Sign the petition! Denver Police Department & DNC: Stop violence against protesters

Defend the right to freedom of speech and assembly!
Protesting is not a crime!

Denver Police Department & DNC: Stop violence against protesters
Drop all charges against arrestees
Police OUT of Civic Center Park

Hands Off Veteran’s March

Sign the petition

In the past week, thousands of people from around the country have gathered in Denver to protest during the Democratic National Convention.

In the past few days, Denver police have engaged in deliberate provocations and violence against activists. On Monday night, they began beating and pepper spraying protesters and engaging in illegal mass arrests. On Tuesday, they clubbed and arrested Denver activist Carlo Garcia and Code Pink member Alicia Forrest.

Despite misrepresentations by the media and the Denver Police Department, the only acts of violence taking place in Denver are being committed by police trying to silence dissent. See this report and other reports on the this blog for details of police attacks on protesters.

It is shocking, with Thursday being the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, that the Democratic Party and the Denver Police are engaging in acts of violence against non-violent protesters. The true spirit of Dr. King is one of dissent and of speaking out against war, injustice and racism, and that is what the protestors in Denver are doing. They should not be criminalized by the city of Denver and the DNC.

We must take a stand against these attempts by the Denver Police to silence dissent. This has an impact beyond the protests in Denver: This is part of the ongoing struggle against the attempt by all levels of government–and both major parties–to criminalize dissent.

As we write, the Denver Police are surrounding Civic Center Park, dressed in riot gear and armed with automatic rifles, pepper spray, and clubs. They are erecting steel barricades to fence in protesters. The Recreate 68 has a legal permit for protest activity in the Park, and all of us have the right to voice our dissent without being criminalized. Today, Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) will march to the Pepsi Center, followed by thousands of supporters – they have a right to march, and we stand in solidarity with them and demand “Denver Police & DNC – hands off the Veterans!”

We need your support and solidarity now. Here’s how you can help:

• Sign the petition at http://troopsoutnow.org//dnc08protestrights.shtml

• Call the Mayor of Denver and Governor of Colorado – demand that they stop attacking protesters:

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper
Phone: 720-865-9000
Ask for the Mayor’s Office

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter
Phone: (303) 866-2471

• Forward this message widely – send it to your list serves, post it on your blog or social networking site, print it out and pass it on.