Speak The Speech

Lots of discussion about the New York police officers who were shot to death.  Jazz Shaw wants Bill de Blasio to resign.  I wouldn't hold my breath.  The part of his piece that caught my eye was this:

The Mayor can not pretend that he has failed to see what was going on in the streets leading up to this horror. While he has been cloistered with those fomenting violence and rebellion against law enforcement, we know that he has been made aware of this video. In it, he has seen his own citizens marching in the hundreds and chanting, “What do we want? Dead cops! When do we want it? Now!”

The Mayor must surely be aware that this is not constitutionally protected free speech any more than shouting “Fire!” in a crowded movie theater. That is incitement to riot and mayhem.

Really? I don't know what the Mayor is aware of, but it doesn't seem obvious to me that calling for something in a march, even something despicable or illegal, is the same as saying something that causes immediate panic that leads to people being trampled.  Did this crowd promptly run off and start killing people?

Censors always use the shouting fire line for anything they want, and I'll give Jazz credit for coming closer to the meaning of the concept than most, but still, what is he claiming? Leaders should denounce this chant, but what does Jazz suggest the authorities do beyond that?  Round up everyone who took part, throw them in jail and convict them of a speech crime?  And even if doing that wouldn't be unconstitutional, does Jazz truly believe it would quiet things down?