Protests and Demonstrations

No Tell Hotel

Caption contest! Caption contest!

The Donkey's Ass

88 Arrested at Columbus Parade Protest

Democracy in Action

War Protesters Get Funky at Coors Field

DNC Protesters Tent State Plan Pepsi Center Sleepover

And the recipient of the first DNC protest is ... Nancy Pelosi!

That was quick! Anarchists amass downtown; traffic snarled for hours

DNC Cops: Chillin' Like Villians

Obnoxious North Carolina students leave Tom Tancredo speechless

Tom Tancredo cut short a planned speech on immigration at the University of North Carolina on Tuesday after a group of protesters sparked what the former congressman has described as a "small riot." Tancredo's appearance, at the invitation of a student organization called Youth for Western Civil ... More >>

Bike Naked

From a bike ride to a meat-industry protest, summer finds Denver in a state of undress.

Recreate '68 Plans to Do Just That

Chicago in 1968 was a place of violence and chaos. Some activists would like to re-create those good old days.

Chicago 10

The circus of the ’60s, from the streets to the courtroom, in Chicago 10.

Columbus Day Forecast: Stormy

Identity struggles continue to pit Italians against critics.

A Failure to Communicate

How confusion and chaos led to a reporter's arrest -- and a First Amendment court test.

Why Me, God?

An Iliff divinity student sues the school over disability access.

Video: Five people arrested during yesterday's Prop 8 protest

Soulforce in Colorado, a Denver-based nonprofit dedicated to ending oppression against gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people, has posted a YouTube video of yesterday's protest of the California Supreme Court ruling upholding Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage. (For more about th ... More >>

Warren Hern, Boulder abortion doctor, is "pissed," fears violence as Sacred Heart of Jesus protests clinic

Warren Hern has some harsh words for Sacred Heart of Jesus Church.​Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Catholic church and school that was recently the subject of national headlines for its refusal to teach the children of a same-sex couple in Boulder, has now become the target of an abortion doctor in ... More >>

Pot lands on Bill Ritter's desk -- but protesters will be outside

​Last night, with less than a day to go in this legislative session and plenty of work still to be done, the House reluctantly accepted the amendments the Senate had made to HB 1284 and passed the bill (by a 46 to 19 vote) that will regulate the operation of medical-marijuana dispensaries in t ... More >>

Medical marijuana community fights health department's PTSD policy

Courtesy of US Defense Dept.Approved PTSD simulator treatment.​Colorado Springs dispensary owner Drew Milburn, a veteran, doesn't like the state health department's opposition to using medical marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder -- and he's not alone. Team 420 has scheduled a pr ... More >>

Wild horse advocates rein in protest plans -- for now

Elyse Gardner​After a recent workshop with the Bureau of Land Management's National Wild Horse Advisory Board, one group of activists has decided to rein in plans for a protest. Although discussion between wild horse advocates and BLM representatives ranged from cordial to markedly tense at ... More >>

Anarchist protesters could strike 2012 Dem convention, Denver officials warn (VIDEO)

​Officials from Charlotte, North Carolina -- the host of the 2012 Democratic National Convention -- recently came to Denver to learn from our city's experience hosting the 2008 DNC. What was Charlotte Chamber of Commerce President Bob Morgan's take-away after meeting with Denver's civic leader ... More >>

Occupy Denver's Facebook responses to authorities clearing out tent city near Capitol

​Update: The latest Occupy Denver Facebook post: "Ground Update: Central camp has been evacuated and the final structures have come down. There were a few arrests of those defending our kitchen. Occupiers have been pushed out to the perimeters of Lincoln park and yet... Occupy Denver lives on. ... More >>

Occupy Denver petition protests arrests, hopes for 10,000 signatures

Brandon Marshall​A great deal of attention has been lobbied at the number of Occupy Denver arrests made over the weekend: fifty in two days. And though the Denver Anarchist Black Cross has been hugely instrumental in guaranteeing the release of the prisoners on bond, funds are running low. In ... More >>

