# Tropical Storm Isaac may wash away the Republican National Convention protesters. **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 25, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tropical-storm-isaac-may-wash-away-the-republican-national-convention-protesters/632633 "2012-08-25T19:51:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tropical-storm-isaac-may-wash-away-the-republican-national-convention-protesters/632633/21 "2012-08-26T01:58:01Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Did you leave out a word here or something? I can’t quite parse it. He’s saying that it was a left protest. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tropical-storm-isaac-may-wash-away-the-republican-national-convention-protesters/632633/22 "2012-08-26T02:26:19Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > In 2008, I see to remember violence directed at delegates to the GOP convention. Bleach being thrown, credentials ripped from someone’s neck? > > I’m not of the opinion this is not constitutional right protest. That’s the price we pay to enjoy constitutional protections in this country. Some people will abuse their [del]Second[/del] First Amendment rights to break the law and harm others, but should we take those rights away from everyone because of a few bad apples? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tropical-storm-isaac-may-wash-away-the-republican-national-convention-protesters/632633/23 "2012-08-26T02:29:34Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Did you leave out a word here or something? I can’t quite parse it. Apparently I have brain damage. Me think that kind protest bad. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tropical-storm-isaac-may-wash-away-the-republican-national-convention-protesters/632633/24 "2012-08-26T02:30:36Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > That’s the price we pay to enjoy constitutional protections in this country. Some people will abuse their [del]Second[/del] First Amendment rights to break the law and harm others, but should we take those rights away from everyone because of a few bad apples? No. But we should perhaps subject them to reasonable regulation? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tropical-storm-isaac-may-wash-away-the-republican-national-convention-protesters/632633/25 "2012-08-26T02:36:19Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > No. But we should perhaps subject them to reasonable regulation? Depends. Can protesting a party convention be considered political speech? Seems awfully hard to regulate that, especially after we so recently decided we couldn’t bar corporations from participating in political speech because it’s one of the most valuable forms of expression yadda yadda. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tropical-storm-isaac-may-wash-away-the-republican-national-convention-protesters/632633/26 "2012-08-26T02:49:11Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Depends. Can protesting a party convention be considered political speech? Seems awfully hard to regulate that, especially after we so recently decided we couldn’t bar corporations from participating in political speech because it’s one of the most valuable forms of expression yadda yadda. Throwing bleach on convention delegates cannot be considered political speech. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tropical-storm-isaac-may-wash-away-the-republican-national-convention-protesters/632633/27 "2012-08-26T02:59:25Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Throwing bleach on convention delegates cannot be considered political speech. Sure, but that’s already an illegal act, I should imagine. Be amazed if it isn’t. Either way, that’s separate from the protest itself. Once you want to regulate the right to assemble in order to cut down on potential assault with bleach or other possible violence, then you’re looking at potentially regulating constitutionally protected political speech. I actually do think reasonable regulation is a wise idea. I’m just darkly amused at the comparisons one can draw between the First and Second Amendment. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tropical-storm-isaac-may-wash-away-the-republican-national-convention-protesters/632633/28 "2012-08-26T03:07:03Z")
I don’t think that throwing bleach on people should be considered protected speech, but as has been pointed out, that’s already an illegal act. I don’t think you need to put limits on protesters because some of them conceivably could commit illegal acts. If they do commit illegal acts, then arrest them. Prior to that point, leave them alone, if they’re peaceably protesting. In other words, basically what Bosstone said. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tropical-storm-isaac-may-wash-away-the-republican-national-convention-protesters/632633/29 "2012-08-26T03:40:42Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > No. But we should perhaps subject them to reasonable regulation? Sure, I think they should be arrested for assault and battery. I don’t think they should prosecuted for terrorism though. Prosecutors disagreed: the perps received the first application of the Patriot Act in US history before terrorism charges were dropped. [2008 Republican National Convention - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNC_Welcoming_Committee) Final outcome: they received suspended sentences, fines, community service. [http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2010/10/19/rnc-8-court-saga-finally-over](http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2010/10/19/rnc-8-court-saga-finally-over) The organization in question was a Minneapolis group called the RNC Welcoming Committee. I caution that wikipedia is a problematic source of information for this contentious and squirrelly subject. That said, an FBI informant was involved who some think was an agent provocateur. If so (and the evidence is flimsy) I disapprove of such official efforts. > **[Brandon Darby](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Darby)** > > Brandon Michael Darby (born November 2, 1976) is an American conservative blogger and activist. He first became known in the fall of 2005 for actions in New Orleans in efforts to help residents, where he was a co-founder of the Common Ground Collective organized there. It coordinated the efforts of hundreds of volunteers from across the country for years. > In late 2008, Darby acknowledged in an open letter that he had acted as an FBI informant in infiltrating protest groups before the 2008 Republ... Website of the RNC Welcoming Committee. It’s a message board: [http://rncwc.informe.com/](http://rncwc.informe.com/) ETA: Conflicting info with wiki! Interview with Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher, which I haven’t read because I don’t really care: > **[Ramsey County Sheriff Admits Local Police Used Paid Infiltrators and Spied on...](https://www.democracynow.org/2008/9/5/ramsey_county_sheriff_admits_local_police)** > > In an interview on Democracy Now!, Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher blamed a group of 400 to 500 alleged anarchists for creating unrest in St. Paul over the past week. Fletcher also admitted local police authorities had infiltrated and spied on... ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tropical-storm-isaac-may-wash-away-the-republican-national-convention-protesters/632633/30 "2012-08-26T09:33:37Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > That could get violent and we don’t need that. Occupy is pretty transparent. They hold their general assemblies in public and on social networks. Unless the protests are orchestrated by a shadowy cabal (that’d have to be the least organised or effective cabal to exist), I’ve seen no indication that they intend to be violent. Doing so would be totally counterproductive to having their message accepted. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tropical-storm-isaac-may-wash-away-the-republican-national-convention-protesters/632633.md?page=1)