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Denver-The Transform Columbus Day Alliance (TCD) declared that Columbus
Day, which began in Colorado in 1905, would end in Colorado as well. The
Alliance is an on-going project bringing together a conglomeration of about
80 local organizations, including Native Americans, Chicanos, Jews,
anti-globalization youth and others. They delivered on plans to celebrate
cultural diversity and shut down the local Columbus Day march.
Recent years have exposed conflict over the celebration of Columbus, who in
his own diaries outlined his torturous and murderous acts committed against
indigenous people he encountered. He made no secret about his intentions to
initiate a slave trade and usurp gold for his own personal fortune.
In Denver, Native Americans had organized since 1989 to end Columbus Day
celebrations, culminating in a 1992 mobilization of 6000 people that
effectively shut down the 500-year anniversary event. Columbus supporters
took that as a sign and did not try to organize another march until last
year when 147 protesters were arrested trying to block the marchers' path.
Those arrestees, mostly Native American women, set the stage for a more
concerted year-long community organizing effort that set out to celebrate
ethnic and cultural diversity and end the Columbus Day march once again.
Two events marked the Transform Columbus Day weekend. Saturday Oct. 6
featured the "Four Directions March." This four-in-one march was born
from
a vision of two local Native American women. Mini-marches started from each
of the four cardinal directions on the edges of Denver and moved toward the
Capitol Building. Men carrying eagle feather staffs, and young women
holding sacred pipes led each march. Aztec or Plains style dancing and
drumming followed close behind. The marches were color-coded according to
the four sacred colors of Native American tradition: red (east), black
(west), yellow (north) and white (south). When the marches merged at the
intersection in front of the state capitol, the drums from each group were
joined in the center and many ceremonial songs were sung. The AIM song was
also sung before everyone flooded the capitol steps.
Police presence was over-bearing and hostile. The Denver Post reported the
city paid $70,000 in police overtime. In the Red March, police tried to
arrest a young punk-rocker because he was wearing a studded wrist-band. The
crowd gathered round and un-arrested the youth. Much police attention was
paid to the black-bloc, which marched from the west with the rest of the
Black march. The bloc organized themselves using defensive tactics and
other marchers did a good job looking out for each other. March security,
comprised of former Chicano and Native gang members, were vigilant,
disciplined and served as further deterrent to potential police
provocation. Although some mask wearing black-blocers were harassed by
police as the march dispersed, there were no arrests.
The second major action of the weekend was the Monday mobilization to
prevent the Columbus Day march. Again $40,000 of police protection was
provided by the city, along with a march permit. Transform Columbus Day
organizers, who had been in constant dialogue with the city and
pro-Columbus groups, maintained throughout that while expressions of
"Italian pride" were fine, the TCD Alliance would "make a
presence" at any
march with a reference to Columbus. The Alliance made good on their promise
when about 250 anti-Columbus protesters gathered on the Capitol steps,
prepared to move in the direction of the permitted march.
In the end, the pro-Columbus Day faction split in half and the march
permit-holder organized no more than a priest and 30 Catholic school
students saying the rosary. The marchers carried no reference to Columbus.
The day was transformed! However, a group called the Sons of Italy held a
small pro-Columbus barbeque at a nearby park and vowed to obtain a march
permit next year. The diverse Transform Columbus Day Alliance showed no
signs of backing down from their demands and will certainly be prepared for
next year's showdown.
-Paul Pollack
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