Dozens of protesters, including American Indian Movement activist Russell Means (in the AP photo above), were arrested in Denver on Saturday, October 6, after blocking a parade honoring Christopher Columbus - Reuters [2] reports.


The protesters denounced the event as “a celebration of genocide” and poured fake blood and dismembered baby dolls on the parade route.


As reported by FoxNews [3], among those seen being led away in handcuffs was Glenn Morris, an associate professor of political science at the University of Colorado and one of the organizers of the All Nations/Four Directions March, a march in protest of the parade.


Since 1907 Denver's parade has had a troubled history of arrests and confrontations between American Indian groups and Colorado's Italian-American community.


Protesters call Columbus “the first trans-Atlantic slave trader” and hold him responsible for starting centuries of genocide and oppression against native people. Supporters, including George Vendegnia, one of the organizers of the parade, see him as a brave explorer who opened a new world and say that the parade is an American holiday to be celebrated.


We believe this subject should be discussed openly and not be used as an occasion for ethnic confrontation. In the “Related” box to the left we offer some non-conventional food-for-thought on this matter from the editors of i-italy.org. Other opinions will be published in the following days.