Police Presence

At least a few residents share common ground with some of the protesters in Denver for the Democratic National Convention.  They all think the police presence in downtown Denver is being overdone.

 

Matthew Williams, a self-professed anarchist, likened the number of police around the city to martial law conditions.  “I wonder why the DNC is allowing a police state?” he asked. Williams had hitchhiked from Mississippi for the event.

 

Karen Sadwith, a Denver resident since 1974 and the mother of a teenage son, agreed.  “There’s a policeman on every corner,” she said.

 

“I worry about all the police,” Sadwith said while walking with her husband and son near Union Station on a breezy evening.  “Denver always over-reacts.  Maybe it’s like this in any big city, but Denver always over-reacts.”

 

The police presence includes what appear to be Ford Expeditions.  However, it’s hard to be sure of the white vehicles’ make because four police in riot gear stand on running boards on each side, while another three on a running board on the back hold onto straps.  Inside, past the tinted windows, the seats are presumably filled with more officers.

 

Tuesday afternoon a double column of police in riot gear marched along city sidewalks, marching in the direction of the Pepsi Center, where the convention is being held.  They were decked out in what appears to be standard issue for many of the front line police here: riot helmets with full face shields, gas masks, batons, and various other gear, including thick, blue-green plastic ties that serve as handcuffs.  Two of the officers were women.  Two others carried what appeared to be tear gas rifles.

 

Earlier in the day, ten mounted policemen rode towards downtown.  Their horses each had clear plastic visors covering their eyes.

 

Despite their noserings and numerous tattoos, Williams and another demonstrator shared a philosophy that is not alien to New Hampshire citizens.  A fellow demonstrator, Jasmine Turner, who had hitchhiked from California for the convention, explained their shared political outlook.  “We should all be able to choose what we want and when we want it and why we want it,” Turner said.

 

Even though the two had first attracted the attention of several journalists when they asked, “Which one of us is dirtier?” they both were polite and earnest.  Without their nose rings and Williams’ shock of dyed hair hanging over his forehead – and with a shower – they could have both passed for any of the other young interns and volunteers who are attending the convention.

 

-Professor Paul Bush

Good Times, Part 2

Today was yet another festival of fun and excitement at the Democratic National Convention here in Denver, Colorado. We started off the day by attending breakfast with the New Hampshire delegates. The only problem was that we were not allowed to eat the food, which is quite torturous for a group of youngsters with empty stomachs. Apparently we weren’t cool enough for a New Hampshire delegate’s breakfast. To satisfy our cravings we visited a cafe down the road called Paradise. It had really good food, I myself got their egg, ham, and cheese croissant sandwich. They gave the sandwich a hearty portion off eggs, unlike most places which seem to use a lone hummingbird egg in their egg sandwiches. After such a hearty meal it was time to get our rears in gear and get to work covering Denver and the convention.

Fellow group member Logan and I took to the streets of Denver to see how the convention was affecting the city’s atmosphere. We found protests aplenty and there were plenty of riot police on hand to make sure things stayed calm.

 

 

We also came upon a program called Freewheelin, which lets anybody borrow a bike to get to where they want to go. This bike sharing program was used by many important political figures throughout the country while they were staying in Denver. There was even a prototype for an automatic dispenser of there bikes on display. The man I spoke to in our video was very enthusiastic about the program and the positive effects it could have on citizens.

 

I finally got the chance to actually get inside the Pepsi Center where the big events of the convention are being held. We only had so many credentials, so we had to share them with the group. That system didn’t work out so well at first with some, but we worked it out eventually. I was thrown my credentials when I arrived and got in line to go past security.

Everything went smoothly, except when I had to drink my bottled water in front of the officer. Apparently the liquid could have been poisoned, so I had to prove it would not kill anybody. I don’t see the big deal, using poison for assassination is so last century.

The scene inside the center where the convention was being held was pretty much crazy. It was filled with both press and politicians alike;crowding the hallways and reeking of politics. We actually got to witness two correspondents from The Daily Show perform some comedic sketches that will be used for their show. I reacted in a professional and refine manner by jumping up and down like a 13-year-old girl. Logan came in with the camera, but we didn’t meet as many important figures as we would have liked. We did however meet a very interesting man while outside the center by the name of Malcolm Adams. He told us he helped establish CNN in Japan and is President of Totown Communications Group Japan. He was a very funny gentleman who obviously liked Japan better than America.

Later on we were able to get inside the main hall and check out what many democratic leaders had to say about our country and Barack Obama. Most of it was the usual political rhetoric and fanfare, but I was actually surprised to see a Republican speaker supporting Obama there. Jim Leach is a Republican from Iowa who told us that Barack Obama was just what America needed. Michelle Obama also spoke about the state of our country and her husbands ability to create change. After another long day, the group and I have nothing left to do but finish our work and sleep. Tomorrow is another day…

-Robbie Michaelson

Good Times

A band called The Four Seasons made a song called Oh What a Night and I can’t help but think about that tune when I think about the night we just had. First we had ourselves a fine barbecue with the fine folks of the Urban Servant Corps who have graciously allowed us to use their house for the week. A perfect opportunity for me to ingest more delicious snacks, which I enjoy very much.

After the barbecue we decided to hit the streets and find people to talk about the upcoming convention. Of course we got lost on the way and had to take a couple detours, but we finally made it to downtown Denver. On the way we met a young chap who was helping with the event. It was nice to get the perspective of somebody who is helping to bring the convention to life. MSNBC had their headquarters set up in a lot and it was exciting to see a big time news organization in action.

 

Outside of the MSNBC setup we met up with a delegate from Oregon named Matt Keating who really liked Barack Obama. I mean he really liked Obama, I bet he has a life-size statue of him in his basement. He was also pleased with Obama’s vice presidential pick. Oh and he was carrying his stuff in a case shaped like R2D2, which he called his Obama-bot.

We walked down the street for a while to get more interviews with Denver residents. Many of them had very good things to say about the Democratic National Convention and it’s influence on their town. Of course we needed to get the youth side of the story, so we decided to try a different approach…

 

Nothing says youth politics like a techno rave and conga lines. Fellow journalist Tanner Acebo and I proceeded to connect with these youngsters using their strange dancing rituals. I realized after watching this video that I look like a huge nerd among the other dancers in my Pierce Media Group uniform. I look like a Best Buy employee who just got on break and decided to cut loose. If the people at the convention are anything like the people we’ve met so far in Denver, we are in for some good times.

-Robbie Michaelson/FPU