On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
Beginning Sept. 22, 2011, demonstrators calling themselves Occupy Denver began setting up camp in Lincoln Park, the West Lawn of the Colorado State Capitol building and home to the Veterans Memorial and other monuments. So-called Occupiers set up tents and ramshackle buildings made of palettes and scrap wood. One, the kitchen, was well-known as “The Thunderdome.”
The demonstration began in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement overtaking Zuccotti Park in New York City
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly.
These photos follow the actions of both demonstrators and police through the course of the long night until about 8 a.m. When I left, a few remaining protesters were standing across Broadway from Lincoln Park, on the edge of Civic Center. They set their camp back up and it was evicted again a few weeks later. Since November, a dwindling number of demonstrators and a number of the city’s homeless have slept in a line of sleeping bags on the sidewalk bordering the newly-renovated side of Civic Center.
As of March 12, 2012, very little has happened and only about 25 sleeping bags remain on the sidewalk. Tweets indicate that the movement intends to ramp up their activities as spring arrives, but nothing specific has been announced yet.
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
On Oct. 13, 2011, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that Occupy Denver demonstrators must not camp in Lincoln Park near the state Capitol and that the park’s 5 a.m.-11 p.m. open hours must be respected. That evening, after numerous requests by Colorado State Patrol for protesters to leave the park and many opportunities to end the tense situation without a standoff, arrests, or any other unpleasantness, police were finally forced to evict the demonstrators forcibly. (Daniel J. Schneider)
Technical details: These photos were all taken with my Canon 30d digital camera and a 50mm f/1.4 lens.