Colo. State Sen. Reminisces about "Bucket of Blood"

State Sen. Ken Gordon writes to his constituents...

During the 1980s when the United States was supporting the government in El Salvador and the Contras in Nicaragua, both right-wing military groups that engaged in atrocities against civilians, a group of protesters staged a form of guerilla theater by reenacting scenes from war in front of Senator Armstrong's office in Cherry Creek. Some of the protesters dressed as Contras in military garb, some dressed as peasants, a wrecked car was placed on the grass in front of the Senator's office, a tape recorder played the sounds of war. Pig blood was obtained from a local slaughterhouse. During the guerilla theater, peasants were shot, blood was spilled on them and adjacent structures - a point was made.

Later I represented a number of people that were arrested at the protest. In order to prepare I went down to the evidence bureau at the Denver Police Department to see what they had seized. After looking at what they had, the evidence custodian asked me if I wanted to see the bucket of blood in the evidence refrigerator. I said no and he said, "I can't wait until this trial is over. That bucket smells really bad."

During the trial a police officer witness brought the bucket into the courtroom wrapped in several layers of polyethylene. The police officer testified that this evidence was seized at the scene, and the prosecuting attorney said, "Open it up."

I was aware that this was going to be an unpleasant experience for everyone in the courtroom, so I stood up and said, "Your honor, I object. I will stipulate that there was blood used at the demonstration. I will stipulate that there is blood in that bucket, I will stipulate that the blood in that bucket is the blood that was seized at the demonstration. But I understand that it doesn't smell very good, and I don't think that there is any reason to open it up."

We were at a stage in the trial where the prosecutor was counter-suggestible, so he insisted that the policeman remove the polyethylene from the bucket; the Judge, noting perhaps that I actually didn't have any grounds for my objection, overruled it. I was happy in my knowledge that in a couple minutes the jury might remember that I had tried to save them from the experience.

The smell spread outwards in concentric circles. One could observe it travel down the row of jurors by watching them sequentially cover their faces. It got to the Judge about the same time it got to me. He called a recess and Judge, jurors, witnesses, attorneys and defendants all fled into the hall. The Judge made one of his clerks go into the courtroom and spray some Glade air freshener. A little while later one of the police officers went in to see, or rather smell the progress. When he came out I asked him how it was. He said, "It smells like someone bled to death under a pine tree in there."

At my urging, the jury eventually adopted an expansive view of the right to free speech and acquitted all of the defendants.

All of this is prelude to me sharing that a group called Iraq Veterans Against the War is engaging in a guerilla theater protest against the Iraq war here in Denver on Wednesday, July 4th. There are events all day throughout the city, but the beginning of the program is at Civic Center Park by the Veterans' obelisk at 11:00am. A press conference is planned for 12:30pm at the Military Entrance Processing Station at the New Customs House at 721 19th St (19th and Stout). I have been told that no incidents of civil disobedience are planned, and that at other protests in Washingon, D.C., New York, Los Angeles and Chicago no one has been arrested. If you would like to support the protest you are invited - I'm sure that these veterans will greatly appreciate any signs of support that you can give. Wear sunscreen.

For more information about Iraq Veterans Against the War visit www.ivaw.org.
I hope you are well.

-Ken

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