The six freedoms stated in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution are: freedom from religion, freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom of speech, right to assembly, and right to petition. With the recent Black Lives Matter movements, many citizens have been using their rights to assemble and petition to bring awareness to the issue. However, state officials in Arizona, California, Florida, and elsewhere have responded by pushing for anti-protest bills. These bills, such as HB 2485, would allow law enforcement to charge people with unlawful assembly, resulting in a six class felony. If the law were to pass, non-violent tactics from the Civil Rights era like boycotts, sit-ins, and marches could send innocent people to prison. It's easy to see how this law could be used to target and silence BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color) voices. Aside from prison time, people convicted of felonies are often unable to vote, serve on a jury, and receive public benefits.
https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/1R/bills/HB2485P.pdf
The right to a peaceful protest is an important right, one that makes the United States different from a lot of other countries. It's helped both women's and civil right's movements in the past, and it will hopefully help achieve more equality now and in the future. I believe state and federal governments should spend more of their time listening to marginalized people instead of trying to enact laws that jeopardize their rights and freedoms. Until then, I see no end to the Black Lives Matter protests.
Comments
Post a Comment