CLEVELAND - Cleveland has relaxed its rules on protest marches and rallies at the Republican National Convention after a federal judge determined last week that the city's regulations violated the right of free expression.

Cleveland's Board of Control amended the rules Wednesday, changing the parade route in downtown Cleveland and reducing the size of a designated "event zone." In the zone, the public is prohibited from carrying everyday items like bottles and cans and aren't allowed to stand above a crowd to speak.

U.S. District Judge James Gwin ordered the city and the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio to settle the ACLU's lawsuit on behalf of a homeless advocacy organization and two groups planning protests and marches.

The four-day convention begins July 18.