To the uninformed visitor, it has become difficult to tell whether Denver is preparing for a Democratic National Convention or the institution of martial law. Helicopters filled with armed commandos swooped over downtown in a training exercise earlier this summer. A warehouse was converted into a temporary jail with chain-link fences and signs threatening the use of electric stun devices. Travel agents sold getaway packages to locals, with one company imploring residents to “escape town while you still can.”
Hosting a convention necessitates preparing for the worst, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper said, and his city has accomplished that with gusto. The possibility of protesters hurling buckets of feces? Denver proposed an ordinance to prevent it. The threat of crowd violence? The city spent $2.1 million on “personal protection equipment” for police.
More than 50,000 visitors will descend on the Mile High City this week, and Denver has spent the past year plotting ways to avoid public embarrassment. The city studied previous convention disturbances and negotiated with several groups that are planning to protest. With an international audience of media members, delegates and the Democratic Party elite expected to arrive this weekend, Denver hopes to capitalize on a chance to re-image itself as “more than a second-tier town,” Hickenlooper said.
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“The nice thing about hosting one of these conventions is that you can show off,” said Hickenlooper, a Democrat who will speak on the opening night of the convention. “We don’t want some traffic jam, protest or unfortunate incident to become the big story, because there’s too much good stuff going on here. We have the infrastructure to be prepared to handle anything.”
Denver worked hard to procure such a visible moment. The city submitted convention bids in 2000 and 2004 but didn’t advance deep into the selection process, in part because it lacked enough hotel rooms. After another four years of growth — Colorado is one of the 10 fastest-growing states in the nation — Denver submitted a bid for the 2008 convention.
August 24th, 2008 at 11:14 am
This may get ugly indeed… I smell violence in the air coming closer and closer
August 24th, 2008 at 11:16 am
The cops in Denver are real nasty…they’ll kill you in a heart beat…let’s see what happens. Death toll for the convention? Three? Four? None? What’s your guess? The cops in Denver know they can get away with murder there…no problem, I’ve seen it myself…lots of examples and the media will help make it look like it’s somehow the job of the cops to kill. Let’s hope the tally is none. But, folks are getting pretty steamed up.
August 24th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I say BRING THE VIOLENCE. The sooner we get the inevitable conflict out of the way (Denver and beyond), the less time they have to reenforce themselves and their methods. The longer we wait, the longer the fighting is going to have to be drawn out.
Let them have their martial law. The harder they try to oppress us the more motivated and determined we will become. People cannot remain passive once thay have tasted the pain.
And if this sounds foolish to you, consider that everything will be much worse if we wait for improved surveilance and riot control technologies. Let’s not make it easier for them by giving them time to build more detention centers.
The sooner we act the less we will suffer in the long run.
August 24th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Besides, if we do nothing to give them an excuse then their provocateurs will just do it for us. They pull that crap not to provoke us but to test our resolve and to deal with us BEFORE we are actually prepared.
August 24th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Having done my share of travel in this Neo Con- Nazi snakebit land, I’d advise everyone to move around in teams, and to watch out for undercover thug gov’t teams working the motels, hotels and the transportation venues. I’d watch out for what and where you eat, or you might order the Polonium Slow Death Special..(who’s paranoid??)..
August 24th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
i smell city of denver setting up the protesters like they did in seatle
August 24th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Does the fact that they expect such high amounts of violence not tell the story itself. It was not that long ago when prospective presidents drove around in open top cars waving to supporters, now they have cars with blacked out windows and gunmen hanging out waving sub machine guns at the crowds.
We have left it too late, they have superior weapons and will test them at this convention.
August 24th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
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August 24th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
i think the protesters should show up armed to the teeth,to level out the playing field.And then we get to watch those bad ass Denver cops running away like little bitches on the news.Cops are real bad ass when they are fighting unarmed, pieceful protesters.
The police are gonna start trouble to get the protest out of control anyway.It makes their job easier when you get most of the protesters out of the way.They will stay locked up till the convention is over.the cops are prepared,I hope the protesters are half as prepared.
August 24th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Who is so mad that they would protest the Democratic Convention?
Shouldn’t the protest movement be directed at the Republicans?
I still say the Democrats are the “lesser of two evils……”
LMAO!
Cheers!
Mizerman
p.s. It would be great prime-time news; I’ll be sure and keep my fat ass in the Laz-yBoy or on the sofa and watch the damned thing in the hopes for some whacked out protesters to make their way on tv. Hell, just wanted to see Hillary’s Army make a big stink…but, this sounds much, much better!
August 24th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
http://www.onemorepromethean.com
August 24th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
More terror storming, that is a part of the plan. Makes me sick to my stomach.
Stay together people.
August 24th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Hmmm police and protesters prepare for each other. K.Y. & Condoms?
Someones gonna get fucked!!!
August 24th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Getting violent would just play into the hands of the National Security State. Video of protestors behaving badly played on national TV will in the public’s mind justify harsh reprisal measures by the pigs. Don’t play that game!
August 24th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
There are high odds that there’s going to be agent provaceturs (police dressed up as protesters inciting violence and disorder)
If you see any of these hired trouble makers let them know that you know who they are, and wy there’s there, video them and their antics – post it on youtube. Oh and tell them to f**k off too.
Peace!
August 24th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
@secret soldier – one message – get the f**k out of here you fool. As long as people are violent (as you suggest they should be), the NWO grip tightens with more opressibe measures making it worse for ul all. You’re complete idiot man. The best weapon is truth and justice.
Peace!
August 24th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
All you rabble will be dealt with harshly in Denver. We’ve been planning this for months. You may have found one of our concentration camps in Denver, but I can assure we also built backups in case we hit any snags. Go back to your tv, nothing to see here LMAO. Don’t worry sheeple, those who die will die quickly, and in a blinding flash of glory. Those who don’t die will be the lucky few who get to witness the death of the republic and the birth of the new North American Common Union. Why do you think the military has been doing all these exercises leading up to the convention? Coincidence? Hardly.
I can’t believe one company was stupid enough to warn the idiot residents of Denver to get out while they still can. We want as many casualties as possible. Someone talked. Still, it doesn’t matter. Nothing can stop it now. I mean you found the concentration camp and still you did nothing. What can stop us?
Enjoy our gift Denver. You’ll be famous forever, until we re-write the history books. Whoops I’ve gotten ahead of myself, that’s not for another eight years, in the post-Obama years.
August 24th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
The advocates of passive resistance/non-violent demonstration still haven’t figured out what makes their methods effective. It’s not that these methods affect the conscience of the aggressors by starkly pointing out to them their own inhumanity, which is what such advocates believe. What really happens is that the abuse of the peaceful demonstrators is observed by outsiders who become outraged and are thus drawn into the conflict to defend the “defenseless” WITH VIOLENCE.
In other words, peaceful activism only works because it PISSES PEOPLE OFF. When these pissed off people begin to mobilize it induces fear in the oppressors, and that’s when the concessions begin.
Obviously, this is NOT an initiation of violence, which should always be discouraged. This is defensive violence and all responsibility rests with ones who made it necessary. It’s their crime, not ours.
August 24th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
So basically they’re trying to dull and dumb-down the protest as much as they possibly can, so that the public will pay more attention to the visiting politicians?
If they’re making all these preparations, especially the construction of make-shift jails, they’re probably itching to use them. Which is probably their intention, otherwise they would put their time and resources towards making sure no violence ignites amongst the protest and other non-wastes of time. I smell agent provacateurs.
The administrations pocket news networks love violence, especially when they pin it on protesters who stand against the policies of the government.
August 24th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
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August 25th, 2008 at 6:35 am
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