The negotiation of political protest – between protest organizers and state authorities – raises an obvious tension. While such dialogue can potentially be de-escalatory and reduce the need for intervention by the authorities, it might also occur on an unequal footing (where the state has greater ‘bargaining power’) and assembly organizers may feel coerced into ceding the protection of core rights. Negotiating freedom of assembly can thus potentially result in the routinization of political protest whereby demonstrations occur only in ways deemed acceptable by the State.
This roundtable discussion seeks to address several pressing issues. In particular, it will explore how protest is negotiated in practice – including when “hate speech” or incitement to violence is involved – and whether this practice adequately protects rights to assembly and speech.
9.30 Introductions and Opening Remarks
John Shattuck, President and Rector, CEU
Michael Hamilton, Legal Studies Department
Peter Molnar, Center for Media and Communication Studies
Yevgenia Avetisova, OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
9.45-11.15 Pragmatics and Principles of Negotiating Protest (introduced by Mattias Wahlström and Michael Hamilton)
11.15-11.30 Coffee break
11.30-1.00 Particular Challenges: Counter-demos, State Neutrality & ‘Hate Speech’ (introduced by David Goldberger and Peter Molnar)
1.00-2.00 Lunch
2.00-3.30 The Legislative Framework and Possible Guidelines (introduced by Yevgenia Avetisova)
