One would think, and hope, that if an American citizen could protest peacefully anywhere, then he or she would be able to protest outside a political convention hall.
Officials in Denver may have decided that a political convention means fewer rights for nearby citizens.
News website Raw Story reports that police and municipal officials may have committed numerous violations of basic American freedoms.
Among the allegations are claims that “police refused those arrested access to attorneys. Police did not let detainees use phones unless they posted their own bonds, and even failed to provide shoes, in one case marching a protester into court in bare feet and leg shackles.”
Additionally, officials may have “tricked protesters into pleading guilty, by giving them the impression they had to plead guilty in order to post bond. This meant that no one was allowed to make a phone call unless they plead guilty, thus making it impossible for arrestees to even call a lawyer until admitting guilt.”
There’s a sad irony that people may not be able to lawfully protest outside of a convention for a political party that takes the name Democratic, but perhaps that irony escapes Denver’s officials.
Here’s the link to the story:
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/
Protesters_denied_access
_to_attorneys_
forced_0828.html
Here’s a link to a letter outlining concerns:
http://rawstory.com/images/other/aclu82708.pdf