Occupy Denver protesters costing the city a fortune to harass
9news.comThe Colorado State Patrol, the Denver Sheriff’s Office and Denver’s police department are devoting significant manpower to the protests to keep crowds under control, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime…
While the state has yet to release its costs for the protests, the City and County of Denver spent nearly $365,000 through Friday on officer and deputy overtime, as well as park cleanup, according to Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s office…
As for the Occupy Denver costs, Hancock says he’s continuing to monitor the costs, as they will certainly grow with this weekend’s march.
“Right now, I can’t specifically stipulate where it’s going to come from,” he said. “Some departments may say, ‘We can move some things around to help cover the cost of overtime,’ but we’ll see how it all shakes out.”
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Occupy Denver costs through Friday
Denver Police Department - $237,000
Denver Sheriff’s Department - $116,000
Denver Health - $10,000
Public Works - $1,300
Environmental Health - $500Source: Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s Office
Scumbag mayor uses SWAT enforcement on a peaceful protest, then blames the protesters for the absurd cost.
News: "#OccupyDenver Elets [Dog] 'Shelby' As Official Leader"
huffingtonpost.comYet another reason I can’t take “Occupy” seriously.
I haven’t been this frustrated in quite some time. If we are supposed to occupy, let’s occupy together. Not belittle those who did use force in oakland. They are just as frustrated as you, and they did not harm anyone. They destroyed the property of the corporations that are holding us down. That is only hurting those hurting us, in their pocketbooks where it counts. Occupy denver, occupy wall street, occupy the world.
Occupy Denver Supporter Ticketed For Honking At Protesters
denver.cbslocal.comA well-known attorney said the police in Denver are going too far in their response to the Occupy Denver protests.
David Lane said that includes one man who was cited for honking his car horn in a show of support for the protesters.
Protesters told CBS4 Stan Bush they believe police in Denver are starting to take the protest personally. They claim officers are focusing on minor issues because of a grudge.
Lane is a great attorney and a champion of civil liberties. I should know - he was my attorney in my suit against the University of Wyoming. Here’s details and a copy of the filing on behalf of Occupy Denver. Lane’s taking a broader approach than just the honking:
In contrast, he feels he has plenty of options in regard to filing an injunction. Over the weekend, the Denver Post reported that Lane’s actions were spurred by TV station pieces about ticketing for honks in support of Occupy Denver - items that followed Westword staffer Kelsey Whipple’s coverage of that subject and a previous offering about citations for people who pull over to drop off donations. But Lane’s efforts are broader than that.
“We’re going after three, and possibly four, issues in this lawsuit,” he reveals. “One is honking. One is ticketing people who stop to give money, food or clothing. The third is going after people who put any items down on the sidewalk in this five-foot swath that the police say has to be completely clear. And we’re looking into whether or not we can go after the curfew in the park. It’s absurd that after 11 p.m., if anyone sets one foot in the park, they get arrested and everyone’s got to stay on the sidewalk at that point.”
In addition, Lane has a strong point of view on the question of whether or not the Occupy Denver tents banned by the DPD constitute speech. “If you look back through this country’s history, back to the bonus army that marched on Washington in the Depression era, tents have long been part of protest,” he notes. “A tent is a symbol that ‘we’re in this for the duration. We’re not going away.’ So it is a form of speech.”
I wish Occupy Denver and the attorneys of Killmer, Lane, & Newman the best and thank them for their dedication to free speech. I’ll be following this case closely.
“I share a bond with police of all stripes, and my inability to understand these actions leaves me at a great loss. I can't imagine ever taking up arms against an unarmed peaceful citizen. The thought of doing so literally makes me cry and I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I type this. When I watched the video of Iraq Veteran Scott Olsen being carried away to the cries of "medic!! medic!!", every hair on my body stood on end. I just couldn't believe what I was watching. The concussion grenade exploding among the Good Samaritans -- being thrown by someone who should never, ever, been given a badge and a gun -- made my blood boil. And the idea that this action was brought on by the protestors is laughable. This was planned far in advance -- you don't get that many agencies to cooperate in a highly organized tactical assault without a ton of preplanning. Getting police agencies to come together like that is like herding cats. This was premeditated. It's too much for me to bear.”
—Officer J. Traynor, One police officer’s reaction to Oakland/Denver
