Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Protesters exploit permit loophole

Group doubles chances by filing under two names

By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published March 12, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

Text size  
Richard Roca, 48, of Denver, uses a street sign to stretch against as he works out Tuesday at Confluence Park in Denver. Civic Center, Skyline and Confluence parks are designated for special-use permits during the Democratic National Convention.

Photo by Matt McClain / The Rocky

Richard Roca, 48, of Denver, uses a street sign to stretch against as he works out Tuesday at Confluence Park in Denver. Civic Center, Skyline and Confluence parks are designated for special-use permits during the Democratic National Convention.

More Denver Democratic National Convention 2008

More stories »

Map my news

A group that has promised a lively street scene of "old hippies," anarchists and others during the Democratic National Convention may have doubled its chances of getting a permit to protest in city parks.

Mark Cohen and his wife, Barbara, organizers for the Recreate 68 Alliance, have filed separate applications under different organizational names.

"I don't see anything unfair about it," Mark Cohen said Tuesday. "If (other organizations applying for permits) wanted to submit more than one application, they could, since the form allows people to submit as individuals."

But Erin Trapp, director of the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, which is accepting the applications, said the city has told organizations to submit one request per event.

"We are taking them on their word that they're doing that," she said. "We can't police it and won't."

The city, which has received 10 applications for park permits so far, plans to hold a blind lottery to handle competing requests.

Under that system, Mark and Barbara Cohen will get two chances while everybody else gets only one. The Denver couple applied for permits at three of the same parks on the same days.

Katherine Archuleta, a senior adviser to Mayor John Hickenlooper, said the city worked "very, very hard" to create a fair process to apply for and issue permits.

"We hope that (the Cohens) would use that fair process to guide themselves in terms of their application process," she said. "I'm just going to believe that they're going to have two different types of events because that's the way they're applying."

Mark Cohen said the applications he and his wife filed meet the city's guidelines. He filed under the name "Celebration of Democracy" and his wife used the name "Festival of Democracy."

"I haven't seen anything which says that people have to submit only one application per event," he said.

Mark Cohen also said he doesn't think the two applications give Recreate 68 an unfair advantage over the other groups that are applying for permits.

"It gives us more opportunity," he said.

Recreate 68 has promised demonstrations that will rival those at the notorious 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago, which was accompanied by street battles between police and anti-Vietnam War demonstrators.

Larry Hales, who applied for a park permit for a group called People's Assembly, said his group is separate from Recreate 68 but that they support each other.

Even though he hopes to get a permit from the city, Hales said he's not worried if he doesn't.

"They can't ignore us," he said. "No matter what they do, there's still going to be thousands and thousands of people.

"There's going to be way more people protesting at the convention than are going to be at the convention."

Competing for parks

So far, the following groups have applied for park permits before, during and after the DNC:

* People's Assembly - Denver International Action Center

Civic Center Park, Aug. 24-27

City of Cuernavaca Park, Aug. 24-28

Confluence Park, Aug. 24 and Aug. 26-28

* Colorado Democratic Party

Skyline Park, Aug. 24-29

* 1st Amendment Appreciation Rally

City of Cuernavaca Park, Aug. 25-28

Civic Center Park, Aug. 25-27

Gates Crescent Park, Aug. 25-28

Skyline Park South, Aug. 25-28

Denver Skate Park, Aug. 25-28

Confluence Park, Aug. 26-28

* Rocky Mountain Cook-Off & Music Festival

Civic Center Park, Aug. 22-24

* Democrats to Support Safe Access - Medical Cannabis Patient's Rally

Civic Center Park, Aug. 25-28

* Civic Center Park Conservancy - Outdoor Market

Civic Center Park, Aug. 20 and 27

* Solar Energy Industry Association

City of Cuernavaca Park, Aug. 27

Civic Center Park, Aug. 26

Skyline Park South, Aug. 27

Skyline Park Mid/North, Aug. 27

Confluence Park, Aug. 27-28

* Fashion for Freedom

Civic Center Park, Aug. 23-25

* Festival of Democracy

Civic Center Park, Aug. 24-28

Skyline Park Mid/North, Aug. 24-28

Confluence Park, Aug. 24-28

* Celebration of Democracy

Civic Center Park, Aug. 24-28

Skyline Park South, Aug. 24-28

Skyline Park Mid/North, Aug. 24-28

Confluence Park, Aug. 24-28