Why does nobody mention the counter-protest permit trick?

Our free speech group kept getting drowned out by louder counter-protesters at UC Davis last month. I found out the city lets you reserve the exact same lawn space with a photo permit 30 days out, so we did it and they had to move across the quad. Has anyone else used permitting to control the actual physical space of a rally?

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keith_bennett1mo ago

Permits just turn it into a game of who checks the calendar first...

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murphy.tessa1mo ago

...but that's kind of missing the point of why it works. The permit isn't about being sneaky, it's about locking in the space before anyone else can use it. @keith_bennett is right that it's a calendar game, but that's exactly the trick. If your group is organized enough to book 30 days out, you've already won half the battle on the physical setup. Counter-protesters usually show up the day of and just have to take whatever leftover space the city gives them. It's not a hack, it's just using the same rules they'd use if they thought ahead.

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