August 7, 2008
(DENVER) U.S. District Judge Marcia Krieger issued her decision Wednesday 8/6/08 upholding all of Denver’s security and access plans at the Pepsi Center during the Democratic National Convention and determining that Denver’s arrangements for expressive activities fully meet the constitutional rights of demonstrators.
“This action has evolved and the issues have been narrowed through consistent, good faith negotiation among the parties and the professionalism and skill of their counsel,” wrote Judge Krieger in her 71-page ruling.
Judge Krieger concluded that: “…the Defendants have shown that the restrictions are content-neutral, that they are narrowly tailored to serve important governmental interests, and that there are adequate alternative channels by which the Plaintiffs can communicate their messages. Thus, the Plaintiffs have not shown that their First Amendment rights will be infringed, nor that they are entitled to any injunctive relief. Judgment will enter in favor of the Defendants as to claims with regard to the Pepsi Center."
Of the three Democratic National Conventions since 2000, Denver is the only host city whose plans were fully upheld and not ordered or modified by the federal court.
“Our commitment to robust free speech and assembly has never wavered,” said Mayor John Hickenlooper. “It is gratifying to have the Court recognize and uphold our efforts to promote numerous opportunities for public expression while simultaneously addressing genuine security and logistical issues. With this validation of our plans, we continue moving forward – focused on making the Convention a safe, inclusive and enjoyable event for all.”
- Provision of 96 opportunities for assemblies in 12 downtown parks from August 22 through August 29, to organizations with diverse viewpoints.
- Provision of a roughly 50,000 square foot public area – with a stage and amplification system - where demonstrators and the general public can express views within sight and sound of delegates entering the Pepsi Center and Invesco Field at Mile High. Delegates can choose to come within eight feet of the public viewing area if they want.
- Provisions enabling demonstrators’ pamphlets and electronic communications to be available to delegates
- Provision – without the usual fees – of a designated parade route through downtown connecting marchers and the public to the event site all four days of the Convention
- Ability of people to speak freely in virtually all public spaces and on walkways throughout the City, except those closed to the public for security reasons
- Provision of innovative opportunities for public expression and participation through multimedia initiatives like Cinemocracy.org, Dialog City, and America: Live and In Person.
July 30, 2008
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“This
As an expression of support for the rights of people to express their views safely and in a manner that respects the rights of others along with local, state and federal laws, the City and County of Denver announced in February its intention to provide a Designated Parade Route and waive its standard fees, making it available free-of-charge to groups wishing to conduct parades during the week of the Convention.
PARADE STAGING AREA: Thursday, August 28
On Thursday, August 28, requesting groups will be able to gather on Mariposa Street between 12th and 13th Avenues at 10:00 a.m. Since parking options are limited, those participating in the parades are encouraged to use public transportation or other alternatives to get to the staging area.
PARADE TIMES: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The first parade will begin at 11:00 a.m. Groups
will continue with staggered start times, adhering to the Thursday
schedule already provided, with the final group crossing the start of
the parade by 2:30 p.m. to arrive at the route terminus by 3:00
p.m. Because the parades will take place during non-rush hours,
downtown business commuters and residents will have the opportunity to
get to and from work with minimized inconvenience.
PARADE ROUTE: Thursday, August 28
On Thursday, August 28, the
Parade-Related Street Impacts and Recommended Routes:
·
·
One northbound
PARADE ROUTE BUSINESS ACCESS: Thursday, August 28
Businesses along the parade route – and their customers – will have access both before and after the 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. parades. The City will work with businesses in the area to provide access during the parade as well.
RTD
The Regional Transportation District (RTD) plans to run normal
bus service during the Democratic National Convention, adjusting routes
impacted by street closures. Passengers may experience some delays due
to these detours. RTD will provide information on these
adjustments through its web site, the
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST TO LOCAL RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES:
The City continues to work with law enforcement officials to
finalize plans regarding mobility and access on Thursday, August 28,
2008. As with all other aspects of the Convention,
the City of
Beginning today, targeted outreach will take place to
residents and businesses in the aforementioned areas. That
outreach will also include the following upcoming informational
sessions scheduled for
- Wednesday, July 30 at 6 p.m. at
- Saturday, August 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at
Denver Human Services,
Ongoing updates will be disseminated widely and made available through a variety of sources, including www.DenverGov.org , www.DowntownDenver.com , www.DenverConvention.com , 3-1-1 and more.
