After the Supreme Court ruling in 1939, that sustained the claim to first amendment rights in Hague v. CIO, why do municipalities continue to require permits for rallies? I can understand a march (parade) where streets have to be shut down completely or partially, but most cities require a permit to hold any sort of rally. Some, as in the case of the town in Oklahoma where the Halliburton shareholders meeting was held several years ago, even charge a fee for the permit. Why are we required to get permission from a city government, sometimes even to pay, for our constitutional rights? Where does the ACLU stand on this, and why have they not put an end to it through the courts? I sat in a courtroom in Crawford, Texas (the american Tikrit), baffled at the fact that several defendants were convicted of protesting without a permit. I was even more amazed when the police chief there testified that, according to the city ordinance, he could arrest one of the accused just for walking down the street because he had peace symbols tattooed on his arms, thereby constituting a parade/demonstration. I kid you not. Where does this end?