⚖ The Advocate
Expression & Opinion

You Are Not Allowed to Protest

Authorities or private individuals attempt to prevent a lawful gathering or protest.

Premium intermediate 8 minutes
The Situation

What They Said

“You don't have permission to be here. Disperse now or you will all be arrested.”
Police or security personnel attempt to disperse a peaceful gathering or protest, claiming the participants have no right to be there or have not obtained the correct permissions.
The Fallacy

Permit Requirement as a Rights Veto

The right to peaceful assembly and demonstration is a fundamental right. Some legal systems require a notification process, not a permission system. Authorities may not simply refuse to allow a gathering because a notice was not given, nor may they disperse a peaceful gathering without lawful justification. Law enforcement has specific obligations before interfering with a gathering, including engaging with the organizer and issuing warnings. Peaceful protest is a right, not a favor granted by the state.

What the Law Says

Your Legal Foundation

Code pénal
art. 269 du Code pénal — Obstruction of public order
“Rebellion is defined as any attack or resistance with violence or threats against ministerial officers, rural or forest guards, holders or agents of public force, tax and contribution collectors, carriers of constraints, customs officers, sequestrators, officers or agents of administrative or judicial police, acting for the execution of laws, orders or ordinances of public authority, warrants of justice or judgments.”
If police or security personnel are acting to enforce a lawful order to disperse, and the participants resist with violence or threats, they could be charged with rebellion under Article 269. However, if the gathering is peaceful and the dispersal order is unlawful, resistance without violence or threats may not constitute rebellion.
What Scripture Says

God's Word on This

Acts 4:18-20 (NET)
“So they called them in again and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, 'Whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God, you decide — for it is impossible for us to keep silent about what we have seen and heard.'”
The apostles faced an authority that commanded silence. Their response was principled and direct. Some things are too important to be silent about. The right to speak, assemble, and petition authority is not surrendered on demand.
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What They'll Say Next

Common Counter-Arguments

After you respond, they may push back with these arguments. Members get the full rebuttal for each.

They might say: “Your mere presence is an attack on our authority, and refusing to disperse is resistance.”
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They might say: “You are threatening us by not leaving, which is a menace.”
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