Free Speech it aint

Living in NYC you run across people with loudspeakers on a regular basis talking about how the world is going to end soon, how there were beautiful girls inside a particular Times Square venue, and in Union Square there are regular protests for everything from taxes to animal rights and I know that most of these people don't have permits. So, when I ran across the news story that New York City Police arrested a Cindy Sheehan event organizer and cut short her Union Square (hence the name) speech because she didn't have a permit to use the loud speaker, I have to wonder, what is happening to our freedoms. Living in NY you learn fast that you're going to be exposed to, well, everything. Everything you love and everything you hate is going to be in your face whether you like it or not so you just get used to it. Sometimes you stop to listen in on these events and other times, you just keep on walking... So, if Cindy Sheehan can't make her point, who can? NYPD used to look the other way on stuff like this but if they are abiding by the rules... when will they start arresting people at candlelight vigils that are often held there - I mean, that's having an open flame, right?