Police make arrests at protester's house
From the Denver Post:
Police make arrests at protester's house
By George Watson
MediaNews Group
Article Last Updated: 08/27/2008 01:52:36 PM MDT
Denver Police today moved against a group of protesters, arresting two near the group's "Convergence Center" north of downtown.
Police said they were drawn to the gathering place for the protest group Unconventional Denver, at 4301 Brighton Blvd. after spotting what Lt. J. McDonald termed "suspicious activity."
When police arrived, they determined there was no illegal activity from the inital report, "but they found some items that might be used as weapons," McDonald said.
Standing near the house, Michael Gonzalez, 20, of Seattle, said he thinks the only suspicious activity was a man working on his mini bus in front of the house. The bus runs on vegetable oil.
Several officers approached the owner of the bus, who was working on the oil filter, Gonzalez said. The officers had Tasers in hand and ordered the van owner to put his hands above his head.
Seeing the police approaching, another person slowly walked toward the back end of the building, which has been rented by Unconventional Denver for the week, he said.
"The cops grabbed him and slammed him on his head," Gonzalez said.
The officers seemed suspicious of the bus, which has a giant drum in the back used to hold the vegetable oil, Gonzalez said.
The officers also said that bricks laying on the dusty ground could be used as weapons, Gonzalez said.
"The bricks were used to hold down banners that we were painting," he said. "They weren't weapons. They were paperweights."
Inside the building is one room used as a meeting place, he said.
"It was really intense," Gonzalez said.
A line of officers remained posted outside the house at 1:30 p.m. A member of Unconventional Denver said police had told the group they were seeking a warrant to search the home.
Details of the charges filed against the two will be posted here as soon as they are available.
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