Activists Take A Weekend To Strategize DNC Opposition

Community activists are planning to meet on the weekend before Martin Luther King Jr. Day to brainstorm a protest strategy for the Democratic National Convention in August.

In a statement sent to activist groups across the state, protest entities Recreate 68 and Unconventional Action Denver announced the formation of a four-day “consulta,” an event that’s meant to reach out to local and national activists who oppose the convention. According to a schedule obtained by Colorado Confidential, activists plan to kick off the brainstorming session on the Friday before the MLK holiday and end the consulta by hitting the streets on MLK Day to participate in events such as New Black Panther Party’s Reclaim MLK Day.

Recreate 68 represents a coalition of activist groups in the Denver metro area. Unconventional Action Denver is composed of anarchists and other “anti-authoritarians” seeking to coordinate action against both the DNC in Denver and the Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minn. Both groups oppose what they see as a two-party system that supports war and imperialism.

Protesters will be touring DNC sites such as the Pepsi Center and delegate hotels during the organizing event, according to the schedule. Activists will also be discussing direct action and civil disobedience tactics.

In June, Recreate 68 members urged the Denver City Council to issue a proclamation to respect the civil liberties of protesters and address concerns about the treatment they will receive from police during the convention. The proposal was killed when council members could not come to an agreement. Councilman Charlie Brown (Dist. 6), one of the most verbal opponents of the proclamation, characterized the group as “a serious threat to our city” in The Denver Post. Similar measures regarding protester rights have been passed in New York City and Saint Paul.

Disclosure: In 2004, Erin Rosa was one of more than 200 individuals arrested while confronting the Columbus Day Parade in Denver. While certain members of Recreate 68 may have also been arrested at the same event, they did not participate in the production of this article. Rosa’s charges were later dismissed by a Denver judge.