Reader: Overnight parking tickets discourage people from going downtown

Brandon Marshall​A great deal of attention has been lobbied at the number of Occupy Denver arrests made over the weekend: fifty in two days. And though the Denver Anarchist Black Cross has been hugely instrumental in guaranteeing the release of the prisoners on bond, funds are running low. In ... More >>

MC Sole on what the Occupy Denver movement represents and the solidarity it has fostered

Jenn Wohletz​The Occupy Wall Street movement is loosely modeled after the "Arab Spring" wave of demonstrations that swept through the Arab world. Immediately based upon civil resistance, civil disobedience and the overall right to general assembly, these protests have been sweeping the nation ... More >>

Occupy Facebook: The five worst anti-protest memes

​So, if Facebook is the future of social discourse, it should be no surprise that it's been a forum for Occupy Wall Street discussions and visual arguments. Pictures, cartoons, graphics -- anti-Occupy Facebookers have taken to the virtual streets of Zuckerberg's city to fight Occupy Wall Stree ... More >>

Occupy Denver and Tea Party protests make Denver America's angriest city, says Daily Beast

​There are plenty of differences between the Occupy Wall Street and Tea Party movements, as cartoonist Kenny Be pointed out in his post "Occupy Wall Street vs. the Tea Party: A visual guide." But their members' shared sense of dissatisfaction inspired The Daily Beast to use them as a barometer ... More >>

Occupy Colorado Springs organized candlelight vigil in support of Occupy Denver (VIDEO)

​Occupy Colorado Springs has become a burgeoning political force in its own right of late, and the group is aligned in solidarity with Occupy Denver. The groups have united online and at general assemblies, where reps have traveled to visit each other. Last night, the Colorado Springs group ga ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Police arrest homeless vet Billy Reno for raising a tent

Billy Reno.​Wednesday night featured the third round of busts involving Occupy Denver, although the arrestee list increases by only one man: Billy Reno, a 49-year-old homeless veteran and recent Westword profile subject. As increasingly colder temperatures drive the campsite toward more desper ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Biggest riot squad presence to date, pepper bullets, multiple arrests (PHOTOS)

​Update, 11:01 p.m. October 29: Twenty people were arrested during what has been Occupy Denver's most violent day in weeks. All evidence of the Thunderdome and the front desk has been removed, and officers offered protesters the chance to claim their belongings one at a time as the area was cl ... More >>

Occupy Denver: 21 police cars respond after Halloween try to occupy City Council meeting

​On Halloween night, an evening notorious for tricks, treats and the increased police presence that mix requires, Occupy Denver was met by 21 police cars over an hour an a half. After a failed attempt by protesters to meet with city council, ten police cars monitored six occupiers outside the ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Large police presence moves in on three tents with pepper spray and arrests

​Update, 8:44 p.m. November 12: According to Occupy Denver's website, sixteen arrests have been confirmed so far. The group remains mobilized downtown. While both Civic Center Park and Lincoln Park have been closed, protesters will be allowed to camp outside again in the future, but will not b ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Three new charges last night include triple arrestee Corey Donahue

​In the wake of twenty new Occupy Denver arrests made Saturday, three more were added to that list when Civic Center Park grew tense again last night. During an attempt to remove a newly established table from the curb, about thirty officers visited the park and dispensed pepper spray on the c ... More >>

A timeline of Occupy Denver activities

​In the wake of twenty new Occupy Denver arrests made Saturday, three more were added to that list when Civic Center Park grew tense again last night. During an attempt to remove a newly established table from the curb, about thirty officers visited the park and dispensed pepper spray on the c ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Charge against plaintiff in David Lane lawsuit dropped days before court date

David Lane.​Update: Two of the charges incurred by supporters of Occupy Denver in recent weeks were dropped over the weekend when the city attorney's office decided against officially filing in both cases. The most notable of the two instances is that of Natalie Wyatt, who has since enlisted a ... More >>

Occupy Denver marks two-month anniversary of Occupy Wall Street with peaceful first march

