>>>>>BART is tax funded and publicly owned though right? And the rule is rather vague and rip for abuse I think. Plus I was under the impression we had a right to assembly.
>>>>
>>>>Absolutely, and it's a precious right. But I don't think that right was intended to apply "wherever you feel like it" and regardless of the kind of 'assembly' you have in mind.
>>>
>>>This slope is even more slippery than the previous one. Who decides when does it apply and when not?
>>
>>If a mob wants to demonstrate in my living room, then me.
>
>Good start. Now, how many actually public places have remained, where nobody can claim it's their living room?

I'm pretty sure you were already gone when this happened but one of the big U.S. news stories earlier this year was massive protests at the state capitol in Madison, Wisconsin. They were triggered by the new governor, Scott Walker, unilaterally taking away collective bargaining from most public unions in the state. (The only exceptions were police, firefighters, and state troopers, who are about the only three unions who tend to vote Republican). For a while the capitol was thronged with protesters 24 hours a day. (You'd protest inside, too, if you could in a Madison winter). Access was steadily tightened, with some areas which had always been open to the public closed off. At the peak there were curfews, very limited numbers of people allowed inside, and a very visible police presence. (There was one memorable video of a policeman tackling an elected legislator who was trying to enter his chamber to vote). Anyway, one of the popular slogans during the whole affair was "This is OUR house!" Another was "This is what democracy looks like." "Impeach Walker" signs and bumper stickers are all over the place. (He isn't eligible until early next year when he has been in office for a year). A very activist city, is Madison. Unfortunately for the lefties in Madison and Milwaukee, they are two blue oases in an increasingly red state. The unions' bargaining rights remain lost, Walker's budget was passed by the GOP majority in the legislature, and not enough recall efforts against Republicans in the legislature succeeded to reverse their majority. In fact, the bold movement that began in Wisconsin has spread to other states, like a cancer. A number of other states with Republican governors and legislatures, many elected in the Republican sweep last fall, have followed Wisconsin's lead. That whirring sound you hear is Bob LaFollette, a Wisconsinite and a key figure in the Progressive movement, spinning in his grave. His bust is prominently displayed in the capitol. He would have enjoyed part of the proceedings and not others, and definitely would not have enjoyed the outcome.

Madison will recover. Part of what makes it such a vibrant city is the university, which draws students and faculty from all over the world. (My girlfriend, a lifelong Madisonian, sent me a news article the other day about UW being named the 17th ranked university in the world). Every fall another 10,000 undergrads, plus who knows how many grad and doctoral students and professors, arrive in the city of lakes. A week from Wednesday my younger daughter Emily will be among them, which was a pleasant surprise to me. It was not one of the schools she was looking at early on and I never put an ounce of pressure on her to choose it. She made her own decision, as she makes nearly all her decisions. (My work with her was basically done about four years ago, other than keeping an eye on things). I am quite pleased that she is now a Badger.