Convention parades cleared
Approved route for 12 marches by 7 groups unsettled
Kevin Vaughanand John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News
Published June 20, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Photo by Rocky Mountain News
Parade route
Every group that wanted to have a parade during the Democratic National Convention will, Denver officials said Thursday.
And every parade will end "within walking distance" of the Pepsi Center - but nobody knows yet exactly where that will be.
That is the upshot of a decision late Thursday by Denver officials to hand out parade permits during the convention, scheduled Aug. 25-28.
One protest group still was unhappy, however, because the city turned down its request for two marches along nondesignated routes.
Re-create 68 wanted to stage marches on the first two days of the convention. One would have gone from Viking Park in north Denver to the Pepsi Center. The other would have gone from Civic Center to the federal courthouse.
"They're actually turning down applications but trying to pretend like they're being gracious," said Glenn Spagnuolo, of Re-create 68.
Mark Silverstein, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, said the city also has failed so far to keep a commitment it made in federal court to place the ending point of the approved parade route within "sight and sound" of the Pepsi Center.
The ending point is expected to be determined in the next few weeks, said Sue Cobb, spokeswoman for Mayor John Hickenlooper.
"It's really a matter of accommodating people in parades and folks who aren't in parades as they enter the public viewing area and then minimizing disruption downtown," Cobb said. "We're still figuring out some pieces there."
A "public viewing area" will be established in Lot A of the Pepsi Center and is expected to be occupied by demonstrators. The parade route, however, may not end within "sight and sound" of the arena, Cobb said.
"I think there's a lot of delegates that will see people parading," Cobb said.
In all, the city awarded parade permits to seven groups that have planned a total of 12 parades. Re-create 68 got a slot for a parade each day.
So far, the city has made public only part of the route, beginning in Civic Center, traveling west on Colfax Avenue then north on Speer Boulevard. At the intersection of Speer and Larimer Street, the route stops - for now.
The city also has announced that parades will be allowed only from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Although the first parade will be scheduled to start each day at 11, the times for those following it won't be firmly established.
"It will depend each day on the size of the parades," Cobb said.
Most delegates will begin arriving at the Pepsi Center around 3 p.m., with events scheduled to begin each day at 4 p.m., DNC officials have said.
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June 20, 2008
7:40 a.m.
Suggest removal
sheepherder writes:
Od course R68 is upset...they have been upset about everything since this started. Glenn, get over yourself.
June 20, 2008
7:55 p.m.
Suggest removal
drkenne writes:
Control the parades and muffle the voices of those who seek to let the democrats know real change is demanded, to grow some backbone, and put a stop to this unjust war. A war that's robbing America of its treasure and mortgaging the futures of generations to come all while lining the pockets of corrupt Iraqi officials and companies like Halliburton, KBR, and (my real favorite) Blackwater. Hush, keep them quite and no one will ever know “there’s a riot going on…it’s Denver demonstration time”