DNC Protesters Assigned to Fenced-Off Parking Lot for Obama's Speech

By Jeralyn, Section Democratic National Convention 2008
Posted on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 07:24:57 PM EST
Tags: Democratic National Convention, protesters (all tags)

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Denver officials announced today that the protest zone for Invesco Field where Sen. Barack Obama will deliver his nomination acceptance speech will be in the parking lot. The lot will be fenced.

The fenced-in area will be about 53,000 square feet in Lot J. Delegates entering the convention will pass by the area from between 200 and 400 feet away after they are dropped off for the night's speech by Sen. Barack Obama.

Protesters will be allowed to use bullhorns, and the city will provide a stage, amplification equipment, and at least two speakers that will be located outside the zone and pointing toward Invesco Field at Mile High.

Here's the map (pdf) showing Lot J.

In related news, the protesters are offering Denver a "doo doo accord" (pdf copy here) and yes, it's just what it sound like -- it's in reponse to the City Council's upcoming final consideration of a law banning protesters from carrying buckets of the human stuff.

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DNC Protesters Assigned to Fenced-Off Parking Lot for Obama's Speech | 83 comments (83 topical)

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"Congress shall make no law (5.00 / 2) (#2)
by derridog on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 07:36:21 PM EST

respecting... the right of the people peaceably to assemble...."

Why are people going along with these "free speech zones?" We certainly didn't do that in the sixties. Can you imagine the Civil Rights Movement? "Sorry, Mr. King, you'll have to hold this sit-in in the parking lot, surrounded by a fence and a whole lot of cops, instead of in this drug store."

Ooohh.. bad editing (5.00 / 2) (#7)
by flashman on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 07:50:02 PM EST

Makes the 1st Ammendment sound like the opposite of what it intended. Better to put it like this:

Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble


: You're right. Sorry. (none / 0) (#81)
by derridog on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 01:53:06 PM EST

Protestors don't have a chance to be (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by Aqua Blue on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 07:57:39 PM EST

seen or heard these days. And, they certainly don't get air time (or if they do it is cast in a demeaning light).

Just like the body bags are not shown, nor other was horrors. (It's theatre...not real, but just the war theatre...games.)

Protest???...not in communist Russia,not in communist China, not in the USA recently.

"These are the times that try men's souls." (Thomas Paine)


: You Tube It (5.00 / 2) (#47)
by txpolitico67 on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 09:17:37 PM EST

we all know about a certain senior citizen from Manhattan who staged a one-woman protest at the RBC Meeting 5/31 and is nearing, I believe, 2 million hits?
2 million hits? That's A LOT of people.

Good question (5.00 / 3) (#32)
by Valhalla on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 08:37:15 PM EST

What's to stop people from wearing, say, all the same protest-message tshirts and just walking around?

What counts as a protest? Signs? Organized shouting? Verbalized disagreement? or simply lack of sufficient enthusiasm for Obama?

The image of that one student in China standing in front of a tank just popped into my mind. How the U.S. admired him (as they should). Yet seems like he'd be locked in cage pretty quick here, if he was protesting a convention instead of Communism.


: As I read it (none / 0) (#54)
by Ben Masel on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 09:50:47 PM EST

This follows the model from my litigation in Dallas. You still have 'normal' 1st Amendment rights outside the outer, "soft" perimeter.
Protests in the zones tend toward the formulaic. I figure to spend more time around the hotels.

: Right. I'm sure the Chinese authorities did not (none / 0) (#82)
by derridog on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 01:59:27 PM EST

approve of this student's choice of locale. That's what nonviolent, civil disobedience is all about. Key thing: you have to be disobedient, which means you don't stay in the enclosed parking lot and, when you are arrested, you sit down and go limp. Make the cops lift you. This takes time and effort. They may use tear-gas. Hey bring a gas mask! Enough people doing that (preferably while wearing your protest-message t-shirts-good idea!), you will get press coverage. If not, you keep it up until you do.

They got arrested in the drugstores. (none / 0) (#59)
by Ben Masel on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 10:21:49 PM EST

: Yes. That was what they wanted to do -- (none / 0) (#83)
by derridog on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 02:06:36 PM EST

get arrested in the drug store. They were protesting the fact that blacks couldn't sit at the counter in the drugstore! The entire symbolism would have been lost, plus they wouldn't have pissed anybody off (an important factor), if they had been out in the parking lot with signs.
The point is to do exactly what the authorities forbid.

Here we go again... (5.00 / 5) (#5)
by HypeJersey on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 07:43:41 PM EST

Dissent neatly partitioned away from the actual convention. This sure smells like the same thing we've had for dinner these past 8 years...

I understand about the doo-doo (5.00 / 2) (#8)
by samanthasmom on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 07:51:33 PM EST

I've spent a good part of my life cleaning up doo-doo both the organic and the virtual kind. No doo-doo allowed is fine, but will I be able to knit? (I use bamboo needles.) Although I can't have them in the airplane cabin, I can still check my needles in my baggage. Will the "bitter knitters" be able to stage a protest? This might sound like snark, but it isn't. We have an Olympic knitting event going that we would like to continue at the convention.

they keep shooting the unity pony (5.00 / 3) (#9)
by nellre on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 07:52:47 PM EST

Where is the change I keep being told to believe in?

: A really nice change would be Hillary IN, (5.00 / 2) (#40)
by PssttCmere08 on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 09:05:42 PM EST

obama OUT....they sure as hell better hope he actually is the nominee after all the hype. I do think Hillary would look pretty good in Invesco Field.

