Police Pepper-Spray Protesters; 100 Arrested

by Dan Friedman

Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008


Denver police arrested about 100 protesters Monday night during a clash that occurred as delegates gathered a mile away to hear Michelle Obama speak.

Around 7:15 p.m., police in riot gear used pepper spray on an estimated crowd of 300 in Civic Center Park. Authorities said protesters refused to disperse and rushed a police line. Many protesters then moved about a block onto 15th Street, where some, including a group that linked arms and sat down, were arrested after being surrounded by police.

The incident, which followed a largely quiet day, was the most violent so far between police and protesters demonstrating at the Democratic National Convention. It raised tension ahead of an anti-war march Thursday that is expected to be the week's largest demonstration.

A small group of protesters and police clashed again this morning near the Colorado Civic Center.

Police charged those arrested Monday with breaking city laws against obstructing streets or public passageways, interfering with police and disobeying lawful orders. Most were processed and released by midday.

The sides differed over how events transpired. The Denver Police Department said in a statement that many protesters carried "rocks and other items that could be used to threaten public safety. In order to protect the public when the crowd surged forward, two officers deployed their pepper spray and one officer used a pepper ball device."

Protesters and civil liberties advocates said police used excessive force. Glenn Spagnuolo, a spokesman for Recreate 68, an umbrella group coordinating protest activities this week, said police, concerned because some protesters wore bandannas over their faces, provoked the events by entering the park to break up a lawful assembly.

Spagnuolo and Mark Silverstein, legal director of the Colorado American Civil Liberties Union, said they were not aware of protesters holding rocks or other weapons.

Silverstein said the use of pepper spray "was unnecessary and unprovoked," and questioned if police could claim individual probable cause against those who were arrested. He said those arrested were denied access to volunteer attorneys.

"Some people spent as long as 12 hours in custody without access to attorneys, despite the fact that there were attorneys ready and willing to meet with them," Silverstein said.

Denver Police did not immediately respond to questions about attorney access.

  •  
  •