Free assembly is a simple concept really.  Anyone can gather to protest and exercise their free speech rights.  I support it, I love it…when it is peaceful.

Get violent however?  Meet Mr Pepper Spray.

Here in Washington, Seattle may be the home turf to the local Liberals, but not too far to the south, Olympia reveals its own hotbed of liberal activism.

Anti-War Protesters Pepper Sprayed at Port of Olympia

Police fired pepper spray as about 150 anti-war protesters tried to enter the Port of Olympia as part of ongoing demonstrations against the shipment of Army equipment to Iraq.

Protesters chanted "Out of Olympia, Out of Iraq" as they rocked a chain-link gate to the port late Monday, and at least three tried to use wooden boards to pry the gate open, The Olympian newspaper reported. A 50-ton piece of equipment was moved to reinforce the gate on the other side.

Idiots.  First warning sign: a fence.  Second sign: police.

Breach fence, meet police.  Meet police, meet Me Pepper Spray.  Duh.

Police and sheriff’s deputies clad in riot gear fired at least four rounds of pepper spray in an hour after asking the demonstrators several times to stop, authorities said. No one was arrested, but paramedics were dispatched to treat some activists.

Dozens of demonstrators crouched in the port plaza, dousing each other’s eyes with water and offering slices of onion to soothe their throats. 

"It burned. I couldn’t open my eyes for 20 minutes," said Rachel Graham, among those hit. "My face is burning. I dunked my face in water and in Puget Sound." 

Eww…god that water is hardly the cleanest…

Activists began watching for a military ship more than a week ago after learning that Stryker vehicles and other Army gear from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, a 4,000-soldier unit stationed at Fort Lewis, was being shipped to Iraq through the port.

Sixteen people were arrested in three days last week, mostly for pedestrian interference. The vessel arrived in Budd Inlet at the south end of Puget Sound about 7:30 p.m. Monday, accompanied by Coast Guard vessels with large guns to secure the waterway.

"The majority were very peaceful, nonviolent, just exercising their constitutional rights," sheriff’s Capt. Bradley Watkins said.

And those people I respect, and support in their passion.  I don’t have issue with anyone making their voices heard.  But tresspassing, breaking and entering and other violence is wrong.  There is no moral authority at work here, just a bunch of people who decided to push their luck.  Luck pushed back.

More at:  Gateway Pundit, Sweetness and Light, Michelle Malkin

Great photo galleries are here and here.  This is the best of the bunch:

http://community.theolympian.com/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album430&id=protest01

Tell me how smart are they to piss that guy off?