While all this was going on, I split off by myself and infiltrated the event with the bullhorn (I was urged to do this after we got a whiff of what was coming) and waited for them at the Cincinnatus statue.

This event does raise the issue of "private sponsors" like radio stations renting public property for major events like Cincinnati's annual Riverfest. The security guard who ended up attacking the signholder insisted that for this event, the normally public property is temporarily private, and hence the signs were not welcome.

Finally, when the police arrived, they ended up ultimately siding with the truthers! The fact that private sponsors were funding Riverfest didn't change the fact that the land was public; they gave us their blessing to peacefully hold our "9/11 was an inside job" sign inside the event where we could be seen. A classic example of the 1st Amendment triumphing over the concept of "free speech zones."

You have no rights unless you exercise them.