Veterans confront police and Democrats, win demand

August 27, 2008 by richardmyers

Police block off streets to protesting veterans

[excerpt] MARKET AND SPEER -- A large number of police and sheriff's officers in riot gear have blocked off Market and Speer streets in a continuing and seemingly escalating confrontation with Iraq war vets who have been protesting all day.

Negotiations between officers and vets have not made progress. Veterans are frustrated that officers will not allow them to sit in the street, deeming it an escalation of the protest.

The vets continue to try to get a letter read by Barack Obama or one of his aides.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/27/police-block-streets-p...

Tense veterans march ends peacefully

[excerpt] A standoff between Iraq war veterans and police ended after representatives of Barack Obama's campaign finally emerged from the Pepsi Center to hear the group's grievances.

The veterans were arrayed in formation and in uniform, marching slowly toward a line of police, who had warned them they could be pepper sprayed and arrested. They were being watched by a crowd estimated by police at more than 5,000, many of whom had marched with the veterans from the Denver Coliseum.

As the vets got within a few yards of the police, the cavalry arrived in the form of two white-shirted Obama staffers who asked a representative of the veterans to be escorted inside the security zone.

After a brief conversation, a veteran's representative said they had been promised a meeting with Obama's liason for veteran's affairs. A cheer went up, the veterans did an about face, and the Democrats appear to have avoided providing John McCain with some very unflattering video footage of veteran's being pepper-sprayed hogtied and handcuffed outside their convention.

http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_10319568

Articles by:

John Ingold and George Watson
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 08/27/2008 08:17:18 PM MDT

Paul Anthony, Rocky Mountain News
Originally published 07:37 p.m., August 27, 2008
Updated 07:37 p.m., August 27, 2008

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