We are living through a profound and accelerating test of the First Amendment. Across the country, people exercising their constitutional rights to speak, protest, and record public activity are increasingly met with confusion, intimidation, and force.
Observing what the government is up to and peacefully protesting are among the most fundamental rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution. It protects people across the political spectrum and has powered movements that expanded Americans’ rights for generations.
These protections require officials at every level of government to respect the constitutional limits on their power. When people’s most basic rights are ignored, our government erodes public trust and sacrifices the civil liberties that form the foundation of our democracy. Understanding our rights and the limits of government officials is essential to protecting public safety.
You can find a comprehensive guide to protesters’ rights on the National ACLU website.
Protests are meant to disrupt complacency. They are how people force urgent issues into public view, especially when every other avenue has failed. When protests are met with excessive force, mass surveillance, vague dispersal orders, and worse, deadly violence, it sends a clear message: stay home, stay quiet, or risk harm. That is not public safety. It is repression. And it corrodes the foundation of our democracy.
Our government has a responsibility to ensure that people can exercise their constitutional rights without fear of retaliation. Knowing your rights is the first step.
This piece can also be found as an opinion piece on the CT Mirror.