This is what happened in my neck of the woods - I was about 6 blocks away

[SpeedPhreak]

For those that don't know we have a HUGE military influence here... & several people here have loved ones at war...

http://www.gazette.com/onset?id=20297&template=article.html

Seven war protesters who tried to march in Saturday's St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Colorado Springs were accused of refusing to cooperate with police and arrested. One of them was injured as she was dragged off the road.

Police halted about 45 people with the Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission just steps into the parade where it began at Tejon and St. Vrain streets. They wore green shirts with peace signs and carried signs that read "Kids Not Bombs" and "End This War Now."

The group had a permit to march under the name of The Bookman, a business owned by commission chairman Eric Verlo. But when parade organizers saw their anti-war signs, they asked police to prevent them from proceeding.
Although most cooperated, some in the group sat in the road, police and bystanders said.

"We asked them to move from the parade route, they refused and we escorted (them) off," said Colorado Springs police Sgt. Bob Weber.

Political candidates are allowed to take part, but the parade has never allowed "social issues," said parade organizer John O'Donnell, a condition to which participants agree.

"It is our goal not to turn this into a confrontational political atmosphere," O'Donnell said. "It really is to come and have fun.
"A political message, 'vote for me, vote Republican, vote Democratic,' is OK."

Elizabeth Fineron, 65, suffered a leg injury from being dragged off the road. She requested to be taken to the hospital, said Sgt. David Whitlock, a public information officer. Fineron was treated and released, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Fineron could not be reached for comment Saturday night.

The anti-war group began circulating photos Saturday afternoon showing Fineron being dragged away with her pants ripping and a bruised welt showing. Other photos showed a police officer pointing a Taser gun — no target was visible in the picture — and an officer with his arm around a man's neck.

Whitlock, who saw the photos, said there will be a thorough review of the incident, and he urged witnesses and those involved to contact internal affairs if they thought excessive force or inappropriate police action had occurred.

He said they show just an instant in time, however, and until police can conduct their review he could not comment.

Paradegoer Rachel Eggleston said the group was confronted shortly after it began to march. She said five group members sat down in the road and three others ran down the parade route. A police officer drove the Bookman bus off the route onto St. Vrain. One officer broke one of the protester's signs on his knee, she said.

People began taking pictures, she said, and some were yelling in support of and against the protesters and the police. One woman, Eggleston said, called the police Nazis, and another paradegoer yelled a profanity at the woman in response. Many were yelling at the protesters.

Verlo, who was one of those arrested, said the group wasn't advocating a social issue, but peace.

"We did this last year," Verlo said. "We thought we were fairly innocuous. We were walking about peace and ending the war."
O'Donnell said he didn't recall seeing anti-war signs in the parade last year. The protesters are due in court April 10.
CONTACT THE WRITERS: 636-0198 or bnewsome@gazette.com, 476-1605 or scott.rappold@gazette.com

[error]

Yeah, bringing out the jackbooted thugs to crack down on some people sure is "fun."

[Russell Kanning]

Political candidates are allowed to take part, but the parade has never allowed "social issues," said parade organizer John O'Donnell, a condition to which participants agree.

"It is our goal not to turn this into a confrontational political atmosphere," O'Donnell said. "It really is to come and have fun.
"A political message, 'vote for me, vote Republican, vote Democratic,' is OK."

Political correctness at its finest.

[KurtDaBear]

Colorado is just a sick state!  They have to have more Fascists per capita there than any other state.  A year or two ago, federal troops in Denver handcuffed the mother of a soldier (U.S.) serving in Iraq and dragged her off a city bus in because she refused their orders to show I.D. when the bus passed through federal property.  (She took the same bus every day and had just become sick of getting the daily Storm-Trooper treatment while her son was laying his life on the line for "freedom" in another country.)

About the same time, another woman--a nursing mother--cashed in her airline ticket and drove from Denver to L.A. in a rented car with a one-year-old child after being viciously harassed by airport security there. (My late wife, who was severely medically disabled, was treated terribly and threatened with arrest at the Denver airport after running afoul of an ignorant and offensive T.S.A. goon; and my son and I both went through "special treatment" there on another occasion.

But this goes back a long way in Colorado.  Nearly 100 years ago, the governor there was having the National Guard machine gun striking miners. 

Is it something in the water or the altitude or what?

[error]

Colorado is just a sick state!  They have to have more Fascists per capita there than any other state.  A year or two ago, federal troops in Denver handcuffed the mother of a soldier (U.S.) serving in Iraq and dragged her off a city bus in because she refused their orders to show I.D. when the bus passed through federal property.  (She took the same bus every day and had just become sick of getting the daily Storm-Trooper treatment while her son was laying his life on the line for "freedom" in another country.)

I remember her. She ultimately staged some civil disobedience where she got a bus full of people to all refuse to show their IDs. She stood her ground and all the charges were dropped. Eventually Denver RTD had to reroute the bus around the Denver Federal Center.

