BLM protests and First Amendment Rights
Since the death of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement has swept across America with a storm leading people groups to react in many different ways, some legal and some illegal, reviving the discussion of first amendment rights.
A teen organized a peaceful protest for the BLM movement in New Jersey and was charged $2,500 in police overtime reported the media. Emily, the teen leader, held the protest for 90 minutes on July 25th, 2020 and days later received a bill from the town mayor. The gathering was only 30 – 40 people.
Essentially, Emily was having to pay for exercising her first amendment right of assembly. The mayor claimed that he could charge her for “police services at private events” says BBC News. However, this was no private event, it was a public protest on public property. The mayor rescinded the bill when the media got ahold of the story as he “’wanted to make certain that everyone’s constitutional rights are fully respected’” (BBC News).
Emily was exercising her freedom of speech, dialogue over her opinions and beliefs to make progress in the U.S., freedom of assembly and petition, gathering people together to share ideas and talk back to the government. Emily and the other peaceful protesters were doing their patriotic duty of criticizing the local government on the treatment of African Americans and problems with cost-effective housing in the community. Regarding the bedrock principles, the first amendment protection is not absolute, and it is not a shield against laws of general applicability. Therefore, if the protest became a public safety issue, Emily and her protestors could be fined or punished for their actions as the local government would have to look out for the Idaho community’s wellbeing first over her first amendment rights.
Personally, I was baffled that the mayor would make such a move against Emily's protest, its her right to assemble peacefully and not face actual punishment (monetary)! I am glad he withdrew his bill and decided to side with her, even though he most likely was just trying to make money off of the situation. The police weren't needed since it was peaceful, so why were they there anyway? Sounds like a plot to me.
Sources
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53924930
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