Denver could be Chicago for Dem convention

Political activists, under the banner name of Re-create 68, want to bring at least part of the activist, idealist, political flavor of 40 years ago to this year’s Democratic National Convention inDenver.

Barbara Rivera wants to “stand for peace” on behalf of the U.S. Department of Peace and Nonviolence.

Duke Austin hopes to hold a five-day “this is what democracy looks like” rally with the Students for Peace and Justice.

Adam Jungk proposes to set up a Tent State University. Barbara Cohen applied for a “festival of democracy”; her husband, Mark Cohen, for a “celebration of democracy.”

They’re just five of the people who submitted more than 200 applications to occupy 14 centrally located Denver parks during the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The catch is, they are all associated with the same group: Re-create 68.

City officials will draw names in a park-permit lottery today, and say the multiple applications look like ballot stuffing.

So? They’re playing the system and winning. If official Democratic Party orgs, or food vendors, lose out, tough.

R-68’s Glenn Spagnuolo, who also filed for a permit for “The Free Speech Zone” as an individual, and who freely admits knowing Duke, Adam, Mark and the two Barbaras — and, in all, as many as 40 other applicants friendly to his group — says it's the city that’s not playing fair.

Agreed. It sounds like Denver is trying to bland out the convention.