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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Just How Much Can The State Restrict A Peaceful Protest?

As protests supporting Occupy Wall Street have swelled in recent weeks, hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested across the U.S. This weekend, nearly 100 people were arrested in New York [2] and 175 in Chicago [3]. More than 100 protesters [4] were arrested in Boston last week; a few weeks ago, 700 were arrested [5] on the Brooklyn Bridge.

So, if the First Amendment guarantees the right to peaceable assembly, why do peaceful protestors keep getting arrested — and sometimes pepper-sprayed and beaten up?

We take a closer look at the laws governing protests and how the government can limit them.

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm just glad this has not physically come any closer to us than Wilmington.(That I am aware of)Of course they have a right to assemble peacefully,just NIMBY.

Anonymous said...

What peaceful protest? This protest is illegal.

Anonymous said...

What peaceful protest? This protest is illegal.

November 16, 2011 10:28 AM

How in the world is it illegal?

Pretty soon our government is going to start acting like third world countries breaking up such assemblies. Oh wait, they already are.

And some cheer the gubnut on. They won't be happy until they are total slaves.

Anonymous said...

To poster 10:51 AM:

Yeah and then when they become a complete slave, they will whine and bitch and complain about how nothing or no one stopped it or tried to...

Its just funny, that's all... To hear others bitch about something they are not trying to help or to do themselves...

(I am talking about the person whom said it was illegal to protest)

Anonymous said...

The gov doesn't abide by the constitution. Remember obama had those two americans killed by drone cause he didn't like their blog pages and the congress, senate and supreme court did nothing. RON PAUL 2012!!!

Anonymous said...

Since when has protesting turned into a campground? There have been plenty of illegal things going on, drug sales, rape, assaults on civilians and police officers, the list goes on and on. I've been to some of the protests, just to see how everything was being handled on both sides. You know who got arrested? Those provoking officers, throwing bottles/rocks, all the stupid sh*t you're taught to never ever do to a person let alone an officer. I'm all for "Peaceful Protests" but don't call them what they aren't.

Anonymous said...

(I am talking about the person whom said it was illegal to protest)

November 16, 2011 11:12 AM

I know, thanks.

Some on here are just talking to be talking. We can explain it until we are blue in the face and we would still get the blank stare from them.