Protesters disrupt traffic on Prospect Ft. Collins, Colorado

The Coloradoan ^ | 3/25/03 | RAHAF KALAAJI

[fivetoes]

Between 150 and 200 people protested against the Iraq war Tuesday morning at the Colorado State University campus and on Prospect Road, disrupting traffic for nearly two hours.

Protesters began gathering at CSU

[fivetoes]

I guess we are too much for them on Saturday or they have nothing better to do.

[RandallFlagg]

Check your FReepmail.

[ladyinred]

Isn't there some law against this? I never understand how they get away so easily with downright unlawful acts! We get the police called on us at the rallys for standing out on the pedestrian strip, and they get away with this?

[RandallFlagg]

From your profile, it says you're in California. That alone says it all. According to what I've been told, as long as we don't impede pedestrian traffic, we can stand there.

[LasVegasMac]

New title.........

Anti-War protesters were disrupted by traffic on Prospector Road, Ft. Collins, CO.

Yes, much better.

LVM

[fivetoes]

I heard they were pounding their fists on people's cars and stopping traffic. When the police do not enforce the law, then there is no law. Keep reloading and gathering ammunition.

KOA radio is talking about it now.

[fivetoes]

It does not take much to disrupt them

[EODGUY]

You can bet there would have been some arrests made if the protestors disrupted traffic outside an abortion mill.

Kind of an interesting relationship with the police in this town. The police agree to allow the protestors to break the law as long as they only do it from 8:30 until 10:00? I wonder how that law is written in the statute book?

[weldgophardline]

Tomorrow they have a walk out at unc to protest the war I wish I could counter that but we have to make a living and they do'nt.

[giznort]

Collect your urine and place it in a high pressure hydrant-type device. If traffic is block, utilize urine squirter. Add sugar for a better coating/tacky effect.

[CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC]

Oh, man!! I wish I had been told of this before it was all over. I work near there and would have headed over with my signs and my voice! It kinda ticks me off that the Ft. Collins police let them off with no consequences for blocking a major road for over 2 hours (from sometime before 8AM until 10AM). Grrr!!

[Hildy]

50,000 Conservatives rallied in Ft. Collins and not one disruption or arrest and the police Dept. said the next day, it was cleaner than before we came.

[Enduring Freedom]

BREAKING:

Several casualties are now reported in the protests, including truth, sensibility and reason.

[mollynme]

50,000 Conservatives rallied in Ft. Collins

Dan's Bake Sale?

[Hildy]

Yes, Dan's Bake Sale...were you there too?

[mollynme]

I sure was! It was sure great to get together with so many like-minded conservatives.
And you?

[CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC]

I called the office of the Ft. Collins Chief of Police to tell them I was really PO-ed about the fact they let these people block this major street for 2 hours and get away scot free. (I know people who were driving by around 8:05AM who got stuck for a long time, so it didn't just start at 8:30 like the paper said) The Chief himself called me back a few minutes later to give me his side of the story. They had a group of police up at the CSU Oval - 3/4 mi. north of there - monitoring a larger gathering. This was the only gathering the police had been told about. They were expecting that group to head north towards Old Town and perhaps even for some rumored civil disobedience.

Meanwhile the protestors had secretly planned all along to send a smaller group of 30 to 50 down to Prospect. After the police found out about the second group blocking the street, it took a long time to get their men redeployed. And because of the proximity of a number of small businesses - including especially restaurants - next to the protestors, they decided to not use tear gas because of the disruption to the businesses, food contamination, etc. The ruling out of teargas meant they had to have more officers in order to do a large number of "one on one" arrests. By the time they got all these in place and were ready to give the ultimatum (don't know what time this was), the protestors negotiated a ceasefire and agreed to leave by 10AM.

He said there will be followup action. They videotaped all of the actual "C.D." people and will be taking the tapes to the DA to see if they can ID people and issue them tickets for blocking the street. And they'll share them with the CSU Police Dept and urge them to take some kind of disciplinary action with those students who can be positively ID-ed. Also, there has been a meeting set up between the police chief and the more radical leaders of the protestors, and he will make it clear to them that they can't get away with this and that there definitely will be arrests if they keep pulling this. (He also mentioned that some of the disruptors said they WANTED to be arrested, and he said he'll be happy to accomodate them next time).

[NorCoGOP]

Tomorrow they have a walk out at unc to protest the war

DETAILS ASAP Please...I'll try to handle this.

[weldgophardline]

I belive it was to be noon sorry i could 'nt get to you sooner.