RICHMOND, Va. — The Democratic and Republican parties earned dubious Jefferson Muzzle Awards on Monday for what a free-speech watchdog described as tacit compliance with restrictions on where protesters could demonstrate during their national conventions.
The Thomas Jefferson Center for Free Expression said both went along with government-designated “free- speech zones” that limited protesters to areas that were often out of view from delegates. Hundreds of protesters and some journalists covering protests were arrested.
“Considering the Democratic National Committee and our convention team had no role regarding the free- speech zone in Denver, we don’t think we’re deserving of the award,” DNC spokeswoman Natalie Wyeth said.
The Republican National Committee declined to comment.
