November 05, 2011 01:15 AM UTC

Michael Moore Occupies Denver; Peace Ensues

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• by: nancycronk

Documentary film-maker Michael Moore visited Occupy Denver last evening, squeezing the stop into his “Here Comes Trouble” book tour. A crowd of nearly 1000 protesters were there to meet him.

Moore was scheduled to arrive at 4pm, but like all good progressives, is not a slave to the clock; he arrived at a fashionably late 5:15pm or so. While we waited, people greeted friends, waved to passing drivers, sang songs, talked politics, and shared laughs. Horns honked in support. Denver progressive activist John H. Kennedy stood on the streetcorner holding an enormous sign.

Moore arrived escorted by several bodyguards in suits with earpieces. As much as I love Michael Moore, it was funny to see a guy that looks like someone’s Dad at a hockey game (wearing blue jeans, a casual zip-up jacket and a baseball hat) surrounded by people who look like they should be guarding the President of the United States. Michael was ushered into the middle of the assembled circle, surrounded by dozens of media photographers. When he started speaking, it was difficult to hear him, so I asked if he wanted to borrow my bullhorn (megaphone). Sheepishly, he asked the crowd if that was okay — the etiquette at Occupy gatherings is to use the “mic check” system, which is essentially the human voice amplified by each phrase being repeated by the crowd. We assured Moore we’d be okay with him using the megaphone.

Probably because he had a microphone, he started his speech with, “I’m not a leader. There is no leader in this movement. That is why it is such a huge and growing movment. We are not doing things the old way anymore — everybody is a leader.” The crowd cheered, despite the fact we had all been asked to use hand signals for clapping rather than actual clapping, out of respect to others who were also using the park. Moore continued (loosely paraphrasing from memory):

I bring you ‘best wishes’ and  appreciation from Occupy Wall Street in New York. People all over the country — all over the world — have been watching what you are doing in Denver, and we thank you for doing it. You’ve been out here day after day for weeks, through the cold and the snow, and the run-ins with the police, and with paid provacateurs who try to make you look bad. Keep on being peaceful, keep on surrounding instigators with love, and getting them to stop immediately if they show up to make trouble. Keep being the peaceful people you are.”

Moore added:

It’s amazing what this movement has accomplished in just six weeks. In just six weeks, it has spread to many countries around the globe, and hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people have joined it. People have come out of their houses to join other voices saying, “Enough is enough.”

Six weeks into the women’s movement, or six weeks into the civil rights and anti-war movements, big things were happening, but not like this. This is amazing when you think about it. This is what happens when people join together to stand up to injustice — to stand up to the banksters, and the greed, and multi-naional corporations — when people stand up for the middle class.

Moore offered to thank those who organized the protests, which drew laughs and boos from the audience:

There are some people we should acknowledge for bringing all of us here together today. Their names are Goldman Sachs, Citibank, Bank of America, BP, General Electric and Fox News.

Michael Moore spoke for about twenty minutes, then left to resume his book tour.

The bigger story behind this story is that nearly 1000 people showed up to see and hear Michael Moore, or were already in the park as protesters, and the police presence was virtually non-existent. Three security guards wearing yellow and orange vests, looking much more like school crossing guards than the hundreds of heavily armed combat patrol officers in riot gear that showed up last Saturday, guided and directed the flow of human traffic. Everything was completely peaceful.

Was it the short notice of this event that failed to attract the Denver police, unafilliated anarchists, paid provacateurs, or national Fox News agitators? No one knows for sure. What we do know is that nearly one thousand Occupy Denver protesters assembled in song, in laughter, in fellowship and in unity to meet one of their favorite progressive celebrities. And everything was peaceful. Completely, totally, thoroughly peaceful.

Thank you Governor Hickenlooper and Mayor Hancock. Perhaps you’re “getting it” now.

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I couldn’t find a video of Moore’s Speech in Denver, but here is his speech in New York the day before.