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Activists Try To 'Levitate' Denver Mint

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Activists Try To 'Levitate' Denver Mint

 Section: Democratic National Convention Section

 On the Road at the Conventions Blog

By Catherine Tsai, AP Writer
DENVER (AP) ― Several dozen anti-war activists held hands and shouted "Love, Peace and Justice" during a stunt to "levitate" the Denver Mint on Monday, shake out its money and redistribute the wealth.

The group Recreate 68 wanted to circle the Mint on the opening day of the Democratic National Convention in homage to the 1967 protest of the Vietnam War when demonstrators sought to levitate the Pentagon.

In truth, protesters at the Mint only made it halfway down one block, the quarters that showered the ground were made of plastic, and the group's leader wore a starry, purple wizard's hat and red robe.

"It's just an old Halloween costume," Mark Cohen of Recreate 68 said afterward.

Earlier, he and Aron Kay, the 58-year-old New York protester known for throwing pies in public officials' faces, shouted, "Be well, be healthy," in Yiddish as plastic quarters hit the ground.

Kay wore a silver cape, gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt that said, "Arrest Bush."

A tense moment occurred when a man spotted conservative columnist Michelle Malkin and started yelling at her. Malkin calmly kept doing her work, taking pictures with a camera.

Police estimated 75 activists attended the event. About a dozen officers on horseback and a dozen more on foot lined the sidewalks, keeping watch.

The stunt was just one event Priscilla Lynch of Conway, Mass., took part in as a member of the anti-war group Codepink. "I'm here to do whatever I can to bring peace and justice to our country," she said, as Cohen cheerily waved a magic wand in the distance.

"Who knows? Maybe that will be what makes a difference," she said.

Additional Resources • For complete coverage of the planning for the 2008 Democratic convention in Denver, as well as information about how to volunteer and for a list of helpful links, visit the Democratic National Convention section.


(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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