This article was originally published on August 25, 2008.

The protest group Unconventional Denver promised to disrupt what it called a “capitalist fundraising orgy” Monday night after official events at the Democratic National Convention.

The protesters got only as far as across the street.

A group of perhaps 100 protesters, trailed by onlookers, ran from Civic Center and down 15th Street toward the Wellington Webb Municipal Building before police in riot gear blocked their path to the 16th Street Mall.

Police surrounded the group and moved up reinforcements, including at least two armored vehicles. Jacki Kelley of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said police made about 100 arrests, by far the largest number since visitors began arriving for the convention.

Honey Traiman, 55, of Denver, said it all started at Civic Center near city hall, but, like most in the crowd, she had no idea what started it.

“The thing that was crazy was no one was doing anything,” she said. “And then they used the pepper spray.”

Unconventional Denver had made no secret of its plan to have protesters meet at Civic Center and then disperse to downtown hotels in an effort to disrupt DNC parties or fundraisers.

A police spokesman said police were aware of the group’s plans and had massed their forces in the park based on intelligence about the protesters’ actions.

Downtown hotels went on alert, and when protesters started moving to the mall, police stopped them. As Michelle Obama took the stage at the Pepsi Center, police had the protesters bottled up on the streets bordering the Webb building.

Protesters chanted for the release of those who were briefly detained, and police complied, releasing some of those initially held. A photographer for The Denver Post was among those detained for a time, though he had credentials identifying himself as a journalist.

Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman had previously told the media that they would be allowed to cover protests and stay in front of or behind police, but officers did not adhere to that Monday night.

Throughout the standoff, bands playing at Recreate 68’s “Festival of Democracy” continued the music, giving the events a surreal air.

The standoff had calmed by 10 p.m., but more than 100 officers on foot and horseback were still blocking 15th Street as 28 protesters were splayed out on two patches of grass before them.

“This is what a police state looks like. You’re worried about Beijing? This is repression,” shouted Trish Gallagher, a Boston woman who is part of the activist group Code Pink.

The clash began after protesters and police had lined up across from one another in front of the City and County Building about 7 p.m., the police wearing their full riot gear and holding batons, chanting “move back, move back.”

When protesters wouldn’t move, police blocked them and used pepper spray.

Larry Hales with the activist group Recreate 68 said his group did nothing wrong Monday and had a permit for the Civic Center gathering when police closed in and created havoc.

Hales said that if they are not released by the morning, the activists will protest outside the police headquarters.

“I’m a little in shock,” said Joey-Kenzie, 21, of Denver, after spending about 90 minutes in the crowd of people pinned in by officers in SWAT gear.

Kenzie said she wanted to leave but police had surrounded the group and there was no way out.

“At one point we didn’t know what we were going to do, we were going to get arrested or maced,” said the recent Community College of Denver graduate.

Kenzie said police never asked for her identification.

“I haven’t been able to vote for a president yet, but this was an epiphany,” she said. “My freedom of speech was suppressed.”

Protesters and police had originally lined up across from one another in front of City and County Building about 7 p.m., the police wearing their full riot gear and holding batons, chanting “move back, move back.”

Police used pepper spray before the mass of marchers moved back across the park and were cut off by police behind the Sheraton Hotel.

One protester said police had used the spray “like a supersoaker” in front of the City and County Building. Pepper spray was used again on 15th Street.

A police spokesman said that they had massed their forces in the park based on intelligence about the protesters’ actions.

One demonstrator, who would not give his name, said the confrontation began when “a bunch of us were supposed to have a direct action march.”

Paralyzed anti-war activist Ron Kovic, who was not part of the march, had talked to protesters on the mall outside of the police parimeter.”I came out here for my concern for you,” Kovic told them. “We’re not going to let them stop you. We’re not going to let them intimidate you. But we are emphasizing peace and nonviolence. We don’t want trouble in Denver tonight.”

Curiousity seekers stood outside the police cordon, outnumbering the marchers.

Protestors told reporters they were a mix of Tent State participants and those identifying themselves as anti-capitalist, anti-fascist, anti-war individuals.

The group split, with officers surrounding and detaining the group on 15th Street, while others were pushed back by police toward Civic Center. Once the police organized their lines, the distance widened.

Police officials asked RTD to shut the 16th Street Mall bus shuttle service shortly after 7 p.m., said RTD spokesman Scott Reed. The mall service resumed around 9:30 p.m.

Sam Harper, 36, of Eufaula, Okla., said he was here to protest the war, but he wasn’t prepared to be injured.

“When I saw the tear gas, I split. I don’t need to get beat down,” Harper said.

The detained grouped chanted in unison: “Who screams? We scream.”

Some in the crowd outside the police lines, which included onlookers and media, chanted: “Cops here. Bombs there. U.S. out of everywhere.”

“Speech is free. Let them be.”

“Show me what the First Amendment looks like.”

“Let them go.”

“Watch out! They’re gearing up,” some in the crowd shouted, as officers donned gas masks and other protective equipment.

A girl warned anyone with contact lenses to get out of the area.

“The spray will fuse your contact lenses to your eyeballs,” she said.

A protester named Timmy said he had slipped out of his all-black outfit and then slipped outside the police cordon.

“We want freedom from oppression,” he said. “We want direct democracy where communities are allowed to make decisions based on our own abilities. It takes bottom-up organizing to make change; it doesn’t take a leader. We want cooperations, not capitalism.”

Meanwhile, in Skyline Park near 18th and Arapahoe, about a dozen people sat surrounded by police, apparently in custody.

Denver Post Staff Writers Jeffrey Leib, Electa Draper, Karen Auge and Jeremy P. Meyer and MediaNews Group reporters George Watson, Greg Mellen and Jay Hamburger contributed to this report.