D.C. Voting Rights Rally at U.S. Mint in Photos
Voting rights activists and members of the D.C. delegation to the Democratic National Convention held a small rally in front of the U.S. Mint in Denver this morning, but the Mint's location on the edge of downtown made for a not particularly visible event among the throng of other convention-related activities going on here.
Rather few pedestrians passed by to receive the wooden nickels that voting rights advocacy group DC Vote had planned to give out. Toward the end of the rally, which lasted about one hour, a few attendees holding signs in the median of the street managed to get a handful of passing cars to honk in solidarity. Aside from a handful of reporters who were there, the event didn't capture much other attention.
Among those who took the microphone to address the gathered crowd, which looked to be about 150 people, were D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans, D.C. Council Chair Vincent Gray, DC Vote Outreach Director Eugene Kinlow, Ward 4 Council member Muriel Bowser, all three members of the city's shadow delegation, and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty.
Fenty finally showed his face to the city's delegation for the first time at the rally. He arrived back in Denver Tuesday afternoon after staying in the District for the first day of school, but did not join the delegation at the Pepsi Center last night, nor did he attend the daily breakfast meeting at the Crowne Plaza. The mayor, who somewhat controversially chose to stay at a different hotel than the rest of the delegation, said he plans to attend tonight's major speeches with the delegation.