Protest story played properly?

The latest in a series of protests by various area activist groups was a hot topic of conversation around the table this morning.

On Monday, more than 100 people showed up at the Public Safety Building for a peaceful rally against the Spokane Police Department. The gathering then migrated to City Hall and a couple dozen protesters sat for several hours for a chance to testify before the City Council.

Yesterday’s protests prompted the police chief to hold an impromptu press conference and the mayor to state an inquiry will be held into the arrests that occurred on the Fourth of July in Riverfront Park.

The story about the latest rally was consciously played inside the “B” section. Editor Steve Smith said at Monday’s 4:30 meeting that it was “a brief, at best,” since he felt the protests and arrests of July 4th were originally overplayed. On Tuesday, he said he has a bias against all protests since they are staged news.

Smith said protest stories only deserve in-depth treatment if they move beyond their inherent photo-op qualities and “advance the story.” Many of the same people who protested Monday were present at the appearance of Alberto Gonzales. The issue they were protesting was alleged police mistreatment, ranging from the case of Otto Zehm to the arrests of July 4th.

Question: Given how Monday’s rally blossomed into something bigger, did the event deserve bigger play - especially on what was an admitted slow news day? Your thoughts are welcome.