A policeman receives a red nose by a protester dressed as a clown, right, during a demonstration in from of a nuclear waste depot in Gorleben, northen Germany, on Satuday, Nov 11. (Fabiam Bimmer, AP. From news.yahoo.com, "This week in photos").

While the main issue that comes to mind really should be creative protesting methods (Loud, peaceful, nude, blood-spattered signboards or dressed as clowns with zucchinis, whatever floats your boat) I found myself a little more enamoured by the smiling policeman. No doubt he was meant to stop the protest (not peaceful, violent, but fun- and you know fun isn't allowed) yet perhaps there was some doubt in his mind about the policies pertaining to free speech, and about whose side he really should be standing on. We talk about free speech, and while we don't specify it's form of expression (except when it's tendencies lean toward the lewd), we do limit it's execution. And maybe, just maybe, policemen don't have to be opposed to fun. =) I liked his eyes, smiling, glimmering with fun, and I liked the fact that no matter how opposed one may be to a fake red nose on top of your normal one, you have to pull your muscles into a smile to take it off. Fake noses: forced fun. They're more dangerous weapons than you think. They're subtly manipulative. And I think zucchini lady knew this, and saw the willing glint of fun in the eye of our policeman.

I like this picture.