http://www.denverpost.com/politicswestnews/ci_10317020
Denver police today moved against a group of protesters, arresting two near the group's "convergence center" north of downtown.
Police said they were drawn to the gathering place for the protest group Unconventional Denver at 4301 Brighton Blvd. after spotting what Lt. J. McDonald termed "suspicious activity."
When police arrived, they determined there was no illegal activity "but they found some items that might be used as weapons," McDonald said.
Standing near the house, Michael Gonzalez, 20, of Seattle said he thinks the only suspicious activity was a man working on his mini bus in front of the house. The bus runs on vegetable oil.
Several officers approached the owner of the bus, who was working on the oil filter, Gonzalez said. The officers had Tasers in hand and ordered the van owner to put his hands above his head.
Seeing the police approaching, another person slowly walked toward the back end of the building, which has been rented by Unconventional Denver for the week, he said.
"The cops grabbed him and slammed him on his head," Gonzalez said.
The officers seemed suspicious of the bus, which has a giant drum in the back used to hold the vegetable oil, Gonzalez said.
The officers also said that bricks laying on the dusty ground could be used as weapons, Gonzalez said.
"The bricks were used to hold down banners that we were painting," he said. "They weren't weapons. They were paperweights."
Inside the building there is one room used as a meeting place, he said.
"It was really intense," Gonzalez said.
The two men, whose names have not yet been released, were arrested for disobeying a lawful order. Police then discussed whether to seek a search warrant for the house but decided they did not have probable cause for further search.
A march from the Denver Coliseum to the Pepsi Center after the Rage Against the Machine concert passed right by the house, and police maintained surveillance of it.
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