Teh One Who Knocks
11-12-2011, 03:27 PM
By Felisa Cardona and Yesenia Robles - The Denver Post
Protesters who said they are part of Occupy Denver made two attempts to disrupt a conservative blogger conference today at a downtown Denver hotel.
During their first disruption at the Crowne Plaza Hotel one man was led away in handcuffs, witnesses said.
Information about the man who was arrested for trespassing was unavailable, but witnesses at the Blogcon 2011 conference said he shoved a police officer who was trying to clear the group out of the hotel lobby.
Attendees of Blogcon said they knew Occupy Denver was coming because the group had advertised its intentions on Twitter.
Tabitha Hale, new-media director of the conference, said Blogcon was prepared for the onslaught and had purchased Milk Bones earlier in the day for Occupy Denver's elected leader, a 3-year-old border collie named Shelby.
"We've known they were coming for a couple of days," she said.
The first disruption began around 2 p.m. during a data visualization seminar in one of the ballrooms. A few protesters tried to charge the ballroom doors to get inside.
But people attending the conference had already started to notice unusual activity by a number of people in the hotel's lobby and began to film them, said Peter Michael Dominic Ingemi, a talk-show host.
"They started bantering back and forth," he said. "We all had video. They were filming us and we were filming them."
Occupy Denver protesters yelled out "We are the 99 percent" and Blogcon attendees yelled back "We want the dog!"
"They tend to blame us because they think we are running the world," Hale said. "They shoved and pushed a few people it was rough. I was not expecting them to charge us. I don't know if they are coming back."
When they did return at 5 p.m., the demonstration was brief.
Protesters chanted, "We realize that the Republicans and Democrats are both bought by Wall Street, so we invite you to join us if you are tired "
"It's like Christmas carols," said one Blogcon member. "It's like they're coming to our house to sing to us."
Much earlier in the day, Denver police spoke with protesters who have been sleeping in Civic Center for the past month. Officers handed out fliers explaining that leaving personal property in the area was violating a city ordinance and blocking the right of way for public works staffers.
About 25 people removed their property, and some left the park.
Protesters who said they are part of Occupy Denver made two attempts to disrupt a conservative blogger conference today at a downtown Denver hotel.
During their first disruption at the Crowne Plaza Hotel one man was led away in handcuffs, witnesses said.
Information about the man who was arrested for trespassing was unavailable, but witnesses at the Blogcon 2011 conference said he shoved a police officer who was trying to clear the group out of the hotel lobby.
Attendees of Blogcon said they knew Occupy Denver was coming because the group had advertised its intentions on Twitter.
Tabitha Hale, new-media director of the conference, said Blogcon was prepared for the onslaught and had purchased Milk Bones earlier in the day for Occupy Denver's elected leader, a 3-year-old border collie named Shelby.
"We've known they were coming for a couple of days," she said.
The first disruption began around 2 p.m. during a data visualization seminar in one of the ballrooms. A few protesters tried to charge the ballroom doors to get inside.
But people attending the conference had already started to notice unusual activity by a number of people in the hotel's lobby and began to film them, said Peter Michael Dominic Ingemi, a talk-show host.
"They started bantering back and forth," he said. "We all had video. They were filming us and we were filming them."
Occupy Denver protesters yelled out "We are the 99 percent" and Blogcon attendees yelled back "We want the dog!"
"They tend to blame us because they think we are running the world," Hale said. "They shoved and pushed a few people it was rough. I was not expecting them to charge us. I don't know if they are coming back."
When they did return at 5 p.m., the demonstration was brief.
Protesters chanted, "We realize that the Republicans and Democrats are both bought by Wall Street, so we invite you to join us if you are tired "
"It's like Christmas carols," said one Blogcon member. "It's like they're coming to our house to sing to us."
Much earlier in the day, Denver police spoke with protesters who have been sleeping in Civic Center for the past month. Officers handed out fliers explaining that leaving personal property in the area was violating a city ordinance and blocking the right of way for public works staffers.
About 25 people removed their property, and some left the park.