Arrested protestors appearing in court

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DENVER - Police are transporting about 20 protestors at a time to the Denver County Courthouse Tuesday morning. Roughly 100 protestors were arrested late Monday night and those unable to post bond will have their first court appearance.

On Monday evening, police in riot gear clashed with activists about a mile from the site of the Democratic National Convention.

The confrontation erupted in front of the Denver City and County Building as police tried to disperse a crowd of about 300 that was disrupting traffic, authorities said.

It was believed to be the first time police used pepper spray against protesters since demonstrations began on Sunday, a day before the convention.

Denver Police Lt. Ron Saunier called it "a mass arrest situation," saying at least 50 people were taken into custody. By early Tuesday morning that number had grown to roughly 100.

Saunier said they would be charged with disobeying a lawful order and interference with police. A news release issued by the Joint Information Center also cited obstruction of streets or public passageways.

Protesters refused to leave the streets and some were carrying rocks, Saunier said.

When police surrounded several dozen people pinned against the wall of a building, a crowd of several hundred protesters surged up to the police line from behind chanting, "They say get back, we say fight back."

The protesters near the building were held there by riot police for an hour, while individuals were taken from the group and arrested. Most of the remaining activists were allowed to leave around 8:20 p.m.

"There were three or four hundred people on the sidewalk, perfectly within their rights to be on the sidewalk. We were illegally detained and we may bring suit against the city," said Mark Cohen of Recreate '68.

Cohen said those within the riot police line were calling family and friends on their cell phones, warning them they feared police were about to unleash tear gas."

"I don't know why else they would put on gas masks," Cohen said. "We had minors in there; we had older people in there. They were scared and I don't blame them. And there was no reason for this, no reason in the world."

"We've been peaceful the last two days," said activist Larry Hales. "[The police] are the ones who have escalated the situation."

Saunier said those arrested would be processed at the city's temporary processing facility, which was built in anticipation of mass arrests during the DNC. Protest groups upset with the jail's wire cages, dubbed the facility "Gitmo on the Platte."

Those who posted bond were being released at the Denver County Jail or being taken for their first appearance in Denver County Court if they did not post bond.

Earlier Monday, protesters wearing jail-style orange jumpsuits and black hoods over their heads marched along a downtown pedestrian mall chanting "Stop the torture, stop the war."

The protesters, estimated at several hundred, were at a rally at Civic Center Park near the state Capitol when they began pouring down the mall at midday, hours before the convention started.

Some were dressed like inmates at the infamous Abu Graib prison in Iraq.

The sidewalks along the mall were crowded and protesters got off the sidewalk and marched in the street, where free shuttle buses run, for a few blocks. Police asked them to get back on the sidewalk and they complied.

Later in the afternoon, about a half dozen men holding signs opposing homosexuality attracted a steady stream of people wanting to argue with them. The demonstrators were surrounded by police and the clump of people arguing with the men and taking photos temporarily prevented mall buses from passing.

Denver Police said one man was arrested there after he allegedly tried to prevent officers from contacting another counter-protester. Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said the counter-protester, who got away, had a bottle with a liquid inside that raised their suspicions. Officers at the scene had a clear bottle with a colored liquid inside a plastic bag.

At least eight other people were arrested across the city on Monday, including five detained about a mile southeast of the state Capitol. Four faced charges of disobeying a lawful order, two faced a trespassing charge, and two faced false information charges.

Until Monday night's protest, the special jail set up by Denver Police during the DNC had stood mostly empty. For more on that story, click on the video link to the right.