At least 2,000 join massive antiwar street march

[The Sushi Bandit]

Source: Rocky Mountain News

BRIGHTON AND 44TH -- A massive group of at least 2,000 chanting, shouting, sign-waving protesters are marching down Brighton Boulevard escorted by police in what is easily the largest such protest Denver has seen during this convention.

The march, organized in conjunction with a free Rage Against the Machine-headlined music festival at the Denver Coliseum, is cosponsored by Iraq Veterans Against the War and Tent State University.

About 50 Iraq veterans are leading the march to the Pepsi Center, followed by thousands of mostly young protesters carrying signs denouncing the war. More protesters continue to stream from the coliseum, where nearly 10,000 watched Rage urge them to join the march.



Read more: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/27/least-2000-join-massive-antiwar-street-march/

[Hell Hath No Fury]

1. Cool!

Wish I were there!

[Demeter]

2. Very Appropriate Action

My thanks to those representing the forces for peace in my absence.

[peacetalksforall]

3. Never heard of Tent State University. Thought it was a typo. Here's a link.

http://www.tentstate.com/projects/tent-state-event

Go for it.

[undergroundpanther]

4. off to greatest with this..

[Truth2Tell]

5. Recommended.

And no "concerned" posters yet? :shrug:

[hack89]

6. Massive apparently doesn't mean what it use to mean

2000 is a good number but it is hardly massive.

[The Sushi Bandit]

7. Live Thread: Massive street march enters downtown Denver

Source: Rocky Mountain News

BLAKE STREET AND BROADWAY -- A massive antiwar street march led by veterans of the Iraq war has entered downtown Denver, still thousands strong despite withering heat.

The protest, cosponsored by Iraq Veterans Against the War and Tent Street University, began at the Denver Coliseum and is planned to continue on to the Pepsi Center. It is being escorted by an equally massive police turnout.

Thus far, the march has been peaceful and well received, as residents along the route sprayed the marchers with hoses and provided water from their homes and businesses.

More as it develops.......



Read more: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/27/massive-street-march-enters-downtown-denver/

[El Supremo]

8. 84 degrees is not withering

But the humidity is 37% - a bit high for Denver.

(I know you didn't write this)

[The Sushi Bandit]

9. More news.....

DENVER – A group believed to be the largest gathering of protestors this week, are on Brighton Boulevard approaching Blake Street, and are expected to attempt to march to the Pepsi Center on Wednesday.


As the Rage Against the Machine concert let out at the Denver Coliseum at 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon the unauthorized march embarked toward the site of the Democratic National Convention, led by a group called Iraq Veterans Against the War.

The veterans, who were dressed in uniform, did not have an official permit for the parade.

At 4 p.m., the march was moving very slowly and had not yet reached 38th Avenue and Brighton Boulevard. Protestors were armed with numerous anti-war signs and were chanting anti-war sentiments.

Police, riding on a golf cart at the head of the march, were attempting to get the protestors to turn down Blake Street, from Brighton Boulevard. The cart had a traffic sign affixed to it that was flashing the message: "Welcome to Denver" and "Follow us."

Before the concert let out, Rage Against the Machine and other bands asked the crowd of 9,000 to be peaceful during the march.

The march forced the closure of all ramps from Interstate 70 to Brighton Boulevard. It was not known how long the ramps would be closed.

The parade is the largest gathering of protestors so far during the DNC, surpassing the roughly 1,000 marchers who participated in Sunday's Recreate '68 march.

At least 100 police officers in riot gear were in the area, along with a police helicopter overhead.

It was not known how long police would allow the march to proceed.

At the Rage Against the Machine concert, the mood was both laid-back and political as the show got under way. A juggler performed on the sidewalk near a replica of a Guantanamo Bay prison cell.

The band State Radio opened the concert while activists met backstage to plan a march and sit-in once the show was over.

By the time Rage Against Machine took the stage, police estimated the crowd at 9,000.

The protestors at the concert say they want Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to agree to an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. They also want full health care benefits for returning troops and veterans, and reparations to the Iraqi people for damage caused by the war.

Protest organizers urged anyone participating in the march and willing to be arrested during a sit-in at the convention site walk at the front of the line.

On Monday, the veterans group sent a letter to Obama's office stating their concerns.

Organizers said a sit-in at the end of the march would be an act of civil disobedience, not a violent protest. Protesters have been told not to react to the police presence or risk getting hit with pepper spray.

About 8,000 free tickets were handed out by lottery for the show, sponsored by Tent State University and Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Rage Against the Machine also plans a concert Sept. 3 in Minneapolis during the Republican National Convention, which takes place just across the Mississippi River in St. Paul.

[kestrel91316]

14. Here's something I have never understood:

"....The veterans, who were dressed in uniform, did not have an official permit for the parade...."

