protests

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A large number of police in riot gear including batons block protestors demonstrating against police brutality and the murder of George Floyd. Many protestors carry colorful umbrellas due to the bad weather. The umbrellas mostly obstruct the view of the front line of protestors but some police can be seen pushing protestors on the side.

What Does the Constitutional Right of Assembly Protect? What Counts as “Peaceable”? And Who Should Decide?

Municipal rules governing access to public space and existing criminal law significantly circumscribe protestors’ expressive freedom, especially their right to be disruptive.
A Black Lives Matter protest on June 4, 2020 in New York City. Demonstrators hold signs, one is a large picture of George Floyd, who was killed by police on May 25th. Other signs read, “Black Lives Matter,” “Color is not a crime,” “Brionna Taylor Say Her Name,” White Silence Equals Violence,” and “Stop Police Brutality.” Demonstrators wear face masks due to the coronavirus.

The United States’ Racial Justice Problem Is Also an International Human Rights Law Problem

An essay by United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Professor E. Tendayi Achiume.
Police officers wearing riot gear shoot tear gas at demonstrators at St. John's Episcopal Church outside of the White House, June 1, 2020 in Washington D.C.

If We Could See Ourselves from the Outside

Can a change of perspective dislodge the assumed inevitability of an enduring democracy?
Police in riot gear but without face masks form a line blocking protesters who wear face masks in Washington, D.C. on June 3, 2020..

The U.S. Constitution and Limits on Detention and Use of Force in Handling Civil Unrest

Under what circumstances may the government use lethal and non- or lesser-lethal force in the face of unlawful protests, riots, and looting?
A demonstrator walks in front of a row of military police members wearing riot gear as they push back demonstrators outside of the White House, June 1, 2020 in Washington D.C.

The Military Justice Dimension: Constraints on Military Personnel in Handling Civil Unrest

Top Expert Backgrounder: How the code of military justice applies to National Guard and other military personnel responding to protests. What must they do if the president issues…
National Guard with riot gear stand between protestors and the White House during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody, on June 2, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Invoking “Terrorism” Against Police Protestors

"The invocation of 'terrorism' to respond to Antifa—and those protesting police violence more generally—has real consequences even if it does not create new legal powers."
Members of the National Guard join police in holding a line on the fourth day of protests on May 29, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The President and the Domestic Deployment of the Military: Answers to Five Key Questions

Can President Trump use the military without governors' consent? What are the rules for the use of force?
A demonstrator confronts police as he protests the death of George Floyd, in Los Angeles, California on May 29, 2020.

Don’t Let Trump Say the “American Carnage” of 2020 is What He Claimed in 2016. It’s Not.

The violence we’re seeing right now is not the so-called “American carnage” President Trump described in 2016 as he simultaneously claimed only he could lead the country…
Protests

Far-Right Infiltrators and Agitators in George Floyd Protests: Indicators of White Supremacists

Evidence points to specific White Supremacist and far-right groups having infiltrated George Floyd protests, writes scholar of violent extremism, Georgia State University professor…
Police wearing face masks, helmets, and carrying clear riot shields walk through the International Finance Center shopping mall on April 28, 2020 in Hong Kong, China, where a protest (not shown) is being held.

Can We Finally Admit That “One Country, Two Systems” Is Dead in Hong Kong?

Things in Hong Kong were supposed to be different. After the People’s Republic of China (PRC) assumed sovereignty over the former British colony, the territory was supposed to…
Just Security

After Sudan’s Attacks on Protesters, Crucial Next Steps for the U.S.

(Editor’s note: This is the second of two articles on the Sudan security forces’ June 3 attacks on peaceful demonstrators and what may happen next. The first article detailed…
Sudanese protesters walk past burning tyres during a demonstration in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman on June 3, 2019.

As Sudan Deadline Looms, a Playbook for a Massacre

The live ammunition, tear gas, and severe beatings that Sudanese security forces unleashed on peaceful demonstrators on June 3 shook the country’s pro-democracy movement and…
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