Aagh, you are missing the point! Freedom of speech does not include freedom to threaten bodily harm and to carry out those threats.
"I am proud to join this crowd and I am ready to die for the sake of Lebanon," said Khazim al-Ibadi, 40, a **government employee** from Hillah".
"Death to America" is NOT a figure of speech over there.
That means more attacks on our soldiers in Iraq, attacks that now have been indirectly condoned by the Iraqi government. Not good.
I guess we just disagree over whether or not the speech in question is directly advocating violence or not. I'm guessing 99% of the crowd has no interest in engaging in violence. From your comments, I gather you would think more like 99% do. I think it is a good sign we are only quibbling over the type of speech, and not speech versus actual violence.
As the march only consisted of speech and not violence, the gov't condoned the Shitte's freedom of speech, not violence.