Denver Columbus Day parade to march on

• Protesters Say holiday is a celebration of the genocide of Indians.
• Acquittals For Columbus Day Protesters [more]

The 2005 Columbus Day parade will go ahead as planned in Denver, one of its key organizers said Tuesday, even as several groups called for the repeal of Columbus Day as a state and national holiday. "It's ... celebrating our heritage. We will have our motorcycle guys, we will have our floats, the older people and the younger children," said George Vendegnia, founder of the Sons of Italy-New Generation and a parade organizer. Hours earlier, organizations representing the more than 200 protesters arrested for blocking last year's parade called for the repeal of Columbus Day as a state and national holiday. They also asked the mayor and City Council to take "the moral position that celebrations to Columbus are no longer welcome in Denver ..." "This is consistent with Mayor (Federico) PeÃa and Mayor (Wellington) Webb telling the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazis that they are not welcome in Denver," said Glenn Morris, one of the protest organizers acquitted last week. "We expect no less from the mayor and the council with regard to the racist celebration and veneration of Columbus," Morris said. On Tuesday, City Council members urged City Attorney Cole Finegan to draft stricter ordinances prohibiting people from blocking or disrupting assemblies such as parades. Councilman Charlie Brown said he wants the tighter ordinances passed before Columbus Day in October. [more]