Peace Parade thwarted. Bureaucratic snafu or intentional suppression of free speech?

Every year since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, local peace activists and veterans have had a contingent in the Memorial Day parade. Well, almost. Technically it was a separate parade with an additional permit and was allowed to follow 100 feet behind the "main" parade. Police referred to it as a "protest." Participants would meet in the East Ave/Arnold Park area at the specified time and begin marching a few minutes after the last contingent of the first parade left. This year's event was organized by Rochester Against War, who purchased the required permit, and was to feature a life-size model of a drone weapon, characters in costume, and music from the Raging Grannies.

The problems began when marchers started arriving shortly before the scheduled assembly time of 11:30am. At 11:15 the end of the main parade was already 1/2 mile down the street and police were eager to take down the barricades and re-open the road to traffic. Believing that the parade was over, spectators were leaving. Peace marchers were herded into the street to begin marching as soon as they arrived, without time to organize. Many had not yet arrived as it was still 15 minutes before the assembly time listed on the permit. A small contingent with a banner who were able to hurry into the street was allowed to march in the street with a police escort but the sidewalks were mostly deserted by then. The model drone, which required some assembly time, attempted to catch up but without enough people to handle it got caught in a gust of wind and was damaged. It did not complete the route. The Grannies were not able to set up their microphones and speakers and did not play. A contingent led by former Mayoral candidate Alex White arrived at 11:25, still 5 minutes before the scheduled assembly time. By then the roads had been re-opened and their contingent calling attention to poor veterans' health care was forced to march down the sidewalk.

In prior years, the Peace parade has met while the end of the main parade was still forming and started marching 30-45 minutes later. The reason given by police was that "this year's parade was shorter" but then why weren't the permit holders for the Peace parade notified that there would be an earlier starting time? Perhaps a more important question is was this a bureaucratic snafu or an intentional suppression of free speech? The Peace parade has long been a thorn in the side of some Memorial Day organizers who believe the only way to honor fallen soldiers is to glorify and encourage war. The Peace marchers believe there is a more civil way to handle international conflict and deserve to be heard. Our Constitution demands it.

http://blip.tv/indy-tv/parade-organizer-judy-bello-addresses-parade-issu...

http://blip.tv/indy-tv/alex-white-on-memorial-day-parade-foul-up-6171207

Video of what there was of the parade.  Notice empty streets and people leaving.
http://blip.tv/indy-tv/memorial-day-2012-rochester-ny-6172788