Occupy Denver Protesters Met With Violent Police Reaction

Denver police fired pepper spray and pepper balls and arrested 20 Occupy Denver protesters Saturday (via Global Grind).

Some of the Occupy Denver sympathizers…raced to set up tents in Civic Center, where city officials have allowed ongoing food tables and sleeping bags but not sleeping structures.Protesters there surged around about eight police officers. Other officers responding to calls for help fired the pepper bullets, which resemble paint balls. One protester filming the scene — one of hundreds of cameras documenting police activity — was knocked out of a tree in the melee…

Just before 6 p.m., with ambulances waiting and police cruisers covering whole blocks around the park, officers donned gas masks and used megaphones to warn protesters that the remaining tents were illegal. Wielding long batons, a few dozen officers pushed into the park and formed a circle around the tents.

University of Colorado student Daniel Ellen tried to jump through a gap to help other protesters he feared were stuck in the tents but was knocked to the ground by police. He stood up and charged at them again, screaming in anger, took a blow to the temple with a baton and was pushed down twice more.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.