Why are ubiquitous ugly billboards "free speech" but political protests are confined to "free speech zones"?

Question

Why are ubiquitous ugly billboards "free speech" but political protests are confined to "free speech zones"?

Answer 1

So that people participating in said events, like the Republican National Convention, can be isolated and exist under the premise that everyone thinks they're wonderful.

Answer 2

Billboards are also regulated and restricted by zoning, so the two forms of speech are handled more or less the same.

Answer 3

Narcissism. Not Rabid Nationalism but Narcissism is the problem nowadays. A Nation in love with it's self fighting on sea and land against forces which bear the same name.

Could apply to this answerer as well. Likes to say this. Still it is true.  The Planet will die so might as well do some art work called Death Of A Planet as opposed to Birth Of A Nation and depict a Grim Reaper in KKK aparrel as a symbol of what  went wrong mowing down nations and fighting it's own reflection in one place and in another those same Narccisists

Answer 4

I'm not sure.  I always thought colleges and universities were supposed to encourage the free exchange of ideas, but the liberals in charge just can't stand for that, so they enacted "free speech zones".

Answer 5

You don't pay to speak in the "free speech zone",you do pay to speak on a billboard and your paid for billboard message is zoned

Answer 6

Political protesters are often confined to free speech zones so that they don't interfere with an event.  You have a freedom to speak, but you don't have the right to disturb events.

Answer 7

Because while you have a right to protest you do not however have the right to be heard. If I don't want to see a billboard I can choose not to look at it. I cannot however choose not to hear rude, loud, insulting miscreants who apparently have no productive job to go to.

Answer 8

f@@k knows, but i agree

Answer 9

The idea of 'free speech zones' is to allow each side to be able to engage in their First Amendment rights without interference from the other.

PS: Remember that these 'Free Speech Zones' were invented by the Clinton administration.