Police Union Shirt Pokes Fun At DNC Protesters

Denver Officers Given T-Shirt To Commemorate Event

POSTED: 6:35 am MDT September 26, 2008

DENVER -- The Denver police union is selling T-shirts that poke fun at protesters at last month's Democratic National Convention, but the main target isn't laughing.

The back of the shirts reads, "We get up early to beat the crowds" and "2008 DNC," and has a caricature of a police officer holding a baton.

The front has the number 68 with a slash through it, a reference to the Recreate 68 Coalition, which organized several demonstrations during the convention.



Recreate 68 organizer Glenn Spagnuolo called the shirt appalling and tasteless.

Spagnuolo released a written statement Thursday saying members of the police union "clearly have no respect for the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution."

Detective Nick Rogers, a member of the Police Protective Association board, said police often issue T-shirts to commemorate big events.

Rogers said each Denver officer was given one of the shirts free and others are on sale for $10 each at police union offices.

He said the union expects to sell about 2,000 of them.

Rogers said he hadn't received any previous complaints about the shirts.

Police arrested 154 people before and during the Democratic convention. There were few reports of violence.

In once incident, an officer was videotaped pushing a protester to the ground with his baton and telling her, "Back up, b----."

The district attorney declined to prosecute the officer, saying the woman had disobeyed warnings to back away and had grabbed the officer's baton.

Previous Stories:

* September 24, 2008: No Charges Against Officer Who Told Protester 'Back Up, B----'
* September 10, 2008: Civil Rights Lawsuits Planned Against City
* September 8, 2008: Formal Review Planned For RNC Police Tactics
* August 30, 2008: Attorneys: DNC Protesters Forced To Plead Guilty
* August 29, 2008: Police Credit Collaboration For Peaceful Protests
* August 28, 2008: Thousands In Anti-War March Deliver Letter To Obama
* August 27, 2008: Police Officer Tells Protester 'Back It Up, B*tch'
* August 27, 2008: DNC Protest Group Threatening Suit Against Police
* August 26, 2008: Day 2: More Confrontations Between Police, Protesters
* August 26, 2008: DNC Protest Crowd Much Lower Than Expected
* August 25, 2008: Protesters In Jail Clothes, Hoods March In Denver
* August 24, 2008: Anti-War Demonstrators Rally At Capitol
* August 24, 2008: Who's Marching At Protest Parades, And When?
* August 21, 2008: ACLU Criticizes Police Protester Memo
* August 21, 2008: Lawyers Ready To Help Protesters
* August 20, 2008: Deputies Show Off 'Holding Cells' For Protesters
* August 20, 2008: Police To Be On Lookout For 'Protester Supplies'
* August 20, 2008: Anti-Abortion Group Plans To Be Arrested
* August 19, 2008: DNC Approaching, Demand For Armed Security Guards Soaring
* August 18, 2008: DNC Tip: Getting Around Protesters
* August 16, 2008: DNC Protesters Call Makeshift Jail 'Gitmo On Platte'
* August 14, 2008: Tent State Won't Camp In LoDo
* August 14, 2008: Rage Against Machine Headlines DNC Protest Concert
* August 13, 2008: Protest Groups Pledge Non-Violence During DNC
* August 9, 2008: Tent City Moves To Cuernavaca Park
* August 6, 2008: Tent State University Protesters Announce DNC Camping Plans
* August 6, 2008: DNC Protests Can Be Contained
* August 6, 2008: Protest Group Plans To Camp Out During DNC
* August 5, 2008: Poop Hits The Fan With Denver Ordinance
* July 29, 2008: Convention Dilemma: Security Vs. Free Speech
* July 15, 2008: At Least 900 Officers To Help At DNC
* July 14, 2008: Proposed Ordinance Restricts What Protesters Can Carry

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