Thousands Protest Columbus Parades (in Denver)

ABC News ^ | October 13, 2002 | AP

[Tancred]

D E N V E R, Oct. 13 — American Indians and descendants marched in an anti-Columbus Day parade Saturday, and hours later Italian-Americans celebrated the explorer's arrival in the New World.

Hundreds of people waved Italian flags, played music and carried red, white and green balloons at an afternoon parade to honor Christopher Columbus. Protesters ripped down barricades and chanted "shame on you," saying the European settlement of America decimated native people.

Columbus Day parade organizer George Vendegnia, founder of the Sons of Italy in America, called it a success and said he planned future parades.

"We're here to celebrate our heritage and our rights," he said.

Seven people were arrested, but no violence was reported. A confrontation two years ago led to 150 arrests, and a 1992 parade was canceled because of concerns about violence.

At the morning parade, Aztec dancers in brilliant blue and gold feathered headdresses performed while sage was burned to purify and protect the marchers while summoning the spirits of their ancestors.

"They want to celebrate Columbus," said Lisa Simms, who helped organize the morning march. "We are here to commemorate the lives of our ancestors, the indigenous people who were already here."

[Tancred]

Doesn't the behavior of the protestors here seem awfully familiar? I think there are several aspects to this: there are a lot of people who get off on protesting because it's a way to demonstrate their supposed virtue; there are people who reflexively (thoughtlessly and ignorantly) hate Western civilization; and the Columbus-bashers are likely allied with other groups who seek to weaken or destroy Western culture and civilization.

[BenLurkin]

I think your read is absolutely correct. These "protestors" are none other than the usual "Death to America" crowd.

[lsee]

indigenous people who were already here

He meant to say INDIGENT....

[clintonh8r]

Everybody's got a beef with the white man.

[breakem]

The Indians need to get another day. Their attempt to wipe out Comumbus day puts them on the side of the bad guys and will win no sympathy.

We should have left the Indians alone to kill, eat, torture, and enslave each other.

[hole_n_one]

Protesters yell at the Sons of Italy as they pass by during the Columbus Day parade in Denver, Colo., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2002. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

[SouthernFreebird]

Finders keepers.............losers, protest.

[livius]

A source with DPD told me that the Indian groups were basically just stooges for something called the "Black Bloc," an international group of anarchists (familiar to many of us from Genoa and the meetings there last year) who came prepared to cause major trouble.

Fortunately the Black Bloc weapons cache was found and destroyed in a raid in Denver, and the day passed with only some 70 arrests of stupid anarchists. Of course, DPD had also gone out and found other weapons - weighted and taped clubs, for example- that the anarchists had scattered along the parade route.

Go DPD!

[Apple Pan Dowdy]

".....and chanted "shame on you," saying the European settlement of America decimated native people."

I wonder how many of these native americans now drive cars, use washing machines and dishwashers, read books and write letters, watch TV or use life saving medicines or surgery? I wonder if they would prefer to have remained in their old culture without any western influence, eking out a living on the land, depending on witchdoctors and shamans to cure their illnesses, bowing and scraping to their chiefs and in the case of the Aztecs, who's dances they were performing, sacrificing family members in rituals to appease the gods.

Yes, shame on western civilization for bringing all this evil to decimate these poor people </sarcasm>

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

Why don't the Italian organizers celebrate Italian Heritage Day, rather than Columbus Day? It then has a larger scope, and can unhesitatingly include everything that's great about Italian culture.

[Loyalist]

According to any dictionary, indigenous means native. Yet Caucasians are not called the indigenous people of Europe, nor Orientals the indigenous people of East Asia.

If you aren't an illiterate tribesman running around in a loincloth, making clay pots and playing nose flute and bongoes for leftist eco-tourists from Berkeley, you aren't indigenous.

[Tancred]

That link with international anarchists is very interesting (it's what I've suspected since they share similar tactics and they're all so anti-Western). Does the media even bother to explore the possible connections with all these protest groups?

[uncbob]

Protesters ripped down barricades and chanted "shame on you," saying the European settlement of America decimated native people.

Who were living in peace and contentment and would never think of engaaging in tribal warfare

[livius]

No, the media never even mentions it. In the Denver press yesterday, they chattered on about the medicine men doing dances with feathers or some such thing, and never mentioned the anarchists.

The press is obviously totally out of the loop. Fortunately, there are other people who keep an eye on these anarchist groups (who are mostly well-off young people who seem to be able to travel from continent to continent with no visible means of support).

Sweet misunderstood kids, like John Walker Lindh. And the trucks full of weapons, and the weapons hidden in the bushes and the videos of how to get through the weak points in body armor? Just childish pranks, I guess. But fortunately the cops, who were the intended victims, outsmarted them.

[Cat Patrol]

Those Indians ought to be glad White people showed up and civilized them.

[John Lenin]

They are just [pissed that the FBI has caught them using voter fraud in South Dakota. Screw em, they got the casinos, what more do they want ?

[lsee]

Main Entry: in·di·gence Pronunciation: 'in-di-j&n(t)s Function: noun Date: 14th century : a level of poverty in which real hardship and deprivation are suffered and comforts of life are wholly lacking

I thought indigent pretty accurate, too...Many of the indigenous people were certainly indigent and destructive as well. The myth of the evil white man is one leftists cling to, but which are largely false. Myth of Ecological American Indians

Read the whole booklet Wild in the Woods

[oregon conservative]

The Native Americans always lived in peace with their brother tribes. War was never thought of as they foraged over the fruited plain and woods for their food. Treating their women with the utmost respect was another wonderful strength of the Native Americans. Rumors of wars among the tribes just isn't true. Or that they set wood or prairie on fire to drive game or clear the land is totally false. Stories of women being captured and kept as slaves is also untrue. The white eyes totally destroyed heaven on earth.