Colorado Seen 03/2012
OCCUPY DENVER A YEAR OF PROTEST
Put Colorado on your wall
From the Editor I count over 430 distinct individuals in the pictures of this issue — not including the hundreds in some of the mass rally overviews. Demonstrators, dancers, marchers, police, interested (and not-so-interested) bystanders. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the politics and philosophy of the Occupy movement, they get one thing right: “This is what democracy looks like!” There’s an election next week, which means you don’t have to be an Occupier to stand up and have your voice heard — you just have to get out and vote.
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On the cover: Occupy Denver marchers parade down 15th Street past the Denver Pavilions shopping mall on their way to protest outside Denver’s branch of the Federal Reserve Bank.
OCCUPY DENVER
A YEAR OF PROTEST TEXT & Photos by Andy Piper
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n September 17, 2011, protesters occupied New York City’s Wall Street financial district. By the end of that week, supporters had also occupied Denver’s Veterans Park, a section of the city’s Civic Center Plaza at the foot of Colorado’s State Capitol building. The driving force for the Occupy movement was disgust at the growing income disparity between the “1%” of richest Americans and the other “99%.” And government policies during the current economic crisis, such as bailouts of Wall Street (and other) financial institutions, that seemed to feed that disparity. Within a week, Occupy Denver had become a thriving tent commune along a block of Broadway, with its own food distribution center (the “Thunderdome” — a reference to the subsistence lifestyles in the Mad Max movies) and free clothing store. Population swelled and shrank, from about 50 regulars to hundreds during Saturday demonstrations and marches.
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Occupy Denver participants deliver a donation of fruit cups to “Thunderdome,” the protest’s ramshackle food kitchen in Veteran’s Park at the foot of the Colorado Capitol building.
Outside Occupy Denver’s kitchen hut, Barb, left and Sleepy, who did not want to reveal their last names, prepare coffee for the dozens of demonstrators. “We are here to put the REVerie in the REVolution,” said Barb. “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised — but it will be caffeinated,” said Sleepy, in a reference to Gil Scott-Heron’s 1970 poem.
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G
eorge Lelesz, left, was laid off from his job as a fireman due to government austerity measures brought on by the economic crisis. Although he had found a new job as a bus driver, he spent his Saturdays demonstrating in Denver’s Civic Center Plaza along with other supporters of the Occupy Denver movement. The Plaza is a three-block-long park linking Denver’s cupola-topped City and County Building, background, with the State Capitol’s hilltop perch overlooking the Rocky Mountains.
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“M
ike Check!” A General Assembly of Occupy Denver protesters meet to discuss issues and plan events in early October 2011. In the participatory democracy model of the Occupy movement, a “mike check” allowed one person to speak while others repeated their words loudly as a measure of respect, and so that those more distant could hear. After 21 days, by October 13, the Occupy Denver hamlet at the foot of the Capitol steps had become a stable and growing community. But the City and State governments had other plans, and warned the occupiers that they had until 11 p.m. to leave. . .
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October 14, 2011. State and city law enforcement officers in riot gear line Broadway in front of dump trucks loaded with the remains of the Occupy Denver encampment.
October 14, 2011. As dawn breaks over the Colorado state capitol, state police move in, push the demonstrators across Broadway onto city property in Civic Center Plaza, and tear down or confiscate the structures, tents and sleeping bags on state land.
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n a pre-dawn raid of the Occupy Denver settlement on October 14, a phalanx of state and Denver police officers swept into Veterans Park and removed sleeping Occupy Denver participants from their tents, drove them across Broadway away from the Capitol, and then demolished the tent city and illegal “permanent structures� such as the Thunderdome. Twenty-three people were arrested on charges of unlawful conduct on public lands. Those not arrested milled around on the Broadway Terrace, watching as their protest site was dismantled and loaded into dump trucks. When the demolishment was complete and the trucks had driven away, demonstrators were allowed back onto the site.
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Stunned Occupiers mill about on the west side of Broadway as they watch their camp being demolished and loaded onto trucks beyond a line of police.
