Last I saw Tom this afternoon, he and the page designer were crafting a written letter of apology to be sent out to the many, many readers who DID, to their displeasure, notice the signs.
Personally, I would not protest against such picture in my newspaper. On the contrary. I would think that the photographer took the time to find something special in the scene he had to depict.
I suspect that those protesting readers are actually some old retired ladies with acrid looks, that find nothing better to do than policing people around them.
cheers, caveman