Denver Direct: Occupy Denver on the march again (10-22-2011)

I was hoping to have my live-streaming video online today, after testing on the Mall yesterday (see the new tab above). However it was not to be, but I went anyway and shot the video above. I would encourage you to view the entire video. For one, you get to see who is actually in the crowd marching down the mall. Many of the marchers look like middle-class citizens rather than hippies or the homeless as is often stated. And the speech at the end is worth watching. Sorry I didn’t get her name, but the First Lady is quite an emotional speaker. Everybody in the 99% is suffering, and they are finally waking up! I took off before the music started (which was really what I wanted to shoot) so I could get back and get this out.

Breaking news:
At about 7:00 pm this evening a group of about 50 protesters came by my place going south on York St. Drums and hollering were prevalent, and most seemed to be dressed in dark clothes. The Denver police followed the group in about 10 police cars. I assumed they would turn west and go down Colfax, so I grabbed the camera and drove west on 16th Ave. in an effort to get in front of them.

All of the traffic from Colfax, now closed by police cars at every intersection, was being diverted to 16th, leaving me stuck in a traffic jam. Police cars, marked and unmarked, were everywhere, including leap-frogging the jammed up traffic with lights flashing. Try as I might, I couldn’t get in front of the protesters on their way back to Civic Center Park, but I did see them walking calmly on the sidewalk at Ogden St. The over-whelming police presence made me think the cops were anticipating some sort of CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE! OMG No! Send in the troops, we can’t have that.

One thing for sure, the police reaction is very expensive. Their aggressive coverage of this evening’s protester foray made me think they were itching for something to happen. Just sayin’.