Tools and feces throwing will not be allowed outside the convention

WE'VE MOVED! Democratic Convention Watch is now at http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com

No word yet on whether either will be allowed inside the Pepsi Center.

The prospect of protesters linking themselves with devices that bolt cutters can't sever or throwing buckets of feces on police has Denver considering putting a new law on the books before the Democratic National Convention.

Demonstrators would be banned from having items such as chains, quick-setting cement, homemade locking devices that are resistant to bolt cutters and "any noxious substance," City Council members said Monday.

"Protesters are getting pretty sophisticated," said Councilman Doug Linkhart, chairman of the council's safety committee.

"In other cities, they're not just handcuffing themselves to each other," he said. "They put their handcuffs inside PVC tubes, which are inside concrete. They've figured out ways that keep the police from just using bolt cutters to cut them apart. They also use buckets of urine and feces and various noxious substances to pour on themselves or the police." - RMN

I talked to a local sheriff and he told me about the PVC pipe handcuffing. They're doing training on how to separate the protesters without taking their limbs off.

The Colorado Independent has a story today about the weapons police are purchasing for the convention.

The public may never know what weapons and other equipment Denver police are buying with taxpayer money in preparation for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) before the event happens in August, despite a lawsuit seeking to disclose the information under public records laws.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Colorado has filed a lawsuit against Denver to determine what exactly city police are buying with the $50 million in federal funds appropriated for security during the convention. But even if a district judge sympathizes with plaintiffs in a court hearing set for Aug. 8, the city could still appeal the decision and keep the information secret until after the event.