In a democracy the right to freedom of expression, association and assembly are very important. You should however not abuse this rights and freedoms since the consequences are diverse. It is thus important that you keep protests peaceful in order to protect life and property and also prevent ending up in jail for something you had control over. There are various tips that you need to follow in order to help you keep protests peaceful. We have discussed 3 key tips that if you follow you will certainly express your needs and exercise your rights without being hurt or hurting others.
Key tips during protests
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Know Your Right First, you need to know your rights. This is the most powerful weapon for you during protests. It helps you to know how to deal with the police. In order to know your rights you need to do a thorough research so as to be able to distinguish between the rights you have and those that you do not have. It will also help you to know how those rights are limited so as to avoid being on the wrong side of the law. However when exercising those rights you need to remember that you will be dealing with the police. Always comply with their directions unless you want to end up being arrested. Do not insult or engage in violence with the police. They are there to maintain law, peace and order and they will do anything in performance of their duty.
In as much as you would want to express your rights remember to comply with police directions first then later you can argue about your rights. More so choose your words carefully and remember to always advocate for peace.
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Be Reasonable Common sense should be applied at all the times not excluding during protests. Always be smart, ensure you do your preparations well and always do the right thing at the right time. Know when to obey the police, when to stay at the protest and when to leave. Avoid throwing insults at others especially those who will disagree with you. More so, be respectful even to those who you are protesting against. You should also keep off from inciting others to violence.
Ensure you put on protective attire. Put on clothes that are comfortable so that in case of anything you can easily run to safety. Lastly, you should also remember to carry first aid kits in case of an emergency so as to prevent deaths and damage that could not have happened.
- Comply with the law Before you protest, ensure you get the necessary permits. This will help you to ensure that your protest is legal. Conduct enough research to know what legal documents you need and how you can get them. It is also important to make your protest public. Try to get the attention of both the people and the media. This can be done by making flyers about the protests around your town. Contact local newspaper s and media and ask them to publicize information about your protest.
- Keep protests peaceful and avoid problems As you enjoy your right to protest, always keep in mind that you might face the law in case you misbehave. Your goal should be to maintain peace at all times. Ensure you protect yourself defensively and as you hope for the best prepare for the worst. Follow the above tips and I hope your voice will be heard without you or other people getting hurt.
