Cox v. New Hampshire

A group of protesters (defendants) marched single-file on Manchester, New Hampshire sidewalks distributing leaflets without obtaining the special parade license the city's statute required, even though they knew the licensing requirement existed; their march did not breach the peace but did interfere with normal sidewalk use. They were convicted under the licensing statute, and the state courts upheld the conviction as a reasonable regulation, not arbitrary censorship; the defendants appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.