City relents, will allow protests during DNC

City officials in Denver say they will allow protest groups to use their constitutional free speech rights during the Democratic National Convention in August, even though they previously announced plans to prevent groups from using more than a dozen locations near the basketball arena where events will be held.

Danielle Versluys, the director of special events for Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust, told WND that a meeting with Denver representatives appeared to be successful.

"They recognized we had a serious claim [to be allowed to protest]," she said, and promised that a procedure to handle requests for permits will be in place in the next week or two.

"We took them at their word, and said we would not be filing a lawsuit if the permit process proceeds as planned," she told WND.

She said city officials also agreed to return to the pool of available sites a long list of park locations that earlier had been withdrawn.

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"They are returning the parks that were originally off the list, and close to the convention," she said.

Versluys and Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, had set up the meeting with city lawyers because their organizations have been trying for several months to request permits for protest locations during the Democratic convention, failing to obtain any commitment from the city.

"The Democratic National Convention should be a time of celebrating free speech and the First Amendment rights, not crushing them," Mahoney said.

The city earlier had withdrawn 14 downtown city parks from the list of public venues in which groups might peacefully assemble, refusing to accept applications from the pro-life organizations, they said.

The groups had followed the city's routine park application process, starting nearly four months ago. But they were told repeatedly they would be put on a list and contacted when a permit process was in place.

The activists involved in seeking the protest locations say such delays pose dangers to free speech and the First Amendment.

They had warned the city unless progress was made, they would pursue a federal lawsuit. Versluys said that still was an option if the city fails to follow its newly announced plans.

"As advocates for the pre-born, it is the responsibility of the Survivors to defend our right to free speech. Peaceful prayer and witness in the public square are essential to our fight for justice in America, and we cannot let our rights be trampled at the expense of the children scheduled to die from abortion," she said.

"We are seeking these First Amendment rights not only for pro-life activists, but for all those wishing to peacefully demonstrate at the DNC regardless of their political views," Mahoney said.

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