Free speech zones were also used in New York City at the 2004 Republican National Convention . According to Mike McGuire , a columnist for the online anti-war magazine '' Nonviolent Activist '' , " The policing of the protests during the 2004 Republican National Convention represent ed another interesting model of repression . The NYPD tracked every planned action and set up traps . As marches began , police would emerge from their hiding places – building vestibules , parking garages , or vans – and corral the dissenters with orange netting that read ' POLICE LINE – DO '' not '' CROSS , ' establishing areas they ironically called ' ad-hoc free speech zones . ' One by one , protesters were arrested and detained – some for nearly two days . " Both the Democratic and Republican National parties were jointly awarded a 2005 Jefferson Muzzle from the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression , " For their mutual failure to make the preservation of First Amendment freedoms a priority during the last Presidential election "
2004 Republican National Convention
2004 Republican National Convention
Free speech zone