Cleveland mall pulls plug on band wearing anti-Bush T-shirts

A downtown mall in Cleveland pulled the plug on a band that was performing yesterday during a jazz festival because the band members were wearing anti-Bush T-shirts. The shirts displayed a picture of Bush with a line through it. Tower City Center officials told the band members to take off their shirts or turn them inside out if they intended to keep performing. The band refused, and mall officials cut the mikes off. Tower City general manager Lisa Krieger said that the band's shirts were "distracting and inappropriate."

The audience booed when it became clear why the sound was shut off. The band leader's father spoke up that it was wrong to cut the mikes off, and a security guard told him to shut up. The father reminded the policeman that he had a right to free speech, and the policeman said "Not in here you don't."

You may express yourself to Lisa Krieger at this address: LisaKreiger@forestcity.net