June 12, 2006
Protest Averted at University Village
A coordinated anti-DRM event happend across the country on Saturday with lots of success targeting various Apple Stores in various cities. Unfortunately, security and cops were waiting for the Seattle outfit and they were banished from U Village before they could even sniff the big silver apple in the corner by Crate and Barrel.
Chicago, San Fransisco and Boston protestors were able to reach their stores, so what's different about Seattle? Is it just that our store is in a private mall where things like this can be restricted more easily?
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Yes, I think it is because it was in a private mall. Private malls aren't considered to be traditional venues for public speech (like sidewalks and parks are), so people can be asked to leave without being considered deprived of their right to free speech. The only exception I know of is that Washington does allow initiative signature-gatherers to gather signatures in shopping malls, but only if it is done in such a way that it does not interfere with the private businesses.
The protest could have taken place around the perimeter of U-Village, though...on the sidewalk surrounding it.