DENVER, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- A protest demonstration near Denver Sunday attracted between 8,000 and 10,000 participants, organizers said.
The demonstration at what organizers are calling Tent State University was expected to draw more protesters later in the day, The Denver Post reported, Rik Church, identified by the newspaper as the stage manager at Tent State -- being held at at City of Cuernavaca Park -- had anticipated between 20,000 and 30,000 demonstrators before the end of the day.
Some participants put 58 pairs of boots on a lawn, one pair for each Colorado soldier killed in the Iraq war. Demonstrators also placed pairs of shoes to representat Iraqi civilians killed in the war.
Ben Schrader, 28, of Fort Collins, Colo., told the Post he served one year with the U.S. Army in Iraq.
"We were kicking in doors. What I saw was a lot of innocent people being hurt in this war. A lot of innocent people dead," Schrader said.
Schrader said he wants the United States to withdraw its troops from Iraq immediately, to pay reparations to Iraqis and to care prroperly for veterans.
Denver Police Lt. Vince Porter said police had no trouble with crowds early Sunday at the demonstration.
