The convention protests begin

DENVER -- Demonstrators descended on the Democratic National Convention today, marching through the city streets carrying messages against the war, President Bush, torture, imperialism, and even Barack Obama and his Democratic Party.

The marchers were a varied lot -- they ranged from older, soft-spoken anti-war activists who felt at home in the Democratic Party to younger radicals voicing objection to the very existence of the United States. They yelled slogans like: "Stop the torture, stop the war, this is what we're fighting for." The police presence was heavy.

Some were there more to express their anger at the Bush administration. "It's a protest against Bush and Cheney. It is in support of Obama," said Karen Hriso, a retirement plan administrator from Denver in her late 50s.

But others chanted, "Is Obama going to stop the war in Afghanistan? Hell no!" "The Democrats are an imperialist party, too," said Antonio Moreno, a 27-year-old grad student from Denver.

Here is Bob Van Wyk, a 58-year-old from St. Petersburg, Fla.