I'm from a coffee shop up in Vancouver, BC, which you probably already know is hosting the 2010 Winter Games in a couple of weeks. Our store is hosting an Olympic torch, and the building complex we're part of is an official games-watching venue. The problem is, we've already become the target of some covert anti-Olympic protesters, who've attempted to post stickers and signage on our doors and walls; one person even went as far as locking everyone out of the men's washroom and leaving the hot water tap on (we didn't notice for hours - no wonder we ran out of hot water)!
Here's my question: is it possible to tell customers to get off our premisees if they start spouting their anti-Olympic verbal sewage to other customers in the store? I suppose it's a fine line between freedom of speech and harassment, but if they're trying to make us look bad, what is the *legal* course of action to take? (I mean, they could be armed with a wooden signpost and some cardboard, but I have at my disposal: sharp, pointy knives, heavy, blunt porta-filters, corrosive cleaning agents, scalding hot water, and some kung fu training. But I'd like to solve things peacefully! That, and my manager would be none-too pleased if I started to whip out the martial arts while on shift.)
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