Protester enters plea in trespass case
By Ashleigh Oldland, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published July 31, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
A 60-year-old John McCain protester pleaded not guilty Wednesday to allegations she trespassed at the Denver Performing Arts Complex during McCain's town hall event this month while carrying a "McCain = Bush" sign.
A trial date of Oct. 1 was set for Carol Kreck, a part-time librarian and former reporter for The Denver Post.
Denver police ticketed Kreck when she carried the large sign in the Galleria walkway outside the building while McCain was inside speaking.
Kreck was participating in a demonstration organized by ProgressNow. The organization gave Kreck the sign, but she was the only person from the event to be ticketed and escorted away.
Kreck believes she was removed from the event because "somebody was very threatened by this sign, this idea: McCain = Bush. So threatened that they had to sully the First Amendment to shut me up."
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July 31, 2008
8:12 a.m.
Suggest removal
Retread writes:
How can you trespass on public property?
July 31, 2008
9:07 a.m.
Suggest removal
Scott writes:
Retread, the Denver Performing Arts Complex is considered private property ... even though it received tax dollars. Therefore, if you are on private property, told to leave and don't/won't you can be charged with trespassing. Personally I think that Kreck should have been allowed to walk around with her sign, so long as she was not causing a disturbance, because this was a public event and it is part of the political process.
Scott
July 31, 2008
6:32 p.m.
Suggest removal
Retread writes:
I sure would like to see WHO really owns the performing arts center. I do believe she will get off..