Neal Minter, serving as “Security� for Occupy Denver, talks to a reporter after state troopers push the protest off state land. Worried about further conflict with police, he keeps a wary eye on his angry fellow demonstrators.
The dump trucks depart south on Broadway, carrying the remains of the Thunderdome, clothing store, tents and other Occupy structures.
After the dawn demolishment of the Occupy Denver encampment, protestors were allowed back into Veterans Park under the watchful eyes of law enforcement.
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he removal of the Occupy Denver campsite provoked an immediate response. The next day more than 1,000 demonstrators filled the Broadway terrace of Civic Center Plaza fronting the Capitol, rallied, and then marched on the Denver branch of the Federal Reserve Bank, which is despised by the movement for bailing out financial corporations. At right, a performance artist harangues the Oct. 15 crowd in her Stalinist/Gothic/leather persona as “Mufti� the agente-provacateuse.
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A day after police demolished the Occupy Denver campsite, around 1,000 demonstrators came out to march in support of the movement.
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filmmaker documenting Occupy Denver, above, gets an interview with Martina Ramos, 9, before Occupy Denver’s weekly march, on Saturday Oct. 15, 2011, from their new rally point in Civic Center Plaza. At right, videographers and photographers climb a light pedestal to improve their view of the plazafilling crowd.
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Marchers gather to begin a trek down the 16th St. pedestrian mall to Denver’s branch of the Federal Reserve Bank. American flags include the traditional design, and a ‘corporate’ flag with large companies’ trademarks in place of stars.
A young demonstrator adds a chalk message to a Broadway sidewalk in front of the state Capitol.
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he Amphitheater in Civic Center Plaza was home to demonstration theatrics on Saturdays, often meant to surprise, shock and offend as well as express opinions. At left, Occupy Denver participants dance on the American flag (while in the background another flag is flown respectfully) after a march on Nov. 5, 2011. Businessmen (always male) are portrayed variously as pigs, demons, or the quintessential top-hatted rich fat capitalist: “Uncle Pennybags� from the Monopoly board game.
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The Oct. 15 march kicks off with drums and bullhorns. The mustachioed “Guy Fawkes” mask became a symbol of the Occupy movement nationwide.
A marcher hands out literature to construction workers along Denver’s 16th Street pedestrian mall. Some Occupiers shared positions on many issues with the more conservative Tea Party movement, including opposition to the U.N. as well as the Federal Reserve Bank.
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hile most of the demonstrations and marches throughout October and November passed without serious incident, on October 29 a march ended in a face-off between Occupy Denver and police in front of the Capitol after police shut down a free food stand reminiscent of the Occupiers’ original “Thunderdome” food kitchen. It was presumably a sign of social progress that women were on both sides of the battle lines.
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Under a reversed American flag, the marchers pass stores along 15th St. on the way to the Federal Reserve building.
The protesters fascinate a youngster watching the march from a restaurant window along 15th Street.
A fist fight breaks out between two Occupy Denver demonstrators over whether or not to burn an American flag outside the Federal Reserve Bank. The flag eventually was tossed over a bank fence and escaped being burned.
Occupy Denver protesters mount the balustrade of the Federal Reserve Bank branch at 16th and Champa Sts. in downtown Denver.
Signs for The Money Museum inside Denver’s Federal Reserve Bank served as an ironic 52
backdrop to Occupy Denver’s demonstrations outside. 53
FACES OF OCCUPY DENVER
TERRY BURNSED
“I’m out here because a choice between the troglodyte, racist GOP and the spineless, bourgeois Democrats is no choice at all.” 54
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JULIAN EMERYS
“I’ve been at every Occupy event since October 2011. I was living at Broadway and Colfax for four months.” 56
LINDSEY (WITH Juliane & AVA)
“Keep it going! Something has to happen. I can’t believe we won’t have an effect eventually.”
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THE RAGING GRANNIES Christine Soto, Judy Trompeter, Sarah Lehan, Annie Meo, Louise West, Martha Narey 58
“We get out and do what we can — write a little, sing a little. You have to stand up and be someone.” 59
DARREN O’CONNOR
“I’ve been blogging about Occupy Denver since January, but this is my first event streaming video.”
