Freedom of assembly

Freedom of assembly is the right of people to gather peacefully in order to express, promote, pursue, or defend shared ideas. It is considered a human right, a political right, and a civil liberty. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with freedom of association, though a distinction can be made: freedom of assembly typically refers to gathering in public places, often for protests, while freedom of association is more commonly linked to labor rights and joining organizations. In the United States, the First Amendment to the Constitution is interpreted to cover both the right to assemble and the right to join an association.

This right is protected by several international human rights instruments, including Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and Article 15 of the American Convention on Human Rights. Many national and regional constitutions also guarantee freedom of assembly. Examples include the constitutions of Bangladesh (Articles 37 and 38), Brazil (Article 5), Canada (Section 2 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms), France (Article 431-1 of the Nouveau Code Pénal), Germany (Article 8 of the Basic Law), Hungary (Article VIII(1) of the Fundamental Law), India (Article 19), Indonesia (Article 28E(3)), Ireland (Article 40.6.1°), Italy (Article 17), Japan (Article 21), Macau (Article 27 of the Basic Law), Malaysia (Article 10), Mexico (Article 9), the Netherlands (Articles 8 and 9), New Zealand (Section 16 of the Bill of Rights Act 1990), Norway (Section 101), Pakistan (Article 16 of the 1973 Constitution), the Philippines (Article III, Section 4), Poland (Article 57), Russia (Articles 30 and 31), South Africa (Article 17 of the Bill of Rights), Spain (Article 21 of the 1978 Constitution), Sweden (Chapter 2 of the Instrument of Government), Taiwan (Article 14), Turkey (Articles 33 and 34), the United Arab Emirates (Article 33), the United States (First Amendment), and Venezuela (Article 68).