Face The State Staff Report
DENVER - How many police officers does it take to arrest a protester?
The city's streets were relatively calm this morning as most of protesters attended a concert put on by the band Rage Against the Machine at the Denver Coliseum. When three protesters were arrested at the southwest corner of Civic Center Park, however, more than 50 officers swarmed the scene, nearly outnumbering the watchful crowd.
FTS Staff Photo
About 20 officers dressed in riot gear created a barricade between the crowd and media that were trying to view the event. Behind them, a line of ten officers on horseback and a handful of others pulled up on bikes. That’s not including the 15 officers who interrogated the protesters and searched their belongings.
One of those being arrested was shouting, “I do not consent to this search,” as police combed through her backpack. Another was calling out for a legal observer.
The crowd speculated about why the three protesters were being detained. One woman thought it was a conspiracy against the anarchists who are all just “straight edge vegans,” while another said it was simply because they were jay walking. Police ignored questions from the crowd and the media who were trying to find out what had happened to prompt the arrests.