July
23, 2008
Denver
Provides Budget Overview For Security Equipment
Transparency Reaffirms
“Our priority is to keep
Contrary to conspiracy theories that caused concern for the American
Civil Liberties Union, City officials made it clear that none of the
equipment purchases include – or were ever intended to include –
non-lethal weapons that discharge “slime” or “goo” to immobilize
persons or vehicles or that use microwaves or sonic waves to induce
pain or discomfort in targets. In light of the information
voluntarily shared by the City, the ACLU agreed to cancel a scheduled
court hearing and wait until after the DNC to revisit its claims for
more detailed information about the City security-related equipment
expenditures. All security-related purchases for the Democratic
National Convention comply with the City and
“For officers that will be involved in crowd management, the training focuses on how to facilitate the safe movement of crowds throughout downtown,” explained Denver Police Chief Gerald Whitman. “The emphasis is not on arresting people, but on gaining voluntary compliance with requests that enable everyone to safely exercise their First Amendment rights. Our police officers have always had – and continue to have – a range of options available to them when responding to unlawful activities, whether during large events or normal daily life. The preference is always to gain voluntary compliance with requests that aim to ensure public safety and everyone’s ability to safely exercise their First Amendment rights.”
The Denver Police Department does not have a “mandatory arrest”
policy for violations during the Democratic National Convention or any
other time. Unless required by law - such as in the case of
domestic violence - a
“Thanks to the dedicated men and women of the Denver Police Department and other City agencies, Denver has a long record of successfully hosting large events, including the World Series, the NBA All Star Game, the G-8 Summit, a visit from the Pope, and numerous large-scale sporting events and celebrations; we look forward to adding the Democratic National Convention to this esteemed list,” said Whitman. “We understand that dialogues and assemblies will happen in many venues, including the Convention hall, caucus rooms, public events, parks, sidewalks and other public spaces. Our community, our City officials, and our law enforcement personnel are committed both to ensuring public safety and to supporting the rights of people to express their views safely and in a manner that respects the rights of others along with local, state and federal laws.”
June 20, 2008
DNC Parade Route Slots Announced
The City and
Since announcing details of the route one week ago, the City worked
closely with the seven separate organizations that requested use of the
Organizations allocated slots and the dates for which they have been
allocated are:
Monday, August 25
Barbara Cohen, Recreate 68
Tuesday, August 26
Barbara Cohen, Recreate 68
Nita Gonzales, We Are America: Immigration Rights March
Shannon McNamara, We Are Change Colorado
Damien Sedney, Citizens for Obama March for Democracy
Wednesday, August 27
Barbara Cohen, Recreate 68
Damien Sedney, Citizens for Obama, March for Democracy
Adam Jungk, Tent State University
Thursday, August 28
Barbara Cohen, Recreate 68
Richard Eastman, Americans for Safe Access
Damien Sedney, Citizens for Obama March for Democracy
Jess Knox, Protect Colorado’s Future
As an expression of support for the rights of people to express their
views safely and in a manner that respects the rights of others along
with local, state and federal laws, the City and County of Denver
announced in February its intention to provide a Designated Parade
Route and waive its standard fees, making it available free-of-charge
to groups wishing to conduct parades during the week of the Convention.
“In recognition of the value our community places on free speech, this
Designated Parade Route is designed to provide diverse organizations
access to a safe and visible Convention parade route in an approach and
timeframe that minimizes mobility impacts on downtown businesses,
residents and visitors,” said Mayor John Hickenlooper upon announcing
the parade route last week. “Both the parade route and its hours of
operation respect the desire of demonstrators to be seen and heard – as
well as the needs of downtown residents and commuters to get to and
from work before and after the parades take place.”
From this point forward, requests for slots on the
Additional questions can be addressed to Kevin Scott at
DNC2008permits@denvergov.org or 720-865-4330.
PARADE ROUTE and TIMES: 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Organizations will be able to gather on
Groups will continue with staggered start times, based on the crowd
estimates they provided, with the final group crossing the start of the
parade at the intersection of
City crews will follow the last group to clean the streets on the
parade route. Traffic barricades that were provided for the safety of
the marchers will be removed. Because the parades will take place
during non-rush hours, downtown business commuters and residents will
have the opportunity to get to and from work with minimized
inconvenience.
The parade route will end within walking distance of the 50,000+
square-foot demonstration zone located in
Related Street Closures:
NO PARADE
The RTD light rail line which crosses
PUBLIC VIEWING AREA/DEMONSTRATION ZONE
The public demonstration zone will be a 50,000+ square foot area
located in Lot A of the Pepsi Center, within sight and sound of the
delegates entering the facility. It will be open to all members of the
public, whether they choose to participate in any of the marches or
not. All activities within the public demonstration zone remain subject
to local, state and federal laws.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST TO DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES:
The City continues to work with law enforcement officials to finalize
plans regarding mobility and access during the Convention. Additional
details will be announced as they become available. We continue to
underscore that while there will be some additional screening
procedures and security measures in some locations, all downtown
residents will be able to access their homes and parking garages, and
downtown businesses will be able to remain open with access for both
their employees and customers.
Ongoing updates will be disseminated widely and made available through
a variety of sources, including www.DenverGov.org , www.DowntownDenver.com , www.DenverConvention.com , 3-1-1 and more.
The City and County of Denver announced Thursday details of the Designated Parade Route to be available during the Democratic National Convention in late August for groups seeking to march toward the Pepsi Center.
