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Case of the Month March 2002
Free Expression and the Right to Protest
In order to help bring a better understanding of the Bill of Rights in action, the ACLU of Florida website posts a Case of the Month. Each month, we highlight either a current case before the courts or current issues that affect civil liberties. In discussing the case, we hope to offer extensive learning materials, including lesson plans, teacher handouts, and balanced information on key legal issues, the attorneys, plaintiffs and defendants involved in the case, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) that may be of help to teachers and students alike.
For March, we have selected an issue that has made headlines since the events of September 11th: free expression and the constitutionally-protected right to dissent.
Freedom of speech, including the right to assemble, petition and protest, is among the core democratic principles that are the hallmarks of our democracy. The Supreme Court has written that this freedom is "the matrix, the indispensable condition of nearly every other form of freedom." However, our nation's commitment to freedom of expression is tested each and every day, especially in times of national stress. As we saw during the weeks following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, those with unpopular political ideas were in some cases censored, reprimanded, suspended or even terminated from their jobs for expressing their political views.
The following information addresses the issue of freedom of expression, while outlining the various forms of "protected speech" that fall within the purview of the First Amendment. We will also discuss government restrictions on free speech in the context of "time, place and manner."
- Overview
- Legal Issues
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Lesson Plans
- Briefing Paper on Freedom of Expression
- Manuel on Exercising Your Right to Protest
Special thanks to summer intern Eric Altamonte
for preparing the March 2002 Case of the Month.
