Special Interest Groups Ready For DNC

DENVER -- Here come the agendas, special interests and demonstrators as Denver prepares for the Democratic National Convention. Now the question is where do they go?

One group said they'll have the graphic photos of abortions ready for display by next summer.

"We are coming en masse here in August," said the Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition.

His group is the first of what is expected to be a parade of special interest groups staking its claim at the Pepsi Center.

Based in Washington, D.C., the group hopes to attract 1,500 to 2,000 supporters by the time the Democratic delegates arrive the last week of August. They also realize there will be legitimate security concerns to consider.

"The last time I checked, no peaceful demonstrator in America has flown planes into the World Trade Center," Mahoney said.

Complaints were rampant after Boston hosted the DNC in 2004.

Protestors complained they were blocks away from delegates, penned into "Free Speech Zones" encircled by barbed wire.

"The only good thing we can say is they were equal opportunity. They crushed the First Amendment whether you were liberal, conservative, pro-life, pro-choice -- it didn't matter," Mahoney said.

Right now, the Denver Police Department is meeting with the Secret Service and other groups to formulate a security plan. That plan is expected to include designated areas for protestors and demonstrators.

It is also expected to involve compromises.

"No compromise is ever perfect. If I'm a politician and I'm able to arrange a compromise that all sides say they're perfectly happy with, then I'm not a politician, I'm a miracle worker," Dr. Norman Provizer of Metro State College said.

The political science professor believes Coloradans will again see SWAT officers at the ready, barricades, and designated places for protestors -- all at a distance away from the Pepsi Center.

"There is no trump card here. The right to peacefully assemble does not trump security. And security does not trump the right to peacefully assemble," Provizer said.

Mayor John Hickenlooper has routinely said there is no room for risk, but that a balance must be struck to allow for freedom of speech at such a high-profile event.

On Tuesday, Katherine Archuleta, the senior adviser on policy and initiatives for Hickenlooper issued this statement: "We expect a number of groups to seek permits for various events and demonstrations during the Democratic National Convention. As we've noted previously, we're reviewing permitting processes and requirements for major events and expect to complete that review and issue recommendations within the next few months.

"We, too, believe strongly in the rights afforded by the First Amendment. Understanding that safety and security are our top priorities in hosting the DNC, we are committed, as always, to accommodating freedom of speech and expression," Archuleta said.

Not to be outdone, Planned Parenthood said it will also be ready for the DNC as well.

"We know that protests and picket don't prevent the need for abortion. Access to services like birth control and comprehensive sex education do. That's what Planned Parenthood does everyday," said Lizzy Anison, director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood Colorado.

The countdown, and the influx of opposing viewpoints -- all with the same goal of more attention -- is already under way.