October 16 through 29th, 2011 State Sponsored Terrorism used to Violate Human Rights

In the days between October 16th and the 29th, as people tried various means of protecting themselves against the elements, law enforcement and the state continued their repressive tactics. The City and County of Denver provided one meeting to give the impression that the state was listining to our greviences, they were not. It is important to note however the mayor said we could exercise our human rights as long as we stayed on the sidewalk. Once on the sidewalk however the state began criminalizing this activity as well. During this meeting Mayor Hancock simply reread the municipal code violation which the state would enforce over our human rights and nothing else was discussed. The only difference between was the mayor on behest of his corporate masters was reading the law, and not a member of law enforcement.

Throughout the week of the October 16th the state placed officers in patrol cars at 1 to 3 ratio to the people assembled, thus intimidating many from exercising their political opinion. The state also again continued with their campaign of criminalizing he people assembled by implying that are actions were criminal and the state needed to continue to enforce an illegal law and protect the public from us.

“We have to make sure our main focus is still on protecting those people still using the property across from the Capitol," says Cobler, a public information officer for the State Patrol.

This official government statement was made as the Governor’s decree closing Lincoln Park was still in effect. Raising the question of why is the state protecting some people’s political opinion who, against the governors decree, are allowed to use the property across from the Capitol. Yet we are prevented from even entering the park due to our previous peaceful political assembly? Why? Because the privately organized federal government directed local governments across the nation to participate in a targeted campaign of repression and persecution aimed at people exercising their human rights.

The days after the violent repression by the state, we were violently forced to disregard our human rights and conform to the Denver municipal code, by sleeping on the sidewalk in front of the park. During this time the temperature was below 0 Celsius, people huddled together under blankets to survive the night. Around 2 am on October 19th the City and County of Denver threatened mine and the lives of the people legally exercising their human rights by turning on sprinklers covering the people assembled in water in below freezing weather. Turning sprinkles against people who are peacefully assembling is also part of the federal government’s national strategy to squelch people’s human rights. This act caused the pipes in the cities sprinkler system to burst, thus costing the people of Denver millions of dollars for repairs of the park.

The actions by the state in denying tents, a basic form of protection in winter, in a city where people frequently freeze to death, clearly shows the state was not interested in the health and safety of its citizens. In this case the state’s actions to repress peaceful political opinion directly threatened the life and personal security of everyone. The states repressive actions would become more drastic as people desperately tried to shelter themselves from the elements. The desperation for shelter again made the tent a much recognized political symbol as it has been for many political movements throughout the history of the nation and world.

As winter rapidly approached people fearing for their safety attempted many times to take refuge in a tent or structure. Every time someone attempted to shelter themselves against the elements the state law enforcement would arrive with peperspray or other weapons drawn and violently force complacence with municipal code. When law enforcement arrived to enforce municipal code people were subject to harassment and property confiscation. State theft of property is another form of repression and violence faced by those who exercised their political opinion as well as a major tool for funding the War on Drugs.

The state went so far as to criminalize homelessness and political opinion when the state kidnapped a homeless man for defending home and only form of shelter.

“Reno had received a new pair of glasses that morning -- at his own expense, he joked with the understanding that he would be arrested. "At least they won't be dragging a blind man out of that tent," he said. "I'm homeless, and I believe this is my home now. I'm willing to defend it."

Reno was so violently removed from his tent by law enforcement that he was immediately taken to the hospital for back, neck and shoulder injuries. Once again law enforcement brutalized a person simply for exercising his political opinion and attempting to shelter himself from freezing to death.


Reno after the police abused him


The Thundercube object of law enforcement repression

The following night we decided to test the limits of the municipal code which the state was enforcing against our human rights. As law enforcement was perpetually stationed all around us the limits of the law turned out to be surprisingly tight. Within 3 minutes, of building the cardboard structure known as the Thundercube, law enforcement arrived to forced compliance with the municipal code 39-7. Law enforcement also stated even sleeping on the sidewalk was illegal but they would not enforce that law.

“The small box shack drew immediate attention from police constantly positioned across the street to monitor the group because its placement blocked part of the sidewalk, Denver Police Department Sargent Jeff Hausner says. Even the people sleeping on the sidewalks at night are currently in violation of the law, but we're willing to let that one go. This one, we cannot."

The Sergeant’s quote brings up the two interesting question regarding the true reason for enforcement. Why is the state strictly enforcing Denver Revised Municipal Code 39-7 and not strictly and violently enforcing other violations of the Denver Revised Municipal Code? As the Governor, Mayor and Attorney General all said they are there to enforce the law.

"I know there's economic pain, but even though I empathize, my job is to uphold the law and keep Denver safe."

The other question the official statement of Sgt. Hausner brings up is, what municipal code is being violated by sleeping on the sidewalk? The answer is there was no law criminalizing sleeping on the sidewalk in public. That would soon change as the State would enforce other laws criminalizing peacefully assembling on the sidewalk. On top of this the state would then go on to force through a law criminalizing both homelessness and the ability to peacefully assemble.

As temperatures continued to drop Stephen Lidanne built an igloo in the snow in the park to shelter himself from the cold. Law enforcement reacted to this quickly and violently. As law enforcement could not get Stephen out of the igloo through the entrance they violently attacked the structure with shovels and batons, eventually reaching and arresting Stephen  Law enforcement even had the brilliant idea to use bulldozer to destroy the what remained of the igloo and in the process damaged much of the turf and sprinkler system of Civic Center Park. These were acts of desperation by people trying to find shelter from the elements. These were also equal acts of desperation carried out by the state in repressing our human rights to assemble and form political opinions.


“He admits he was too worried or his health to spent the night at Civic Center Park during Tuesday night's snow: Instead, he slept under a bridge. “At the very least, it was warm inside by the time they came to shine their lights on me, and you can't say that for the rest of the park. They told me to get out. Liddane's answer: "Nah, I'm good."



The next day the state’s repression continued to force the people in to life threatening situations.



On the night of October 26, as a result of the state’s strict enforcement of DRMC 39-7, five members of the assembly were hospitalized for hypothermia after the 2011 season's first major snowstorm. However, this is not a unique to this protest as people frequently freeze to death on the streets of Denver. The hypothermia reinforced the vital need for tents not just for us but for the many people who would go the winter without shelter from the elements. The city of Denver intentionally forced us in to a situation where our safety and lives were directly due to the illegal and targeted campaign to deny our human rights to peacefully assemble and exercise our political opinion. As such I am in fear of loss of my life and liberity and am unwilling and unable to avail myself of the protection of the Governments of the United States of America.