'Black Lives Matter' Protesters Disrupt Mayor Hancock's Community Meeting
DENVER (CBS4) - Protesters disrupted a community meeting of Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and his cabinet at Thomas Jefferson High School on the city's southeast side Saturday morning. The issue was the city's cleanup of homeless camps on downtown area sidewalks.
The audience was gathered at the school, but as the mayor got up to speak protesters tried to block him.
"Sir, would you mind stepping aside," the mayor asked a protester.
The city moved out homeless camps on the sidewalks, but that action swept in protests by groups including Black Lives Matter.
"This is a community meeting, please step aside," the mayor requested over the public address system.
After an announcement that no signs would be allowed police moved in. They took away one from a protester and placed her in handcuffs before escorting her out of the meeting. She was not arrested.
A woman who had an anti-fracking sign was also asked to leave. She was not put in handcuffs.
The protests continued outside.
Bianca Pullen of Black Lives Matter read a statement that said in part, "We demand Mayor Hancock and his administration stop exploiting the lives of the houseless, the poor, and black people to meet the greedy desires of downtown Denver developers and gentrifiers."
CBS4's Rick Sallinger asked the mayor, "Will their protests have any impact?"
"We are always open to listen, that's why we're in the neighborhood," Hancock replied. "We just don't believe we should allow for groups to highjack the meeting that's meant for the entire community."
On Saturday the sidewalks in the area near Broadway and Lawrence were once again blocked with members of the homeless population, but it was a charity giveaway of food and clothing -- in contrast to what some say has become the norm.
James Bolton Jr. said the cleanup is good, but police are going too far.
"Don't be hassling the people down here. Now they got it cleaned up, now everywhere they go they got to get hassled on every sidewalk … with the cops rolling up on them," Bolton said.
The city insists sanitation is improving and crime is decreasing while it deals with the individual needs of those with no place to call home.
The area is bordered with shelters. The city and those who operate the facilities told CBS4 there are plenty of beds available for those who want them.
CBS4's Rick Sallinger is a Peabody award winning reporter who has been with the station more than two decades doing hard news and investigative reporting. Follow him on Twitter @ricksallinger.
