The conventions are inside, people protesting outside does nothing to disrupt the proceedings of the actual convention.
But they can disrupt the rest of the city trying to get around, get to work, etc. That's why they let them protest in one place.
While this may be technically true, there is an environment around the event that needs be maintained and should be respected. When we showed up for our wedding 8 years ago on a Saturday morning, I had to ask a guy to shut down his leaf blower for about an hour. He happily complied. He wasn't protesting my nuptials, but you get the idea... Free Speech does not guarantee an audience. It guarantees the right to free speech. Those people can go elsewhere .. a ha a Free Speech Zone.. and do their thing.
I said it earlier and I will say it again. This is America. The Free Speech zone should be from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Not in a certain zone. Free Speech is a right granted to the whole nation, not little dots here and there on the nation.
Call me the next time you are trying to sleep or watching a movie so I can practice my freedom of speech.
well if he is trying to sleep or watch a movie in a public place like a city park than you have every right to practice your freedom of speech. if you try to practice freedom of speech at his home (private property) whilst he is trying to sleep or watch a movie than that is a different story.
For those that are against these "free speech zones" how do you feel about the pro-life crowd blocking the entrances to abortion clinics and yelling and spitting on the women who are trying to get in?
The abortion protestors, like the protestors at events such as the DNC and RNC, should be required to follow the law at all times as they protest. If abortion protestors block a public road or a private driveway I would expect that they would be arrested just as protestors at one of the conventions would be if they disrupted traffic or became violent. I think the real goal is to minimize the overall number of protestors. If they are going to be relegated to a FSZ three blocks from the event, many people will simply not go to protest at all. If there was going to be a large crowd AT the convention, many more people might feel like going out. This is the real reason that these FSZs are chilling. The parties (both of them) are using these as a means of reducing the protests under the guise of "law and order" and that is sickening. As FB keeps pointing out, the "Free Speech Zone" extends from Atlantic to Pacific, along with a couple of more territories, and peaceful protest should be allowed. I am starting to understand what Jefferson meant when he said that a little revolution is good now and again. The Democrats and Republicans have gone mad on their power and are entering the land of the ridiculous. It is nauseating to feel forced to vote for either one.
