How is the local media reporting on possible protests this summer?
I could Google articles but I think you guys could give a better overall feel for it and how the public is reacting to the reporting.
I have not seen anything in the local media as yet–but then I never read the paper and watch TV news only sporadically.
Local business folk have been contacted and offered advice re: how to attract convention goers to their areas. I know this because VeryCoolSpouse attended such a meeting for the neighborhood businesses where the art gallery is. That’s the only notice (that I’ve noticed) that the convention has had so far.
This is coming from someone who doesn’t read either of the local papers, but will watch the evening news about 3 or 4 days a week.
From what I have seen, it is a given that there will be protests at the Dem. convention. The local media that I have seen has been focusing on the process that the city put in place to handle the protests. My understanding is the city created certain areas where the protests could legally occur (parks, certain streets/intersections, parking lots) and then allowed groups to apply for permits to protest and/or demonstrate at those sites.
There was a lottery of sorts where all of the groups who applied would find out which park or street corner they could then protest from. Some sort of snafu occurred on who could even file for the permit and how many applications each protesting organization was allowed to file. I believe that has all been sorted out.
As far as the Rush Limbaugh comments, it got some lip service, but was pretty much dismissed. The Denver mayor and Colorado governor have said essentially that protestors who follow the laws will be treated fairly, but if you don’t follow the rules we have set out, then you will be arrested. One comment that I remember be reported was that a group was planning on camping out in one of the downtown parks and the mayor said they would be arrested because city law says sleeping overnight in that park is illegal.
I have not seen anything covered about the groups who have no intention of filing for a permit to protest or following the city’s plans for where protests are allowed.