of streets or other public passageways and disrupting a lawful assembly.

The group, Unconventional Denver, was marching toward the 16th Street Mall without a permit when officers surrounded them after they refused to stop, officials have said. Police said they had information from protesters that they were going to do damage downtown.

Officers fired pepper spray after anarchists wearing bandannas locked arms and attempted to walk through a police line. Activists said the show of force was unprovoked and unnecessary.

"I think the only thing we did wrong was being on the streets when we weren't supposed to be," Gebremedhin said. "The people out there aren't like some hooligans with nothing better to do than bother the police. They have something to say. . . . All they're really trying to do is make change, and it's really sad it turned out like that."

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