​Today's initial celebration of Occupy Wall Street's two-month anniversary ended with the largest display of honks from passing cars the local movement has heard in a while (at least without a ticket). The day has been designated a national cause for action for occupations across the world, an ... More >>

Jonny 5 of Flobots reflects on the Occupy Movement and talks about the act's new album

Emily Crenshaw, Mary Grace Legg, Sole

Occupy Denver timeline: Two-and-a-half months that have shaken the city

​Monday's hearing in regard to Occupy Denver's request for a temporary restraining order against the city and county is one indication of how far the movement has come in its short life span. In the little more than two months the movement has called Broadway its ideological home, the group ha ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Why did city not cite conference call about occupiers in open records request?

Michael Hancock.​Update: Westword recently received a copy of Kilmer, Lane & Newman's updated CORA request from investigator Christopher Dodd. The document is blunt: In it, Dodd references the existence of an Occupy movement-related U.S. Conference of Mayors conference call involving Mayor Mic ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Denver Anarchist Black Cross thousands in debt after ending financial support

Corey Donahue.​On Friday, the Denver Anarchist Black Cross, a collective that defends the rights of those involved in mass political and social movements, announced its intention to firmly remove itself from the arena of Occupy Denver. By the time of its decision, the twelve-person group had d ... More >>

Occupy Denver greeted by Police Chief Robert White while awaiting eviction

Robert White.Update, 4 p.m.: Public Works announced it is "re-evaluating" its plan to evict Occupy Denver. For the moment, Denver Public Works is backing away from its plan to remove structures from Occupy Denver's encampment at Civic Center Park. After receiving a warning notice to remove the fort ... More >>

Updated: Occupy Denver's latest eviction ends in flames, arrests and Tebowing

​Update, 12:50 p.m. December 21: The criminal charges of the nine protesters arrested during Monday night's raid include arson, obstructing a street and throwing missiles. Among them, one name stands out: Nicole Sisneros, a homeless protester who was discussed on last night's episode of Countd ... More >>

Occupy Denver's Ben Meyer discusses 'fiery raid' on Countdown with Keith Olbermann

Ben Meyer.​Two nights ago, Occupy Denver protester Ben Meyer woke up on the sidewalk of Broadway, put on his shoes and spent the rest of his evening with the Denver Police Department. The next night, he spoke on Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Last night, the fire-forged raid on Occupy Denver ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Homeless protesters interrupt Mayor Hancock during homeless vigil

By now, it's public knowledge that about 30 Occupy Denver supporters interrupted Mayor Michael Hancock's speech during a vigil for the homeless last night on the steps of the City & County Building. This is true. Little, however, has been shared about the decision-making process behind last night's ... More >>

Reader: Occupy Denver's election of Shelby the dog as leader marked day I stopped caring

Hancock.​Kelsey Whipple's post in which Mayor Michael Hancock shared his view that the public no longer cares about Occupy Denver attracted numerous comments from supporters disputing his conclusion. But there was also this take from someone very much on Hancock's wavelength.

Occupy Littleton launched with five-person general assembly

​On Sunday, at 2 p.m. in the Bemis Public Library, five people gathered to launch the first general assembly of Occupy Littleton. If the idea that democracy takes time ever needed proof, this would be it. One person shy of a round half-dozen, the group appeared dwarfed in the city library's la ... More >>

Occupy Boulder: Evidence suppressed after police enter tents without warrant

​For two Occupy Boulder protesters arrested for violating the city's anti-camping ordinance, the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable search has proven to be a valuable defense. In the case of Peter John Jentsch and Katie DeMichele, Boulder municipal judge Linda Cooke approved th ... More >>

Photos: Occupy Denver shuts down traffic during first mass event of 2012

Big photos below.​Occupy Denver was among groups in 27 cities to rally in support of Occupy Oakland, which experienced a recent round of 300 arrests. About 125 protesters gathered for an impromptu march that shut down large sections of traffic near Broadway and Colfax between 7:30 and 10 p.m. ... More >>