What does Justice Holmes mean when he says: The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a
man in falsely shouting “Fire!” in a theatre and causing a panic.

To me, it means that not even the strictest believers in free speech would defend someone who “cry’s wolf” just to cause panic. They KNEW they would cause harm and unrest. Holmes is saying that even strict believers in this right would not stand for an act so cruel and unnecessary.

A. standing commitee