DNC Exposes Denver Gulag

I just spent 12 hours on the streets of Denver as a Legal Observer for the National Lawyer's Guild to observe the Denver Police Department andit's proxies interact with a diverse group of demonstrators gathered here for the Democratic National Convention. The day can best be described as blue. A blue day for American free speech.

I close my eyes and see the dark blue of police uniforms on every corner, on bicycles, motor bikes, ATV's and horses. Above me were Huey gunships with visible door gunners. On rooftops were snipers standing above us with spotters. New technology puts cameras on every block and several on every block of the downtown region of Denver. New M88 pepper ball launchers are seen on every block in the hands of a cop dressed in full riot gear on an 85 degree day.

The cops tried to say they were only here to make everybody safe but, as a combat veteran and a psychiatric RN, I didn't feel safe. I felt the overt attempt to intimidate. I felt my freedom slipping ever closer into the abyss of tyranny.

On one march I observed cops massing in a city park with riot gear in numbers of ten on every corner. In the background and on buses and in vans hundreds more lurked. Full block long lines of bicycle cops rode around and through demonstrators frequently. Lines of horses with shields covering their eyes and cops on their backs paraded in front of us on many occasions.

On the march with IVAW members the numbers of police were even greater as the march went up and down the 16th Street Mall. Clapping bystanders cheered IVAW members as they passed by stores, breweries and cafes. A long blue line of riot police shadowed the veterans on the other side of the mall street, which is closed to all but mall shuttles going up and down the entire 15 blocks. Groups of ten or more riot police lined the building walls. Motorcycle cops and bike cops rode along in the shuttle lanes with the vets marching on the sidewalk.

Near the end of the march a large contingent of cops waited on foot, horse, bike and motorcycle. When vets made a wrong turn at the Union Station area I observed the riot police starting to put their shields down and break out gas masks. Reinforcements came running up from in back of the march to join them. Tension was escalating on the part of the police without any of the demonstrators making an aggressive movement or gesture other than the usual idiot or two who more often than not proves to be an agitator for some agency.

I began to fear a police escalation would stupidly trigger veterans who were peaceably marching and expressing opposition to an illegal and immoral war. But after a 15 min period of the cops amping up for a confrontation, none happened. The vets maintained their peaceful demeanor and the cops pulled up their shields.

As the march moved down to the center of the Union Station area, the riot cops sent a squad of eight to walk through the more than thousand demonstrators. Provocative acts like this took place all day as I observed the police. Demonstrators and some very good bike cops prevented things from escalating.

Toward the end of the day, a small group of very young demonstrators returned to the first parade starting place and sat down on a major Denver street. When prompted to move they moved over to another busy street and sat down. Eventually a small group was surrounded by over 50 riot cops and arrested without struggle. Photos from the Denver Post show very young demonstrators being arrested. Most had bandannas covering their faces. One young lady who didn't cover her face looked to be in her early 20's.

I've been to other conventions, demonstrations and inaugurations and felt the police presence to be way too much but by far this was the most incongruent use of police presence for the numbers of demonstrators I've ever experienced. And the fun has just begun.

I've got to say the Denver Police and the other agencies involved must have felt they had to absolutely spend every dollar of the 50 million they received to patrol the DNC. What's so absurd about this response is the lack of a large national presence of the peace movement that seems willing to let the Democrats and Obama off the hook in favor of putting their resources into the RNC in Minneapolis.

Sadly the representation of veterans other than IVAW is damn pathetic. VFP and VVAW representation is almost non-existent. Only a few locals and a few from out of town bothered to show up.

Cindy Sheehan, Ron Kovic and Medea Benjamin did show up and spoke for the more radical rally of Recreate 68 early this morning (8/24/08). Code Pink had a small contingent of out of state activists arrive to march with the IVAW members. The most optimistic thing I noticed was the increased number of younger activists. Tent State and other groups of younger activists outnumbered the usual old hippies and Vietnam era activists.

The sad legacy of this DNC is the division of the peace movement here in the Denver area. Recreate 68 and the Alliance for Real Democracy have been at odds for months. Activists who have worked together for decades have become estranged with great rancor because of tactics and agenda.
Two large coalitions put on two seperate marches and actions today. I'd estimate no more than a few thousand in each group. Thousands of other possible activists stayed away because of the division and an unfortunate choice of names.

It seems after five years of death and horrible wounds for American troops and Iraqis and Afghanis the American peace and justice movement would grow up and focus on the solution. It seems after bilions of dollars drained from the pockets of the poor and middle class to fight the wars, urgency might override bickering and infighting. It seems the damage to the social fabric of this nation caused by Bush's arrogance and tyranny could make us find a common ground to work together to bring an end to the wars and bring justice where so desperately needed.

It seems that way but apparently not. Luckily for those seeking peace and justice, there is a new emerging force of young people who are sick and tired of waiting for many of the more established activists to wake up. IVAW is at the forefront of those young people. Hopefully, they will tell those who want to constantly bicker to either get it together or get the hell out of the way.

Wm. Terry Leichner, RN

VVAW member - Denver

USMC combat veteran

Vietnam '67-69