Denver DNC on the Streets: First Major Clash Between Protesters and Police

Against the backdrop of a breathtaking sunset on August 25, Unconventional Denver marched from Civic Center Park to the Wellington Webb Municipal Building on 15th Street, instigating a standoff with law enforcement.

Denver Police and Denver Sheriff departments cordoned off the area circa 7:15 p.m., trapping nearly 300 people in the process. Those not connected with the protest were ultimately released.

“This whole thing is complicated,” said 20-year-old Matthew Reyes, one of those detained accidentally. “The cops seemed confused and there was no logical explanation for who was arrested and who was let go.”

In a press release, Heather Barry, neighborhood liaison for Mayor John Hickenlooper, reported total arrests hovered around 100. Charges ranged from obstruction of streets or public passageways to interference and disobedience to a lawful order.


7:45 p.m.: One of the first protesters apprehended awaits arrival of the Denver Sheriff Department bus in front of the building at 1515 Cleveland Place.


9:20 p.m.: Denver Sheriff donning riot gear block public access to Cleveland Place at the 16th Street Mall intersection. Three buses were dispatched to shuttle protesters from the makeshift field facility 500 feet away (police vehicles were positioned in a manner that blocked this operation from public view) to the temporary processing facility at 3833 Steele Street.


9:30 p.m.: Bystanders are pushed back from Cleveland Place to allow departure of the first Denver Sheriff bus. Inside the bus, those arrested pounded on the windows and yelled out to the crowd on the 16th Street Mall.