Freedom of assembly

Freedom of peaceful assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the freedom of association, is the individual right or ability of people to come together and collectively express, promote, pursue, and defend their collective or shared ideas.^[2] The right to freedom of association is recognized as a human right, a political right and a civil liberty.

"Sammankomsten" ("The Meeting"), oil painting by Ester Almqvist, original at the Swedish National Museum. The painting was chosen by the UN as a motif for a stamp commemorating the establishment of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, paragraph 20: the Right of Assembly.

Janitorial workers striking in front of the MTV building in Santa Monica, California. Although striking in a trade union is a way of exercising freedom of assembly and freedom of association, other aspects of the conduct of the workers depicted here, such as pedestrian blocking of vehicle traffic in whichever direction has the right of way at this signal-controlled intersection, may violate local or state laws such as California Vehicle Code § 21950(b).^[1]

Posted excerpt from the US Constitution, at an Occupy Oakland event, 2011

The terms freedom of assembly and freedom of association may be used to distinguish between the freedom to assemble in public places and the freedom to join an association. Freedom of assembly is often used in the context of the right to protest, while freedom of association is used in the context of labor rights. The Constitution of the United States is interpreted to mean both the freedom to assemble and the freedom to join an association.^[3]

Freedom of assembly is included in, among others, the following human rights instruments:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Article 20
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – Article 21
European Convention on Human Rights – Article 11
American Convention on Human Rights – Article 15

National and regional constitutions that recognize freedom of assembly include:

Bangladesh – Articles 37 and 38 of the Constitution of Bangladesh guarantee the freedom of association and assembly.^[4]
Brazil – Article 5 of the Constitution of Brazil
Canada – S. 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which forms part of the Constitution Act, 1982
France – Article 431-1 of the Nouveau Code Pénal
Germany – Article 8 GG (Grundgesetz, Basic Law)
Hungary – Article VIII (1) of the Fundamental Law
India – Article 19 of the Constitution of India
Indonesia – Article 28E(3) of the Constitution of Indonesia
Ireland – Article 40.6.1° of the Constitution, as enumerated under the heading "Fundamental Rights"^[5]^[6]
Italy – Article 17 of the Constitution^[7]
Japan – Article 21 of the Constitution of Japan
Macau Basic Law - Article 27
Malaysia – Article 10 of the Constitution of Malaysia
Mexico – Article 9 of the Constitution of Mexico
Netherlands - Articles 8 and 9 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
New Zealand – Section 16 New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990
Norway – Section 101 of the Constitution of Norway
Pakistan - Article 16 of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973
Philippines – Article III, Section 4 of the Constitution of the Philippines
Poland – Article 57 of the Constitution of Poland
Russia – Articles 30 and 31 of the Constitution of Russia guarantee the freedom of association and peaceful assembly.^[8]
South Africa Bill of Rights – Article 17
Spain – Article 21 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978
Sweden – Chapter 2 of The Instrument of Government^[9]
Taiwan (Republic of China) – Article 14 guarantees freedom of assembly and association.
Turkey – Articles 33 and 34 of the Constitution of Turkey guarantee the freedom of association and assembly.
UAE – Article 33 of the Constitution of the UAE
United States – First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
Venezuela – Article 68 of the Constitution of Venezuela^[10]

[1]
California Vehicle Code § 21950(b): "No pedestrian may unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a marked or unmarked crosswalk."
[2]
Jeremy McBride, Freedom of Association, in The Essentials of... Human Rights, Hodder Arnold, London, 2005, pp. 18–20
[3]
See: NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co., 458 U.S. 898 (1982); Healey v. James, 408 U.S. 169 (1972); Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen v. Virginia, 377 U.S. 1 (1964); United Mine Workers v. Illinois State Bar Assn., 389 U.S. 217 (1967).
[4]
"Constitution of Bangladesh: Chapter III". Prime Minister's Office. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
[5]
Citizensinformation.ie. "Fundamental Rights under the Irish Constitution". www.citizensinformation.ie. Retrieved 2018-03-03.
[6]
"Constitution of Ireland". Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 2018-03-03.
[7]
"The Italian Constitution" (PDF). The official website of the Presidency of the Italian Republic. Archived from the original on 2016-11-27.
[8]
"Constitution of Russia: Article 30". Adopted at National Voting on December 12, 1993.
[9]
Riksdagsförvaltningen. "Kungörelse (1974:152) om beslutad ny regeringsform Svensk författningssamling 1974:1974:152 t.o.m. SFS 2018:1903 - Riksdagen". www.riksdagen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-04-13.
[10]
Situación de la criminalización y represión en Venezuela- 2018 (PDF) (in Spanish). Caracas, Venezuela: Observatorio Venezolano de Conflictividad Social (published February 2019). 17 December 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 October 2020.

Guidelines on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly OSCE/ODIHR, 2007
- Guidelines on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly (2nd edition) Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR, 2010

[1] [1]
California Vehicle Code § 21950(b): "No pedestrian may unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a marked or unmarked crosswalk."

[2] [2]
Jeremy McBride, Freedom of Association, in The Essentials of... Human Rights, Hodder Arnold, London, 2005, pp. 18–20

[3] [3]
See: NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co., 458 U.S. 898 (1982); Healey v. James, 408 U.S. 169 (1972); Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen v. Virginia, 377 U.S. 1 (1964); United Mine Workers v. Illinois State Bar Assn., 389 U.S. 217 (1967).

[bd-4] [4]
"Constitution of Bangladesh: Chapter III". Prime Minister's Office. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2011.

[5] [5]
Citizensinformation.ie. "Fundamental Rights under the Irish Constitution". www.citizensinformation.ie. Retrieved 2018-03-03.

[6] [6]
"Constitution of Ireland". Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 2018-03-03.

[7] [7]
"The Italian Constitution" (PDF). The official website of the Presidency of the Italian Republic. Archived from the original on 2016-11-27.

[ru-8] [8]
"Constitution of Russia: Article 30". Adopted at National Voting on December 12, 1993.

[9] [9]
Riksdagsförvaltningen. "Kungörelse (1974:152) om beslutad ny regeringsform Svensk författningssamling 1974:1974:152 t.o.m. SFS 2018:1903 - Riksdagen". www.riksdagen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-04-13.

[10] [10]
Situación de la criminalización y represión en Venezuela- 2018 (PDF) (in Spanish). Caracas, Venezuela: Observatorio Venezolano de Conflictividad Social (published February 2019). 17 December 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 October 2020.

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Freedom of assembly

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Human rights instruments

See also

References

External links