Excellent advice on bringing the kids to rallies/protests. I also live in a very red city in a very blue state. We held our protest on a major intersection in town. We've used that intersection before and it can get a little viscious; people drive past yelling obscenities. My daughter brought my grandkids for about an hour. They left only because the kids were getting antsy (10  month old and a 9 year old). I warned the 9 year old ahead of time that he might hear some ugliness. He was fine. 

(I drew the line at the sign my daughter wanted them to hold: "Repeal Prop 8: My grandma needs a wife"

Your friend,
Rusty

Thanks for bringing us all kinds of good advice on activities and books and all kinds of things to engage kids.  Thanks for addressing the topic of bringing children to protest rallies.  I don't have kids, but I live in a pretty progressive community in the San Francisco bay area, and I was really truly moved by the support last Saturday (at our local Join The Impact rally against prop 8 in downtown San Jose) of both gay and straight families and clergy. There were lots of families with young children at the rally, and it was a very positive and peaceful protest. Most of the kids ended up playing in the fountain in front of the civic center while the protestors gathered around the fountain to listen to the collected speakers.

http://marriage.towleroad.com/pics/?level=picture&id=488 

Of course, considering that the rally was at 10:30 on a sunny and hot saturday morning, if I had kids, I would have felt pretty safe bringing them along.  On the other hand, if it were a large rally/march through potentially hostile neighborhoods, during the day or night, I would definitely leave the kids I don't have at home with a trusted sitter... and bail money.