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TERRY HILL
“I’m from Spokane, but I met an Occupy Denver organizer at a ‘Localize This!’ training session on Vashon Island, and a few of us decided on a little road trip.”
A skaterboarder joins a desultory ‘mike check’ circle on a snowy day in January, 2012. Cold weather reduced Occupy Denver marches and rallies to a handful of stalwarts throughout much of the winter.
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ithout recourse to ‘permanent structures’ that brought an immediate police response, Occupiers resorted to more temporary sleeping bags to maintain an overnight presence along Broadway, and made common cause with the homeless people who also spent their days and nights in Civic Center Plaza. “This is our home,” said Millie and Steve, at right, of their collection of sleeping bags and backpacks. An Occupier made sure his “home” stayed clean, above.
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Occupiers awake on a cold January morning amid a sea of sleeping bags and tarpaulins. The Denver City Council began proceedings to outlaw ‘urban camping’ when they discovered that it was not —in fact — a lready illegal.
A lone Occupy Denver demonstrator braves a snow shower on a raw January day.
Spring sunshine — and a need to fight the proposed ban on urban camping — brought new life to the Occupy Denver movement, culminating with a ‘General Strike’ and May Day march.
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he May Day 2012 “General Strike” rally and march recaptured some of the energy — and the crowds — of the autumn demonstrations. “Mike checks” and protest songs echoed from the Greek Amphitheatre in Civic Center Plaza. Police rode shotgun on bicycles and motorcycles, blocking traffic to allow the marchers free access to the parade route, as they wound through the Capitol Hill district and up Broadway before proceeding — as always — to the Federal Reserve Bank.
Watch a video of the Occupy Denver 2012 May Day protest and march. click here
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Protecting themselves in case of arrest,Occupy Denver protesters tattoo the phone number of their legal defense team on their arms with permanent markers before the May Day march.
This whole family came to the May Day rally. The Guy Fawkes masks are borrowed from 76
V for Vendetta, a British comic book and film about an anti-fascist rebellion in London. 77
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n the evening after the May Day rally, Occupy Denver staged a “slumber party” along Denver’s 16th St. pedestrian mall as a last demonstration against the impending law banning “urban camping.”
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During the sleepover, a portable soup kitchen provided hot meals to demonstrators.
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fter May Day, summer college vacations and the camping ban again sapped some of the strength from Occupy Denver. Today its events are still frequent, but targeted to specific times, issues and locales. On Sept. 17, the anniversary of the original Wall Street occupation, Occupy Denver held a Foreclosure Dance Party at the entrance of Denver’s main Wells Fargo Bank offices. “Power-to-the-people” cupcakes were served, and two-sided banners also expressed solidarity with Chicago’s striking teachers’ union. 83
Occupy Denver demonstrator Rashon protests continuing home foreclosures Sept. 17 outside the Denver headquarters of Wells Fargo Bank.
Music ripples through the streets of Denver’s financial district as Occupy Denver holds
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a ‘Foreclosure Dance Party’ outside the Denver offices of Wells Fargo Bank.
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At quitting time, a businessman rejects an offer of Occupy Denver literature outside the Wells Fargo Bank building at 17th St. and Broadway.
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n September 23, Occupy Denver lent its support to World Peace Day. A rally of 50 or so decorated the statue of a Civil War soldier on the Capitol steps, and marched to the Denver offices of Chase Bank and military contractor Halliburton Corp. to protest the “Military-industrial Complex.�
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n the end, after a year of demonstrations, encampments, songs and marches, what has changed? There are new signs on the lawns of the Civic Center, above. Denver has a new ordinance banning “urban camping.” And the Colorado Capitol dome now wears a white plastic wrapper to protect workers renovating the aging structure. Unable to truly “occupy” Denver as originally planned, Occupy Denver and the rest of the Occupy movement have not yet brought capitalism to its knees. What it has done is keep a conversation about troubling issues alive and sporadically visible. And keeping issues alive and visible is what democracy looks like. Occupy Denver would say that that is not an end, but a beginning. n
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On Sept. 17, 2012, a lone Occupy Denver supporter waves the flag where the movement began a year before, on Broadway at the foot of the Capitol. n
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