[Raineyrocks]

I know I've read some strange things about the murals and underground cities in the Denver Airport, very creepy!  My husband just went there a few weeks ago, everything went fine but he did see some of the murals.

[Dreepa]

Denver's airport is probably the airport I got the most trouble with TSA.... although not showing ID lets you cut the huge lines there.

I do like flying out of Colorado Springs (and I really like that city.... I almost moved there a few years ago)

[Raineyrocks]

Denver's airport is probably the airport I got the most trouble with TSA.... although not showing ID lets you cut the huge lines there.

I do like flying out of Colorado Springs (and I really like that city.... I almost moved there a few years ago)

Rick said it was really pretty there, he said the mountains were neat looking and different than the mountains in NH.  My girlfriend has lived there on and off, her husband is in the army, so out of everywhere they've been, Colorado Springs and Tacoma Washington are her favorites.  I've only been to almost every state on the east coast and the Bahamas.

[Russell Kanning]

Colorado is just the worst Rocky Mountain state. It have a ways to go to catch Mass, NY, CA, IL, FL.

The mountains next to Colo Springs are called "real mountains".

[Raineyrocks]

Colorado is just the worst Rocky Mountain state. It have a ways to go to catch Mass, NY, CA, IL, FL.

The mountains next to Colo Springs are called "real mountains".

That's interesting!

[SpeedPhreak]

It is a beautifull state... my favorite areas are the mountains.  Before my accident I used to backpack, camp, & do day hikes all the time.

To be honest though... the mountains is about all this state has going for it... maybe micro brews too

[Raineyrocks]

It is a beautifull state... my favorite areas are the mountains.  Before my accident I used to backpack, camp, & do day hikes all the time.

To be honest though... the mountains is about all this state has going for it... maybe micro brews too

I like the mountains in New Hampshire, they are stunning!  What happened to you, (if of course you want to write about it)?   

[Pat McCotter]

Colorado is just the worst Rocky Mountain state. It have a ways to go to catch Mass, NY, CA, IL, FL.

The mountains next to Colo Springs are called "real mountains".

That's interesting!

We don't have mountains in NH - just hills.

[Dreepa]

We don't have mountains in NH - just hills.

Nah Our Mountains are just older than theirs.... so therefore better.

[SpeedPhreak]

I was young & indestructable once.

I was riding my motorcycle & went into a corner I had never been on before way to hot.  Several factors lead to my demise... night time, speed, a large/deep pot hole, & several river rocks thrown into the street.

I saw I was way too hot, started to try & save it, low sided due to too much brake & not enough traction, when I went down the bike bounced & landed on my leg breaking my femur straight through in 2 places... then the bike caught something & launched into a high side... w/my shifting foot still under the lever.  This pulled my foot straight down w/enough force to severe most of the soft tissue in my foot & break the 4 outside toes.

Sliding face down I saw the street moving through my face shield... it was kind of cool.  I then looked up & saw I was heading straight for a stop sign & thought if I hit that then I am going to break my neck.  So I tried to roll out of the way... I started bouncing.  A witness said I rag dolled 6 or 7 times before I came to a rest on a median.  When I hit the median... my already damaged foot smacked the curb & broke my (new) shoe off my foot & did more damage.  I was on my back, lifted my head up & saw my leg bent to the side like I had a 2nd knee btwn my real knee & hip.  I grabbed the loose end & was able to move it up & down.

I lost a lot of blood due to the femoral artery severing.  2 weeks total in the hospital.

I couldn't walk straight for 2 years... but I had my bike back together about 2 months after getting off crutches.  I was snowboarding about a month after I was off crutches (very unsuccesfully).

After 10 years my femur is 100%.  My foot goes from 0% to 90%.  Most days I am fine.  But after running, hiking, standing long periods, or any other activitey that stresses it - it hurts real bad.  Some days of hurting it is totally locked up & I can't even stand on it (its been 2yrs since that has happened).  When it first happened I would sometimes take a step & colapse because of the nerve damage.

Most days it hurts I just limp that day & a day or 2 later I am good.  I can not snowboard nearly as good as I used too... I had aspirations of turning pro... now I just cruise & do simple tricks.  My martial arts have suffered... that foot can't make the shapes it needs to do kicks properly & it is difficult to use it as a base for the other leg to kick... so I am about 80% hands now.  I can do all the most complicated kicks... but they usually are not pretty & very labored & I usually pay for it the next day.

If I would have had boots on I probably would have not been hurt like that.  Earlier that day I was cruising around in a tshirt & shorts.  Luckily that night it got cold & I put most of my gear on... helmet included.  Or I would be dead (you should have seen the damage on the dome).  Today I wear a helmet 99% of the time & I always wear boots.  If I am on a "ride" I wear my full race leathers including spine protectors.  I used to race to get my speed jollies but I don't have the money for it now... so I don't even own a bike right now.