New York City Fined during the Republican National Convention

From Newsweek (September 13, 2004 issue):

"As many as 500,000 people packed New York City's streets to protest the president and his policies days before he arrived.

"By the weekend, police had arrested more than 1,800 demonstrators, many of whom were jailed for well over 30 hours.

"Hundreds were set free by late Thursday night, after a judge held the city in contempt and fined it $1,000 per protester."

To the unnamed judge mentioned in the article, we Americans thank you for upholding our First Amendment right of free speech, and our right to assemble ourselves and petition...

And thanks for fining the city that tried to take those rights away - that is what is known as the icing on the cake.