DENVER - Protestors, which included members of the "Re-create 68" group, blocked the entrance to the Pepsi Center for 15 minutes on Sunday, before dispersing.

The protestors, who were chanting anti-war rhetoric, marched from the Colorado State Capitol, down Colfax to Speer, then down Speer to Auraria, where they ended in front of the site of the Democratic National Convention.

The protestors forced authorities to lockdown the entrance to the Pepsi Center for about 15 moderately-tense minutes. Denver Police were on scene in full riot gear. Several observers looked on, taking photos.

Denver Police say the entrance that was blocked on Sunday could not be blocked once the convention begins since Auraria Street, where the protestors marched, will be closed beginning Monday.

Earlier in the day, the same group of protestors, wearing T-shirts that read "No More Politics as Usual," helped kick off the initial, large-scale protest during the week of the Democratic National Convention.

"The whole world is watching! The whole world is watching!" the crowd chanted on the front steps of the Colorado State Capitol, trying to echo the feelings of the 1968 DNC in Chicago.

The morning's rally featured speakers such as noted war critic Cindy Sheehan and Ron Kovic, of "Born on the Fourth of July" fame.

"We now know we can be silent no more!" Sheehan told the crowd which numbered in the hundreds.

Dozens of police officers, many of them on bikes, watched the crowd from a number of nearby locations. Despite a small scuffle, mostly involving members of the media, the morning's session went on without many problems or confrontations.

Sheehan told the crowd of about 200 demonstrators Sunday that not much has changed since her month-long war protest outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, in 2005.

"Now three years later, our country is still mired in the Middle East. We're talking about more war, more cold war, and Russia and Georgia, and invading Iran and Pakistan," she said.

The protest is the first of at least five planned this week by the group Re-create 68.

Sheehan, whose son was killed in the Iraq war, went to Crawford during Bush's August 2005 vacation and demanded to talk to him about the conflict. The protest drew more than 10,000 people, many of whom camped along the two-lane road leading to the ranch.

Nearby, about 50 counter-demonstrators waved American flags, sang the National Anthem and hoisted signs praising GOP candidate John McCain and Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. troops in Iraq.

One sign had an arrow pointing to the war protesters with the words "Al-Qaida Fan Club."

"I don't get why they don't understand," said 23-year-old Michael Haynes of Fort Collins, who said he served two tours in Iraq with the Marines.

Among the protesters at Sunday's rally in Denver was Nancy Minshall, who lived in Chicago in 1968. She says she doesn't expect the protests planned in Denver to compare to the riots in Chicago 40 years ago because there's more tolerance for free speech today.

"It was outrageous," said Minshall, who wore a polo shirt with a peace sign. "It was a situation that just grew worse, kind of like Kent State."

National Guard troops opened fire on anti-war protesters at Ohio's Kent State University on May 4, 1970, killing four students and wounding nine.

Candace: Yep, the associated Press did contribute to it, almost matched the one at Channel 7 website. Since when does local news need the AP to write their articles!!!!!!!!

Anyway, on the Channel 9 news they said about 1000 were involved. And the police were in sooper riot gear with big guns, head gear etc. There were a few scattered arrests, but otherwise it went just fine.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=98253&catid=339 has a few slideshow pics if interested.

Another piece from 9 news. This was the group I think the police had their guns on, that I saw on TV.

No mass arrests after police and crowd 'feel each other out'

DENVER - A situation on the 16th Street Mall has been resolved without any mass arrests.

A couple dozen protestors who went into a parking garage at 15th Street in Denver around 4:15 p.m. dispersed about a half-hour later.

Police had said if the protestors did not disperse, they would be arrested. Police moved into the garage and broke up the crowd of a couple hundred outside. There were some arrests. We're told the number of arrests will be announced Monday.

The protestors were with a group called Unconventional Action. They staged what they called a Snake March which wound around town for several hours. They describe themselves as anarchists.

The protestors held Broadway next to Civic Center Park. Police threatened them with arrests and pushed the crowd into the park. A crowd of several hundred protestors was shadowed by about 100 police officers.

Police told 9NEWS the protestors did use projectiles, but police did not use tear gas. They said they were trying 'to feel each other out.'