The right of all people to express their ideas and opinions through the medium of protest, in any form, is guaranteed through a number of core international human rights provisions, including the right to free expression. Protests are an essential way for individuals to express dissent and grievances, to share views and opinions, to expose flaws in governance and to publicly demand that the authorities and other powerful entities are accountable for their actions. Protests provide people with an opportunity to have a say in public life.
They have historically inspired positive social change and improved protection of human rights. They continue to form an essential part of public debate and expression in all parts of the world and can take many forms both in the physical and online space. Yet governments around the world too often treat protests as either an inconvenience to be controlled or a threat to be extinguished. Despite their obligations to promote, protect and respect the right to protest, governments frequently use excessive force, arbitrary arrest and detention and other forms of intimidation and harassment to prevent or crack down on protest rights, particularly those critical of government actions.