There have been little infringement on the free speech of marchers and protestors. As a matter of fact, the police and business owners have gone out of their way to allow free speech in Miami.
When the anarchists threatened publicly to break windows and destroy business properties, the local business owners closed their shops and businesses in downtown Miami, boarded up their glass doors and windows, and let the protestors have the streets since last Saturday.
The anarchists have publicly taunted the police with threats of violence, some violent demonstrators have broken into for-sale houses to set up training camps and drug parties, and several protestors have been caught with dangerous illegal weapons.
Nevertheless, the cops have not overreacted. They have continued to protect these punks from themselves.
As the demonstrators gathered in greater numbers on Thursday, the police began aggressively declaring the demonstration an "unlawful assembly" and assaulting the participants with physical attack, including hitting them with batons and bicycles, with chemical weapons, including what seemed to be tear gas, pepper spray, and an unknown chemical, as well as tazer (electric devices that cause pain and unconsciousness) and rubber bullet attacks. At 14th and 2nd St., police "ran over a cyclist" according to reports from demonstrators.
Demonstrators challenged commercial media reports that they were attacking police officers. One woman struck over the head by the police was insistent that "this was a peaceful demonstration" as she was taken away by medics.
There were many reports of police intimidation, including a report that some demonstrators were followed by men (apparently police officers) dressed as protestors (including an anti-FTAA t-shirt) who carried a 9mm pistol on his lap and told the demonstrators "you don't want to ____ with us."
The police blocked streets, denying the movement of the early morning march as well as blocking union vans attempting to join the AFL-CIO march later in the day. Throughout the day, the police have herded demonstrators into contained areas on the streets, where they then proceeded to demand the demonstrators disperse, as well as fire tear gas, water cannons, and physically attack protesters with batons. There are reports of up to 185 buses that have been stopped enroute to Miami, or right outside of Miami, on their way to peaceably march against the FTAA. While the AFL-CIO has invited other demonstrators to join their march, the police are demanding identification at times to enter the amphitheater where they are assembling and speaking."
Look, I don't personally care for these protesters either, but the right to protest must be preserved. We're going to need it!