[courtesy of Blog for America]

From an email I received earlier today:

For everyone that was on the 9 am call this morning, here’s an update on our “PeaPod” event in Denver. While in line to get into the event, our activists were asked by security officials from the Performing Arts Center to discard their signs (and peapod outfit) or they would be arrested as they were requested to do by Secret Service. One elderly activist that was holding a sign reading “McCain = Bush” was ticketed for trespassing while in line for refusing to relinquish her poster or her spot in the queue. The story below comes from  the Center for Independent Media’s CO outlet, but many local cameras were trained on our folks as they were asked to leave.

All of this comes just three years after 3 citizens were asked to leave a Privatize Social Security event in Denver that McCain and President Bush appeared at together. Peas in a pod on the economy and squashing dissent… We’ll let you know as more clips come in.

Pea Pod Protesters at McCain event: Ditch signs or get arrested

By Jason Kosena 07/07/2008

Protesters with ProgressNow outside today's John McCain town hall meeting in Denver were told to throw their signs away or risk being arrested for trespassing.

McCain's secret service detail told the Denver Police that if the three protesters, one dressed in a pea costume with pictures of President Bush and McCain on it, were told to shut their protest down about an hour before the campaign event began.

"McCain's secret service has told us we can't exhibit our first amendment rights of free speech," said Michael Huttner, executive director of ProgressNow.

The protesters were not told to leave the premises but were told they couldn't display their signs.

McCain is expected to speak on the economy at today's town hall meeting at the Denver Center for Performing Arts starting today at noon.

Danny
Communications Director