Whenever I’m at a CB1 meeting and someone who lives near a bar complains about the noise of its patrons, I wonder if they moved in after the bar was already there. And then whenever there’s a protest on Broadway near City Hall Park, where I live, I remind myself that City Hall has been there a long time before I was.

But these protests are getting out of control. Today’s is another one by the United Teachers Federation. I have nothing against teachers—I come from a family of teachers—but the extreme amplification ruins the afternoon for anyone within a half-mile radius. (And it doesn’t help that the rabblerousers bray, scream, and yell inanely into the microphone—the one just up was going on about how the teachers were particularly important after 9/11—and then a band mangles classic disco and soul.)

Maybe I should expect that; I moved in next to City Hall. My bigger issue is with the police response. Annoyed by the noise, I took a long walk. When I came back to Church, I was told that I couldn’t walk east on Reade, so I moved on to Chambers. It was blocked to pedestrians, too. I asked a policeman if Warren was open, and he laughed at the question. Another cop told someone they’d have to walk up to Worth to get over to Broadway. I explained that I lived on Broadway, was made to show ID, and let in.

Why on earth could it possibly be necessary to block off so many streets? The cop said, “It’s just two hours.” That’s two hours of strangling businesses, aggravating residents—do they realize that these streets are hugely residential these days?—and jamming traffic. Can’t these protests happen elsewhere very now and then? (Governor’s Island!) It’s not as if Mayor Bloomberg is going to poke his head out of City Hall and say, “Gee, they’re angry. We should really take another look at that budget.”

I’m whining. But you’d whine too if you had to listen to one more “hey hey ho ho” chant.