Denver cops not Burger King

The Post:

Activists chastised Denver's City Council on Monday for dropping a proclamation that would have reaffirmed First Amendment rights and limited police response during the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

"Who do members of the City Council represent?" asked Re-create 68 official Mark Cohen outside council chambers. "The people of Denver, or the fat cats who are paying for the big party called the Democratic National Convention?"

How about a tiny group of violence-mongering leftists?

Cohen made his remarks to camera crews and reporters, who outnumbered the group of 10 protesters. The proclamation in question was one Cohen helped craft, and the outcome of Re-create 68's attempt to pass it through the council generated controversy last week.

Earlier Monday, Re-create 68 members sat quietly as Councilwoman Kathleen MacKenzie, who sponsored the failed proclamation, addressed her colleagues and said she hoped that officials would work to make sure protesters were treated fairly during the convention.

"We will do what most of us want, which is to welcome everybody and to have Denver shine in the global spotlight and to show the world that we're an inclusive, progressive city," she said. . . .

Oh boy.

A vocal opponent of the proclamation was Councilman Charlie Brown, who said the city should only negotiate with protesters who first sign pledges of nonviolence. . . .

"Our police department is not a Burger King. For security reasons, the protesters cannot, 'Have it your way,' he said, citing a commercial jingle.

Think Charlie writes his own stuff?

City officials have met once with members of Re-create 68 to negotiate how to work with the "tens of thousands" of protesters the group says will come during the convention Aug. 25-28, 2008.

Mayor John Hickenlooper said Monday that he expected that dialogue to continue.

"I honestly don't foresee a big problem," Hickenlooper said. "The people who want to demonstrate seem reasonable to me."

We're doomed.