Convention organizers want the event to be a living showcase of the Party's ideals. They got off to a good start today by opening an eco-friendly office in Denver's Civic Center Plaza, but the battle between citizen rights and security demands might pose a thorny problem.
The media brought their notepads and cameras down to the new offices of the Democratic National Convention Committee. It was Chris Unger's first day helping prepare for the convention, and as he folded cardboard recycling bins for the green-savvy office, he became one of the first targets of what will be a year long media feeding frenzy. If a box gets folded between now and next August, a camera will probably capture the moment in all its glory.
Still, there are groups that are concerned that too many curbs will be placed on the people who are eager to get their messages into the national spotlight.
Until now, local convention coverage has focused on the Denver Host Committee and their efforts to attract and fund the convention, but today the first real roots were put down by the national organization in charge of coordinating the leviathan event. DNCC CEO Daughtry welcomed visitors to the new home of her staff of ten, and prepared to grow the team to between 150 and 200 paid positions and a volunteer corps expected to become an army of 10,000. Promising "the greenest political convention on record", Daughtry spoke of the office's use of two sided copying, recycled paper and power saving techniques.
Proving a commitment to community awareness and participation, Daughtry will be traveling through the Rocky Mountain West in a series of at least ten 'Convention Conversations', begining with a September forum in Denver with Mayor Hickenlooper.
How long will the commitment to community participation last, and how far will it reach? Mass mobilization advocates 'Recreate '68' are measuring that commitment tonight in a meeting with Denver Police Deputy Chief of Operations Mike Battista and Colorado ACLU Legal Director Mark Silverstein.
While the Secret Service will control the footprint of the Pepsi Center, and will no doubt have a powerful say elsewhere, much of the planning for the area beyond the Pepsi Center is being settled by the Denver Police.
Recreate '68 spokesman Glenn Spaguolo:
We weren't going to have protest pens, but what we have been hearing from Battista at town meetings makes it sound like they are considering it again, and that is one of the things we are trying to find out about tonight.
Colorado ACLU Executive Director Cathryn Hazouri states that the ACLU was 'realistic' that 'since the terrorists attacked' some crowd control measures were to be expected, and that while zones would probably be established, she wanted to ensure that they would be near enough to the Pepsi Center and have enough visibility for political speech to be heard.
DCNN CEO Daughtry also allowed for the possibility of some sort of speech pens. While affirming the Party's commitment to free expression, she said that all major conventions had to provide for reasonable security and something like what they had at earlier conventions was likely, although perhaps maybe without, "barbed wire across the top and things like that."
Little of this is likely to satisfy rights advocates like Spaguolo:
"Anybody that goes inside a protest pen has a right to have their right's taken away... If you go into a pen like a good little sheep, you deserve to give up your rights."
Battle lines would be further drawn on this issue, but the people drawing the actual lines on the map are not commenting. The Denver Police have not yet disclosed any of their security plans. It is not known how wide a net around Denver will be drawn or how small an area demonstrations will be concentrated into. Unless satisfactory answers emerge tonight, several legal groups including the National Lawyers Guild will be meeting on July 30th to consider what litigation, if any, is required to move forward.
Hopefully this issue will be handled fairly by law enforcement and the DNCC team. CEO Daughtry has shown great competence working with Gov. Dean as the Chief of Staff of the DNC. Her new task, while daunting, seems to be in good hands so far.
The media brought their notepads and cameras down to the new offices of the Democratic National Convention Committee. It was Chris Unger's first day helping prepare for the convention, and as he folded cardboard recycling bins for the green-savvy office, he became one of the first targets of what will be a year long media feeding frenzy. If a box gets folded between now and next August, a camera will probably capture the moment in all its glory.
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