Freedom of Assembly and Petition Chapter 19 Freedom of Assembly and Petition

Assembly: What does it mean? 1. Groups of people meet peacefully whenever they want 2. People can hold public or private meetings 3. They can organize and work together for a cause

Petition – What does it mean? 1. People can ask the government in writing to take some action 2. People can sign a petition 3. Needs a certain number of signatures

Why is Assembly important? 1. People should be able to tell others their ideas and opinions 2. People can make plans together and solve problems 3. People can organize into large groups 4. “There is power in numbers” – “group voice”

Why is Petition important? 1. Allows people to propose changes to current situations in government 2. Power in numbers is always important 3. It upholds the right to free speech and press

Protections and Limits to Assembly 1. Meetings can’t have an illegal purpose 2. Picket lines are protected – as long as they are peaceful 3. People can meet in public places with a purpose 4. Meetings can’t be violent 5. Can’t block traffic or keep people from going into places 6. Must follow fire safety rules 7. The government must protect those who march from harm or persecution 8. The assembly may not be violent or threaten others in any way 9. The government can set fees for people who want to hold meetings or marches on public land

Protections and Limits to Petition 1. Official petitions: initiative, referendum and recall These have legal power 2. Unofficial: People can sign the petition, but the government has to be the one who takes actions to fix or change the situation 3. Protected by the Constitution and by “case law” from the Supreme Court 4. You have the right to go to public places to ask people to sign petitions 5. People can only sign petitions once 6. People can not have a criminal record to sign one!