Actually, the same could be said for most of the city- sponsored parades and extravaganzas in the Loop. They often annoy me, and make it difficult to drive ( much less park in the area ) Still, other folks seem to find them worthwhile. Yet, I'd be hard pressed to make the argument that 1st Amendment rights and the freedom to assemble ought to be subject to blanket assumptions about how others will respond. Or that free speech should be permitted only where it is convienent. Free speech does not disrupt everyday life in a democracy, it should be an intergral part of it. ( memo to A. Gonzales. )

The protesters have every right to march down Michigan Ave. Their rights are as important as the local N. Michigan Ave. merchants capacity to sucker the tourists. Who knows, some may benefit from the hoopla.