If freedom of speech and assembly is guaranteed in the Constitution, why in hell does ANYONE need a permit to assemble? Anywhere? Especially when the reason for the assembly is to PETITION our leaders???

[rpannier]

17. Because they are assembling on public land

When you hold an assembly of any kind on public land then your assembly affects more than just you. It affects businesses, traffic, etc. Extra police are needed to direct traffic and prevent some lunatic(s) from throwing things at those marching. They also have to keep counter protesters away from the group assembling.

If you get 1000 people marching for something and then I get 1000 people marching against the same thing and we are on the same piece of land there is a high likelihood that tempers could flare and a fight could break out.

[kestrel91316]

20. I understood the need to avoid pandemonium, lol, but I totally spaced out

on the PUBLIC LAND aspect. Makes sense.

[napi21]

10. Why are they marching against the Dems? I don't understand.

HAven't the Dems been trying to end this war for a long time?

[Faygo Kid]

11. I don't see this as against the Dems, but for their principles. End the war, veterans' health care.

Works for me. They want their voices heard.

I wonder what's going to happen in Minneapolis.

[napi21]

12. I have to admit, Mn. should be interesting. McNuts will probably

force them behind some kind of fences!

[kansasblue]

13. Lots think the Dems were elected in '06 to end the war.

It's still going on. Yes our positions are far superior to the Republicans but the funding and the war continues.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. Not enough Dems have been trying to end the war

Too many of them vote to continue funding.

[Zhade]

16. You mean by bringing war funding bills to the floor when they could block them?

THAT'S "trying to end this war"?

[LeftyMom]

22. Maybe they should stop "trying" and start actually ending the fucking war.

[The Sushi Bandit]

18. More News.....

People on Brighton Boulevard surprised at march
By Ryan Sabalow, Rocky Mountain News
Originally published 05:20 p.m., August 27, 2008
Updated 05:20 p.m., August 27, 2008
BRIGHTON BOULEVARD -- It's definitely not every day that around 1,000 people march down Brighton Boulevard.

And for those living and doing business there today, the mass of moving bodies chanting and carrying protest signs came as a bit of shock.

"We had no idea until police started showing up, and I went out and talked to them," Jonathan Paul, the general manager of the Builder's Outlet, said today as the last of the marchers strolled by the door-framing business.

He said he thought they were closing the road because of a passing dignitary, something he's seen when presidents visit Denver.

Still, Paul said he was impressed with how civil both the police and protesters were, even though traffic was sparce at the business.

A few hundred feet away, JD Madril sat outside the City Gate apartment complex similarly watching the crowd pass.

As the complex's maintenance supervisor, he said his bosses asked him to keep an eye on the property.

But he said it was unwarranted.

"It all went well as far as I'm concerned," he said.

But one of his tenants wasn't so happy.

Yelling from his balcony, the man told the throngs of protesters to move on.

"Don't come back here," he said.

The protesters, of course, yelled back. One suggested the man join the Army.

[The Sushi Bandit]

19. More than 3,000 estimated as march moves toward Pepsi Center

Paul A. Anthony, Rocky Mountain News
Originally published 05:38 p.m., August 27, 2008
Updated 05:38 p.m., August 27, 2008
SPEER AND ARAPAHOE -- Police and observers are estimating more than 3,000 people joined an antiwar group of Iraq veterans in marching from the Denver Coliseum through downtown.

The massive protest, whose numbers appear to remain above 2,000, has turned onto Arapahoe Street on its way to the Pepsi Center, escorted by hundreds of police.

Observers turned out in droves to watch the protest as it crept through downtown -- parents bringing children, workers on their way home and residents peeking out windows.

"They wanted to see what was going on," said Betsy Crane, a Denver mother of three who brought her children --ages 9, 7 and 5 -- to watch the protest. "They're interested in seeing police officers, as well as protesters."

The march is cosponsored by Iraq Veterans Against the War and Tent State University, starting at the coliseum with a free concert by rap-metal band Rage Against the Machine. The numbers have seemed to surprise even the protesters, some of whom expressed surprise when told of the estimates thus far.

About 50 Iraq war veterans lead the parade, which has stopped several times to allow the massive line of people to regroup into one section. At least twice, soldiers have read from a letter they sent to presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama, urging him to bring troops home from Iraq upon election as president.

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News

[Enthusiast]

21. Phony soldiers

:sarcasm:

[ohio2007]

23. hundreds finished the march

Out of the 3,000 that started the march
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/27/more-3000-estimated-march-moves-toward-pepsi-cente/




hundreds finished.
( too hot to march )
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/27/antiwar-march-reaches-pepsi-center/

Protests in Denver
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=suyZUxxA5lI

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=LcIuVAGgdKo
yawn