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August 21, 2017 6:30 AM By Jon Keller

BOSTON (CBS) Now that the dust has settled on Saturdays events down at the Common, thankfully with no serious injuries that I know of, we can start to take stock of what really happened.

It doesnt surprise me that my suggestion of last week that the community isolate and repudiate the protagonists by completely boycotting their pitiful rally was ignored.

Thousands of protesters march on Tremont Street in Boston against a Free Speech Rally on Boston Common, August 19, 2017. (WBZ-TV)

As we saw at the massive Womens March against Trump last winter and again on Saturday, there are many thousands of people in our community willing to show up and protest peacefully, and thats a good thing.

Thousands of counter protesters march to a Free Speech Rally on Boston Common on August 19, 2017. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Its also not surprising that the crowd included a few hundred creepy wanna-be anarchists and others looking for trouble, who found it by roughing up a few Trump supporters and pointlessly confronting the cops.

Some counter demonstrators scuffled with Boston Police after the rally on the Common ended Saturday afternoon. (WBZ-TV)

If they managed to catch any of the creeps who allegedly threw bodily waste at the police, I call on the district court judges to come up with creative punishment.

Some protesters scuffled with riot police escorting conservative activists following a march in Boston against a free speech rally on August 19, 2017 in Boston. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

But the whole affair left me with a question: why did the City of Boston issue a permit for this travesty at all?

Given the size of the counter-protesting crowd, I can understand keeping them well away from the fringe rally.

An aerial view of protesters on Boston Common demonstrating against a so-called free speech rally on the Parkman Bandstand Saturday, August 19, 2017. (WBZ-TV)

But barring the media not even a pool camera was allowed effectively shut down any public access to the speeches.

That wasnt necessary to protect public safety.

The free speech rally was confined to the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common Saturday as barriers and police held back a massive protest. (WBZ-TV)

It deprived the public of a good chance to hear how little these folks had to offer.

And it made a joke of the First Amendment just when it needs to be taken more seriously than ever.

Follow Jon on Twitter E-Mail Jon Keller Jon Keller is WBZ-TV News' Political Analyst, and his "Keller At Large" reports on a wide range of topics are regularly featured during WBZ-TV News at 6PM and 11PM. Keller also broadcasts morning dri...

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Keller @ Large: Making A Joke Of The First Amendment - CBS Boston / WBZ