The 2017 women's march takes place in downtown Washington D.C. with the Trump Hotel and the Capitol Building in the background. Editorial credit: G. Midford / Shutterstock.com.

Freedom of Assembly

The right to assemble peacefully is a fundamental prerequisite for any open and self-governing society.

The right to assemble peacefully is a fundamental prerequisite for any open and self-governing society. While most countries’ constitutions promise freedom of assembly, far fewer governments uphold this basic right without undue restrictions.

Protests Erupt Around the Globe

A striking number of new citizen protest movements have emerged over the past year, reflecting the inexhaustible and universal desire for fundamental rights. However, these movements have in many cases confronted deeply entrenched interests that are able to endure considerable pressure and are willing to use deadly force to maintain power. The protests of 2019 have so far failed to halt the overall slide in global freedom, and without greater support and solidarity from established democracies, they are more likely to succumb to authoritarian reprisals. To learn more about how protests impacted the state of global freedom, read the Freedom in the World 2020 report.