Occupy rally in Springs; 24 arrests in Denver; riots in Rome

DENVER — About two dozen people were arrested Saturday at a rally that attracted an estimated 2,000 people to downtown Denver in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

The Occupy Denver demonstrators marched peacefully through downtown Saturday afternoon, but five hours later, police and some protesters clashed in the heart of the city.

Most protesters had left after the march ended about 2 p.m., but a small group of demonstrators blocked Broadway, one of Denver's main streets, throughout the afternoon, and tensions rose further after dining tents were pitched in a corner of Civic Center park.

By the night's end, 24 people had been arrested, Mayor Michael Hancock announced after the crowd dispersed.

Officers began making arrests at 6:20 p.m., and by 7 p.m., police used pepper spray as they knocked down the dining tents. Some people screamed as the tents fell, and handcuffed protesters soon lined a nearby street. At least two police vans were used to carry off those in custody.

After the tents fell, hundreds of protesters headed toward the 16th Street Mall, an outdoor pedestrian-friendly mall. At first, they were cut off by police, who again attempted to disperse them by using pepper spray. But the bulk of the protesters got past police and marched chanting down the mall.

They had no clear destination, twice passing the Federal Reserve Bank branch, which had been targeted in past demonstrations, and turning past the bars and restaurants of Lower Downtown and then circling back before gradually dispersing.

The Denver Post reported Sunday that, about 175 protesters remained at Civic Center Park. Several slept on the sidewalk or lingered on benches.

There were reports of a meeting of demonstrators planned for 3:00 p.m.

The Post reported that some of Saturday's protesters were released on personal recognizance bonds that allowed them to leave jail without a bond payment, and bond was set at $500 for others who had failed to appear at a court hearing in the past.

The protest was one of several planned across Colorado in Colorado Springs, Denver and in Boulder in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The movement went global on Saturday, with protests reported in 900 cities, including 

In New York, thousands filled Times Square on Saturday night, mixing with gawkers, Broadway showgoers, tourists and police to create a chaotic scene in the midst of Manhattan.

In Europe, Italian riot police fired tear gas and water cannons Saturday in Rome as violent protesters hijacked a peaceful demonstration smashing bank windows, torching cars and hurling bottles.

In Colorado Springs, several dozen sign-carrying protesters marched through downtown Saturday morning, packing signs that decried Wall Street bailouts, marijuana laws and foreign policy.

The Colorado Springs protest hasn't seen clashes with police.

No warnings were issued Saturday in the first meeting between Occupy Colorado Springs protesters and officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team.

The meeting came the same day that roughly 50 protesters marched across downtown, stopping at City Hall, the courthouse and several banks, said Hossein Forouzandeh, a protest organizer.

The outreach team re-iterated the city’s ordinance to protesters and asked they take down a tent that had sprung overnight, said Brett Iverson, an officer on the team.

Forouzandeh said a protester put up the tent for two children. It was taken down in the morning.

Officers and protesters, though, remain at odds over three canopies that remain at the corner of Bijou and Tejon streets.

Iverson said police are working with protesters to find private property for their demonstrations. He gave no timetable for the canopies to come down.

Colorado State Patrol and Denver police arrested 23 people Friday as they cleared a camp at Lincoln Park, a state-owned city block across a street from the Capitol.

Saturday morning, a small group of protesters slept on the sidewalk at Civic Center Park across from Lincoln Park where 19 Colorado State Patrol cruisers and troopers were parked overnight.

The Colorado State Patrol announced Saturday morning that Lincoln Park was reopened, but not to protesters who want to camp out.

“We are pleased that the park has been reopened and made available for the use of our residents and visitors,” Colonel James Wolfinbarger, state patrol chief said in a statement. “While we expect no problems, the CSP will retain a uniformed presence to ensure that all applicable rules and laws are followed.”

The Gazette contributed to this report