Sunday, April 1, 2012

Hot! Denver Sees Relatively Peaceful Columbus Day Parade Despite Protests

Downtown Denver's Columbus Day parade on Saturday bore a resemblance for the well known explorer's journey throughout the Atlantic.

It seemed to be cold, it was wet plus there are loads of disgruntled people.

A small nevertheless expressive party connected with protesters, mostly representing that Colorado chapter belonging to the American Indian Movement, exchanged insults by using parade participants most of them regarding Italian genealogy because parade's autos along with floats streamed affordable Broadway over out of this condition Capitol.

Police reported there have been no arrests as well as injuries. Following that arrests regarding 83 protesters inside 2007, the particular twelve-monthly affair provides remained comparatively quiet.

Sam Greco, 54, that marched using the Denver Sons associated with Italy, thanks the decline to

Slideshow: Photos with the Columbus Day parade inside Denver on Saturday, October 8, 2011.

the diminished influence associated with Ward Churchill, a previous University of Colorado at Boulder professor who once ended up being one of several American Indian Movement's almost all obvious spokesmen.

"Those were being his / her students, in addition to he has been certainly not getting the crowded ever since persons determine what a new fake your dog is," Greco said.

Richard SaBell, us president on the Columbus Day parade committee, claimed they appeared to be pleased with the actual turnout and effort set up by participants. He emphasized how the parade is celebrating some sort of getaway that will Italian-Americans possess known around Denver seeing that 1909.

As far as being the protests go, SaBell said: "It's revisionist (expletive). We get real fed up with it."

In unison, the particular protesters chanted critical phrases including "Down with Columbus Day, Occupiers Go Away" and also "U.S., No Cops, No K, No Racists."

The protesters displayed his or her distaste besides for Columbus, exactly who under no circumstances placed ft . around the continental United States, however for just what exactly many people perceive in the form of tacit endorsement with colonialism.

Dan Whittemore, some sort of 70-year-old retiree, ended up being one non-Indian who's been recently a fond memory from the protests annually since he relocated back to Denver nine a long time ago.

"The issue of view belonging to the Native people which in turn I service usually this is a get together connected with racism and also conquest," they claimed when huddling along with his wife, awaiting the particular parade's arrival.

"I'm released the following that will protest this parade's negative overtones."

Whittemore mentioned this individual seemed to be one of the 83 protesters busted around 2007. He joked this she has been certain to take his / her her conversation with your ex boyfriend annually since. "Her job is to maintain me to the sidewalk and released associated with jail," this individual said.

Weston Gentry: 303-954-1054, or

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