Details of additional transportation impacts are still being finalized and will be announced in the coming weeks, but City officials underscore that downtown will be accessible and inconveniences to local residents, employees and businesses will be minimized.
“In recognition of the value our community places on free speech, this Designated Parade Route is designed to provide diverse organizations access to a safe and visible Convention parade route in an approach and timeframe that minimizes mobility impacts on downtown businesses, residents and visitors,” said Mayor John Hickenlooper. “Both the parade route and its hours of operation respect the desire of demonstrators to be seen and heard – as well as the needs of downtown residents and commuters to get to and from work before and after the parades take place.”
As an expression of support for the rights of people to express their views safely and in a manner that respects the rights of others along with local, state and federal laws, the City and County of Denver announced in February its intention to provide a Designated Parade Route and waive its standard fees, making it available free-of-charge to groups wishing to conduct parades during the week of the Convention.
Denver’s Designated Parade Route will be available all four days of the Convention (August 25-28, 2008) between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Over the next week, the City will work with the organizations that requested use of the Designated Parade Route to accommodate as many groups as possible in a fair and transparent manner.
PARADE STAGING AREA
On each day from Monday, August 25, through Thursday, August 28, requesting groups will be able to gather on Bannock Street between 14th Avenue and Colfax Avenue (adjacent to Civic Center Park) at 10:00 a.m. Since parking options are limited, those participating in the parades are encouraged to use public transportation or other alternatives to get to the staging area.
PARADE ROUTE
The Designated Parade Route will begin at 11:00 a.m. on the north side of Colfax Avenue in the westbound traffic lanes at Bannock Street and proceed west toward Speer Boulevard, where marchers will proceed north on the southbound lanes of Speer Boulevard to Larimer Street. The parade route will end within walking distance of the 50,000+ square-foot demonstration zone located in Pepsi Center parking lot A. Details of the route from Speer Boulevard and Larimer Street to the route terminus within walking distance of the public demonstration zone are still being finalized and will be announced in the coming weeks. As is standard safety protocol for parade routes, prominent signage designating the route and traffic management/safety personnel along the route will be provided.
Related Street Closures:
Bannock Street between 14th Avenue and Colfax Avenue will be closed August 25-28 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. During that time, the westbound lanes of Colfax Avenue from Bannock Street to Speer Boulevard will be closed, as will the southbound lanes of Speer Boulevard from Colfax Avenue to Larimer Street. The eastbound lanes of Colfax Avenue and the northbound lanes of Speer will remain open, but some slowdown in traffic flow is expected. (While details of the route from Speer Boulevard and Larimer Street to the route terminus within walking distance of the public viewing area/demonstration zone in the Pepsi Center’s Lot A are still being finalized and will be announced in the coming weeks, a map of the current parade route is attached).
NO PARADE IMPACT ON LIGHT RAIL
The RTD light rail line which crosses Speer Boulevard at Stout Street will remain open at all times, including the time allocated for parades. Additional security provided by RTD will supplement law enforcement officials to ensure the safety of marchers when the light rail trains cross the parade route.
PARADE TIMES: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Permitted groups will be able to gather on Bannock Street between 14th Avenue and Colfax Avenue (adjacent to Civic Center Park) each day at 10:00 a.m. Each day, the first parade will begin at 11:00 a.m. Groups will continue with staggered start times, based on the crowd estimates they provided, with the final group crossing the start of the parade at the intersection of Bannock Street and Colfax Avenue by 2:30 p.m. each day to arrive at the route terminus by 3:00 p.m. From 2:30 p.m. until 3:00 p.m., City crews will follow the last group to clean the streets on the parade route. Traffic barricades that were provided for the safety of the marchers will be removed. Because the parades will take place during non-rush hours, downtown business commuters and residents will have the opportunity to get to and from work with minimized inconvenience.
NEXT STEPS
The City will work with the four separate entities that submitted parade requests by the initial March 14th deadline to reserve slots on the Designated Parade Route by June 19th. If capacity allows, subsequent requests will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. More details of the process, including parade request and application forms, are available on www.denvergov.org/DNC2008. Additional questions can be addressed to Kevin Scott at DNC2008permits@denvergov.org or 720-865-4330.
PUBLIC VIEWING AREA/DEMONSTRATION ZONE
The public demonstration zone will be a 50,000+ square foot area located in Lot A of the Pepsi Center, within sight and sound of the delegates entering the facility. It will be open to all members of the public, whether they choose to participate in any of the marches or not. All activities within the public demonstration zone remain subject to local, state and federal laws.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST TO DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES:
The City continues to work with law enforcement officials to finalize plans regarding mobility and access during the Convention. Additional details will be announced as they become available. We continue to underscore that while there will be some additional screening procedures and security measures in some locations, all downtown residents will be able to access their homes and parking garages, and downtown businesses will be able to remain open with access for both their employees and customers.
Ongoing updates will be disseminated widely and made available through a variety of sources, including www.DenverGov.org , www.DowntownDenver.com , www.DenverConvention.com , 3-1-1 and more.