This year was different. Due to the power outage the cruise was sort of unofficially cancelled.
There is a weeklong buildup, people actually begin "cruising" the week before and keep going for a few days after Saturday. There would be major trouble if they called it off the day before. So it was still permitted, they just discouraged everyone from going. No one was sure if there was going to be power through most of those cities during the cruise, that meant no traffic signals, no open restaraunts of other vendors, probably most important very few open gas stations. I think power was restored just before the cruise began, however the number of participants was down by about half from last year.
The ricers were probably tolerated since preparations were made for twice as many classics as actually showed. Also it could be the area they were in. As I said it ranges from dirty looks to police barracades depending on the city, I imagine they were in a dirty looks area.
Like I said it could be done, but it would be better to try and find a spot just off woodward.