DENVER- “Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will speak at an 11:30 a.m. Sunday rally in Denver’s Civic Center park … Gates for Obama’s Denver rally open at 10 a.m. Members of the public should enter at the Greek Theater on West 14th Avenue Parkway between Bannock and Broadway … For security reasons, attendees are asked to not bring bags and to limit personal items. No signs or banners will be permitted.” Does it sound like they’re trying to set up an Obama-flocked-by-thousands St Louis/Berlin style backdrop? I think this scene begs for an ANTIWAR reminder. OBAMA: NO WAR ON IRAN/AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN/SUDAN

Will there be somewhere to position an antiwar message? A background spot along the perimeter of Obama’s intended backdrop? Will Obama be speaking from the Greek Theater or in reality from the capitol steps? It seems more likely that this “Civic Center Park” engagement is really going to comprise War Memorial Park, the state capitol and the legislature building, surrounded entirely by fence, with Bannock, Broadway and Lincoln blocked off. Where buildings don’t provide barriers, rows of large trees block visibility from across Colfax and 14th Avenues.

Will this be the size of the real nogo zone ???

A PEACE NOW message can be put forward to attendees streaming in at 14th/Bannock/Broadway obviously. But to try to project to Obama’s intended national audience looks to be a stage-managed shut out. I’ll be curious to see the anti-riot police muscle they’re going to bring to enforce Obama’s corporate brand of populism.