This shows how broken (5.00 / 2) (#10)
by my opinion on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 07:53:12 PM EST

our constitution and democracy is. Sad to see.

And, to think the presumptive (5.00 / 0) (#46)
by JavaCityPal on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 09:16:45 PM EST

candidate taught constitutional law. I wonder if his former students learned the old interpretation or the new.


: I assume the class covered (none / 0) (#58)
by Ben Masel on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 10:20:26 PM EST

Ward vs Rock Against Racism 491 U.S. 781 (1989) in which the Supreme Court lowered the standard of review for regulation of Assembly to "Intermediate Scrutiny."
(As the permit holder for the previkous year's Rock Against Racism concert in NYC's Central Park, I wrote an affidavit for the initial filing.)

LOL (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by Josey on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 08:04:59 PM EST

The groups -- Unconventional Denver, Re-create 68 Alliance and the Alliance for Real Democracy -- are calling the accord a "Non-Pooliferation Treaty."

I watch a lot of National Geographic and (5.00 / 1) (#16)
by Grace on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 08:06:37 PM EST

Discovery TV -- and 200 to 400 ft. is the length of 10 to 20 adult Great White sharks (or several whales) placed end to end. That's a very big distance. They'll need amplification equipment for anyone to hear them.

: Closer than any Convention since GOP 1984 (none / 0) (#23)
by Ben Masel on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 08:21:51 PM EST

when I litigated to get to 175 feet.

Well, should we be suprised? (5.00 / 0) (#17)
by Leisa on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 08:07:00 PM EST

It seems as though the DNC and a certain campaign have intentionally adopted many Rovian techniques after seeing how successful the GOP was in installing the completely incompetent Shrub as POTUS.

Yes, let us cage the protesters out of sight and view of the MSM, attendees and our dear presumptive nominee.

They still get the right of free speech, just out of sight and hearing distance of most attending the convention.

Anyone that cares about Democracy should be concerned about this.

Much closer than the '96 D. Convention. (5.00 / 1) (#25)
by Ben Masel on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 08:25:27 PM EST

when the Fed Judge let Daley's cops keep us at 600 feet.


That is interesting... (none / 0) (#38)
by Leisa on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 08:56:54 PM EST

are you saying the undemocratic practices were also used by Democrats before Bush II became President? Did they study his playbook to become the Gov'ner of TX in '94?


I was clubbed 13 times by LAPD in 2000 (none / 0) (#61)
by Ben Masel on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 10:37:20 PM EST

for holding a "Stop the Drug War" placard in the area designated by a Federal Judge for individual expressive activity near the entrance to the Convention. He'd set aside one space for large groups, another for individuals wothin the "soft perimeter." Finally, a US Dept of Justice uniformed Civil Rights Division officer intervened. "You can do whatever you like if you find him in an alley, but not here."

Of the 200 or so delegates nearby, only 1, a WI State Senator, vocally objected, and a cluster of Iowa delegates cheered on the guys wailing on me.

I'd been doing my tai chi all summer, was able to roll with the blows to avoid any injury greater than ugly bruises.

The City settled quickly on my Civil Rights suit. My complaint against the individual officers with the Department's Internal Affairs was denied on Sept. 12, 2001, worst news day ever, with a note saying they couldn't prove which officers had wailed on me from the photos. (Helmets, no identifying insignia.)


: Wow... (none / 0) (#68)
by Leisa on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 11:26:34 PM EST

I hope you write a book.
I do not think that many Americans realize how fragile our Democracy and "freedoms" are...

Luckily (5.00 / 3) (#19)
by txpolitico67 on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 08:10:47 PM EST

my free speech at the ballot box won't be fenced in.

My "free speech" may be zoned off but not my ability to exercise it on a more muscular level when I vote.

I guess you don't live... (5.00 / 2) (#24)
by OxyCon on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 08:22:06 PM EST

...in either Florida or Michigan.


THAT'S (5.00 / 0) (#43)
by txpolitico67 on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 09:12:06 PM EST

a good one. Yeah I'm in Texas...where Pelosi and Dean were chest-thumping thinking that Boyd Richie, Dem party chair, can actually get TX into play for Obama (insert Danny Thomas spit-take here).

Hillary and Obama primary votes combined don't even equal 1/2 of what Bush got here in 2004.

Obama? Take Texas? Uuuuuuuuuu betcha!


I am in TX also (none / 0) (#69)
by Leisa on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 11:31:06 PM EST

Obama had his day in the caucuses... many Dems, including me, are turned off to the man just based on what happened here.

There is no way he will win TX... Wait, that is unless we can prove that McCain is an ax murdering polygamist...


: Oh, I don't know -ax murdering might be okay. (none / 0) (#84)
by derridog on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 02:09:33 PM EST

Do they put barbed wire (5.00 / 1) (#29)
by Grace on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 08:33:53 PM EST

on top of the fences?

And, are the fences designed to keep (5.00 / 1) (#30)
by Grace on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 08:36:09 PM EST

people out or in?

Enquiring minds want to know.


and will there be (5.00 / 0) (#39)
by weltec2 on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 09:04:28 PM EST

a guard at the gate to check that we washed under our fingernails and behind our ears... reminds me of a song by Richard and Mimi Farina.


: Maybe, (5.00 / 1) (#50)
by Grace on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 09:34:19 PM EST

They'll tatoo them first....
Seriously, I do not like the idea of caged protesters. Whoever thought this was appropriate should be voted out.
Protestors should be free to roam, just like the wild animals do. To cage them is crazy.