Blog 3: The Six Freedoms in the Black Lives Matter Movement

I have reviewed the article “USA: Law enforcement violated Black Lives Matter protesters’ human rights, documents act of police violence and excessive Force” written by Amnesty International. The article is slightly biased towards the protestors who are against the police. It discusses “the unnecessary and sometimes excessive use of force by police against protesters exhibits the very systemic racism and impunity they had taken to the streets to protest.” The article gives specific examples of how the police have used tear gas and pepper spray and gave brutal beatings on innocent lives. It also explains at the end of the text that AIUSA is calling on Congress to pass the Protect our Protestors Act of 2020 to revise the policies and practices for the policing of protests.

To understand the importance of this article, it can be analyzed by viewing through The Six Freedoms of the First Amendment. One of the freedoms is the right to peaceful protest. According to the article, the protestors were “wearing masks and attempting to socially distance due to virus,” but when the police intervened, they “fired tear gas and pepper spray” causing the “release of airborne particles.” This was a violation of the fifth clause of the First Amendment stating the freedom of assembly. Because the protest was peaceful with no urge for violent behavior, there was no reason for police brutality and may have cost the health and safety of the people.

In the bedrock principle, the First Amendment is not a shield against the law of general applicability; however, these protests were harmless and were peacefully expressing freedoms the Bill of Rights gave the citizens. The freedom of the press is a “fundamental personal right” allow journalist and protestors to speak their mind about police brutality. Although the president was trying to secure the safety of the streets, the police went too far when it came to responding. The Black Lives Matter movement is a very important part of history and especially in American politics. The question is, where does the government draw the line when it comes to the power of the police. This article discusses deeply how the American people’s rights have been violated due to the lack of control in police protocol.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/23/politics/black-lives-matter-support-impact/index.html

Citation:

"US Law Enforcement Violated Black Lives Matter Protesters' Human Rights." Amnesty International, 4 Aug. 2020, www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/08/usa-law-enforcement-violated-black-lives-matter-protesters-human-rights/.