The first amendment of the Constitution reads:

“ Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. ”

Are we going to accept that we are now forced into pens to conduct a protest activity on a public space? I'm sorry, but the lakefront in Chicago is clearly a public space. It's a park area. I can understand that vendors selling or advertising products need a permit but protestors are just expressing their ideas.

This is not the only situation where protestors are being forced into pens. It is also the plan for the Democratic National Convention. This really angers me. Clearly, pens are being used to intimidate protestors and put them into small areas where they will not be seen. When our founding fathers wrote the Constitution, they emphasized in the first amendment that people are entitled to assemble and express their political ideas. It feels like this freedom is being taken away.