Veterans Protest the DNC

A group of Iraq war veterans marched the streets of Denver in protest to the war. They wanted to show that the Democrats are just as responsible for the war in Iraq as the republicans. They also had a letter that they wanted read at the convention. The letter was a plea to stop the war, and make reparations to the Iraqi people, and for health care for all of the veterans that have served.

Instead of protesting in Denver's "free-speech zones", the veterans took their protest to the streets, and encountered Denver's anti first amendment police, who tried to attack a group of peaceful people.

This is exactly why we have the right to assembly anywhere, not in some fenced in parking lot 5 miles away from what you are protesting. What I don't understand is how come this went unreported. I heard about it on a tech podcast. Hopefully when they take their protests to the republican convention it will get a little more air time.

The Right to Assembly

This is down right scary. Jack booted thugs detaining people for no reason other than they were peacefully assembled. The Supreme Court has said that "the right to peaceable assembly is a right cognate to those of free speech and free press and is equally fundamental." And is a right "that cannot be denied without violating those fundamental principles which lie at the base of all civil and political institutions." And according the the Supreme Court, it is imperative to protect the right to peaceful assembly, even for those with whose speech we diasagree. "in order to maintain the opportunity for free political discussion, to the end that government may be responsive to the will of the people and that changes, if desired, may be obtained by peaceful means."

If it wasn't for protest in the 1960's, Barack Obama wouldn't have the opportunity he has now of becoming the next President of the United States. What if the leaders of the civil rights movement had been told, no you can't protest here, but you can protest over there, it's a free speech zone. The whole United States is free speech zone.

Here you have a bunch of white privileged kids getting pepper sprayed. Unfortunately worse things happened in the 60's. . In 1964 in Selma, Alabama a Circuit Court Judge said that it was illegal for more than 2 people to assemble and talk about voters rights. After six months of this repression the civil rights leaders planned on marching from Selma to Montgomery in a peaceful protest, but the governor said it would be a threat to public safety. State troopers gassed the marchers, and then attacked them with clubs and whips.

A government of the people, that tries to censor it's people, is not a government of the people.