Denver Post
Sheba R. Wheeler,Staff Writer 
09/30/2001 
Page B.01 

Christopher Columbus , as it turns out, will have little to do with a march
in Denver on Oct. 8.
 
But the use of his name in the march's title will have some American Indian
and Hispanic groups warily standing by, ready to protest any event they
perceive as paying homage to a man they have denounced as a slave trader who
committed genocide. 

Protesters with a group called Transform Columbus Day Alliance, as well as
the Columbus Day Parade Committee, agree that it's inappropriate to organize
any parades in light of the tragedy the nation suffered on Sept. 11.
 
Each organization will have its own twist on events for the weekend before
the Oct. 8 holiday, with activities geared more toward healing rather than
the celebration of Columbus Day that got about 150 protesters arrested last
year for blocking a parade for about an hour.
 
C.M. Mangiaracina, an organizer of last year's parade who is not associated
with the parade committee, obtained a permit in June to hold this year's
parade. After last year's unrest, he said, he was more than ready for a
second round with the protesters. But not after Sept. 11.
 
Like thousands of others, Mangiaracina said, he spent the day struggling to
find his family back East. They were safe, but he said he realized then that
he was more American than Italian.
 
His parade is now dubbed 'Columbus Day 2001: A National Day of Mourning,' a
solemn procession of Coloradans saying a rosary for those lives lost and
praying for the families still left hoping for a miracle.
 
'There will be no signs declaring our love for Christopher Columbus ,' he
said. 'I can renew that fight at any time. Instead I will pray for the
people that were killed in that atrocity and hope their families will gain
some sort of closure.' 

Mangiaracina said he expects about 300 people to walk in his march. 
Participants will meet at an early Mass Oct. 8 at a church - purposely
unnamed to ward off any protesters, Mangiaracina said - before assembling at
15th and Welton streets at 8:30 a.m.
 
The march will proceed at 10 a.m. without the fanfare of candy- throwing,
colorful floats or shiny low-riders. Instead, a Celtic band will accompany
the procession with solemn music. Participants will march to the City and
County Building. 

'Any one of my friends in the Italian community are free to march in a day
of mourning,' said Dave Sprecace, chairman of the Columbus Day Parade
Committee. 'That's (Mangiaracina's) way to do something good for the
community. But the committee feels that having a fundraiser is the best way
to help.' 

In that respect, the parade committee will be collecting donations for the
Clear Channel Relief Fund starting at noon Oct. 8 at Rocky Mountain Lake
Park. A candlelight vigil will start at sunset.
 
Meanwhile, members of the Transform Columbus Day Alliance have questioned
their own plans, wondering if anyone will even care about anti-Columbus Day
activities when people's minds are on the aftermath of the terrorist
attacks. But they're going ahead. The group's scheduled activities Oct. 5-8
were conceived of as a model to Colorado and the nation as an alternative to
Columbus Day celebrations. Those plans include a Festival of Resistance
Concert at Ogden Theater, a Four Directions All Nations March to the
Capitol, a spiritual gathering at the Capitol and a protest of
Mangiaracina's march if Columbus is praised in it. 

'In the end, we decided that the values we are promoting are the same ones
the world must embrace if we are to avoid more tragedies like ... Sept. 11,'
said Mark Cohen, an alliance member. 

'We've seen the demonizing and scapegoating of Arab Americans and Muslims
since the attack,' he said. 'The kind of symbolism of mutual respect,
diversity and cooperation that our march represents is an antidote for what
the nation has suffered.'