Quote Originally Posted by SmokinDVM
Protection of free speech means protection of possibly offensive speech. If it wasn't offensive, it wouldn't need protection. That was the point of the First Amendment.
There's a good quote I can't find, so I'll paraphrase it. I want to attribute it to Jefferson, but I might be wrong. Basically:

Freedom of speech isn't for you, it's for those with whom you disagree.

It's real easy to defend your own freedom to say what you believe, but it's really hard to remember that the guy you disagree with has that same freedom.

Should peaceful protests be broken up and protesters arrested? No.
Does it happen? Yes.
Has it happened since the Vietnam Era? Yes.

Do some protesters want to be arrested? Yes.

Sometimes it furthers your cause. Think about Martin Luther King, Jr. I doubt we'd be taking Jan 15th off every year if he was never arrested.

I was just listening to a lady in England who refused to pay taxes to protest something. They threw her in jail. When a politician had her freed, she wanted to go back. She was knowingly breaking the law and felt she should face the consequence of her action. Without going to jail, she ceased to be protesting, she was just getting away with not paying taxes.