MSU Red Cedar Message Board

Why can't hippies stay on message? "Oh, there's a NATO summit? Let's protest about everything that's on our minds, even if it's not remotely related!"

Protesters seem bored today too.
Big protest at Boeing earlier, now they're just wandering around the loop aimlessly.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/natosummit/chi-nato-commute-protests-052112,0,3033341.story

You really have no idea how the government/NATO/world works...
You have no legitimate argument, so you just spout off indignation and rage that you can't formulate into coherent thoughts so you throw out inflammatory phrases like storm troopers, and overlords while hiding behind misperceived notions of what the 1st amendment means

I guess you have never heard that reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions may be placed on free speech?

"The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees Freedom of Speech. This guarantee generally safeguards the right of individuals to express themselves without governmental restraint. Nevertheless, the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment is not absolute. It has never been interpreted to guarantee all forms of speech without any restraint whatsoever. Instead, the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that state and federal governments may place reasonable restrictions on the time, place, and manner of individual expression. Time, place, and manner (TPM) restrictions accommodate public convenience and promote order by regulating traffic flow, preserving property interests, conserving the environment, and protecting the administration of justice."

Wrong again. Cops were carrying out orders to not allow large crowds into a secure space.

Protesters were free to exercise their first amendment rights all over the loop, all weekend long.

Also, McCormick Place is not a "public place". It is routinely used for private events that the general public cannot access. This weekend's NATO summit is no different.

It's not about whatever is being discussed at the NATO summit. It's essentially a guaranteed platform to spout whatever crazy message they want, and they know it will get exposure.

The First Amendment says the government cannot censor speech. Protest is speech. The government decided that ordinary citizens couldn't protest on public property and attempted to illegally block access to public property. The fact that you approve of the storm trooper tactics doesn't mean you are right. Did you also approve of the Kent State killings?

The First Amendment says that no law can be made restricting the exercise of free speech. No exceptions or restrictions are mentioned.

I love when uneducated people hold strong opinions on topics that they don't understand...makes for good entertainment.

There was no restriction of free speech.

Protesters could protest throughout downtown Chicago all weekend long. They just couldn't go into McCormick Place, which was closed to the public this weekend.

what part of "McCormick Place is not a public place" is so difficult for you to understand?

Per phil crackin, McCormick Place is not open to the public this weekend. So it is open to the public every other day and therefore a public place except this weekend. The powers that be decided to restrict the public's access because they wish to restrict the free speech rights of the protesters. Sort of like what dubya did to people who wanted to protest his administration.