Rouse Will Not Tolerate Rabble-Rousers

In Baltimore, a "juggler/comic/street performer" named Jerry Rowan was banned from performing at the Inner Harbor after police heard him make an offensive comment during the DC sniper shootings. "What about the First Amendment?" you might ask. It turns out that the Rouse real estate company administers the amphitheater where Rowan performed, and has the right to ban public performances. In protest, Rowan has filed a lawsuit against the city, calling "the city's guidelines regarding street performers 'unconstitutional.'" The city has hinted that it may support Rowan's cause. In fact, street performing is big there: "Just this past weekend, some of the best street performers in America gathered here in Baltimore for workshops and networking at one of the country's only conferences for their kind."