Aug
27
Police State in Denver
August 27, 2008 | | 1 Comment
You hopefully know that the Democratic National Convention is currently underway in Denver, Colorado. These conventions are supposedly a part of the great democratic process in this country. This is where “the people” select their candidates to run for president. In reality, this has very little to do with “the people” and more to do with a group of political and corporate elites selecting one of their own to represent them, not you, as the Democratic candidate for president.
If you want to really know how “the people” are represented in Denver, just take a look outside of the convention center. Look away from the glitz and polish of what you see every night on the network convention coverage. On the outside, various groups and individuals are attempting to express what many of us are feeling after years of lies and war from the government.
In theory, no laws “abridging the freedom of speech…or the right of the people to peaceably assemble” shall be made. But, as soon as any law is made to regulate these basic freedoms, then we have already started down the path to their elimination. You need look no further than Denver for evidence of this.
Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that protesters at the DNC in Denver can be restricted to fenced-in areas. In her ruling, she stated that “the protesters would suffer some infringement on their freedom of expression.” She justified this by stating, “the plaintiffs have a wide variety of alternative means of expression that will allow them to effectively communicate their messages.” It really doesn’t matter how many “alternative means of expression” the protesters have. If freedom of speech and assembly were true freedoms, then the judge would not be allowed to decide which of these means of expression the protesters could utilize. Through her ruling, she has done just that. The government has decided that some means of expression are appropriate, while others are not. All should be appropriate, with no exceptions, and no government interference.
But government efforts at limiting expression go beyond merely restricting where people can protest. In the past, and likely so in Denver, government agencies have been actively gathering and sharing intelligence on groups and individuals who attempt to exercise their rights to peacefully protest. In addition to this, the police presence in locations where peaceful protests are planned has become militarized. The local police, FBI, US Secret Service, and other agencies are present in large numbers and usually in full riot gear. This show of force is nothing more than a clear statement that dissent and protest are not acceptable and must be controlled by the government.
This show of force is clearly intended to intimidate the protestors who are present. And if the mere presence of the police isn’t enough, the police are willing to arrest anyone for no reason other peaceful assembly. According to another article on the planned Denver security measures, police have “distributed a pamphlet reminding protesters where they have a right to demonstrate but also warning them that they can be arrested if they refuse a lawful order to disperse, even if they aren’t breaking any laws.” (my emphasis) So, the police can decide where people have a right to demonstrate and when they have demonstrated enough.
So, how does this play out now that the convention is underway? Well, on the first day of the convention the Denver police made 91 arrests and fired pepper spray and pepper balls at protesters. You can also see video of the police surrounding and trapping people who were participating in a peaceful march in the Denver streets.
So do you still think that free speech and freedom of assembly exist in America? Think again.
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[...] I really don’t care who actually won the election in Iran. Any outcome would be bad for the people of Iran, which is why I think the current protests in Iran go beyond support for one candidate over another. This is about people demanding real, significant change (not the superficial kind we voted for last year). What is amazing to me is how hundreds of thousands of Iranians and been able to stand up for what they believe in when those of us in the United States barely notice when our rights are trampled on by the government. [...]