The Denver CO, Columbus Day Parade is not a huge Parade, but it is of great significance for two reasons. (1) Columbus Day first became an official state holiday in Colorado in 1906, and did not become a Federal Holiday in 1937, although celebrated in  a great number of communities in between and since (2) Because of the absence of now discredited and "faux" native American professor Ward Churchill, and his students, the Protests are now minimal, rather than large and disruptive. 
 
If it weren't for the degradation of Columbus as a SYMBOL of European Conquest,by supposedly Indigenous Indians, I would be more sympathetic, BUT They actually Immigrated from Central Mongolia, over the Bering Sea Bridge, and Conquest was their way of Life prior to Columbus arrival, so they are Poor Losers.

Downtown Denver's Columbus Day parade on Saturday bore a resemblance to the famous explorer's voyage across the Atlantic. It was cold, it was wet and there were some disgruntled people. 

A small (about 25) but vocal group of protesters, primarily representing the Colorado chapter of the American Indian Movement, exchanged insults with parade participants " many of them of Italian ancestry " as the parade's cars and floats streamed down Broadway across from the state Capitol. Police said there were no arrests or injuries. Following the arrests of 83 protesters in 2007, the annual event has remained comparatively quiet.

Sam Greco, 54, who marched with the Denver Sons of Italy, attributed the decline to the decreased influence of Ward Churchill , a former University of Colorado at Boulder professor who once was one of the American Indian Movement's most visible spokesmen.  "Those were his students, and he's not gathering the crowds now that people understand what a phony he is," Greco said.

Richard SaBell, president of the Columbus Day parade committee, said he was proud of the turnout and effort put in by participants. He emphasized that the parade is celebrating a holiday that Italian-Americans have celebrated in Denver since 1909.As far as the protests go, SaBell said: "It's revisionist (expletive). We get real tired of it."

In unison, the protesters chanted phrases like "Down with Columbus Day, Occupiers Go Away" and "U.S., No Cops, No KKK, No Racists." The protesters displayed their distaste not just for Columbus, who never set foot on the continental United States, but for what they perceive to be a tacit endorsement of colonialism.

Dan Whittemore, a 70-year-old retiree, was one non-Indian who has been a part of the protests each year since he moved back to Denver eight years ago. "The point of view of the Native people ? which I support ? is that this is a celebration of racism and conquest," he said while huddling with his wife, awaiting the parade's arrival.  "I'm out here to protest this parade's negative overtones."

Whittemore said he was one of the 83 protesters arrested in 2007. He joked that he has been sure to bring his wife with him each year since. "Her job is to keep me on the sidewalk and out of jail," he said. 

Slideshow: Photos of the Columbus Day parade in Denver on Saturday, October 8, 2011. 
Weston Gentry: 303-954-1054, wgentry@denverpost.com or  twitter.com/westongentry

 Denver sees relatively peaceful Columbus Day parade despite protests - The Denver Post 

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19073704#ixzz1aczyZnXd 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The ANNOTICO Reports Can be Viewed (With Archives) on:
[Formerly Italy at St Louis]