From Training to the Streets: What are the Standards for Street Protest and First Amendment Policing

From Occupy Wall Street to Black Lives Matter to Women’s Marches and Anti-Trump protests, cities and towns in America have seen an increase in street protest over the past decade, and since January 20, 2017, there are almost daily street protests in frequency and volume of participants never before seen in our history. The panel discussed how criminal laws apply when First Amendment activity is in play, how municipalities can properly train our police forces to properly apply such standards and how protestors and police can work better to ensure expressive speech activities are given the proper constitutional safeguards.

MODERATOR: The Honorable Richard Bourgeois, US District Court Magistrate Judge for the Middle District of Louisiana

PANEL:

Tara Johnston, counsel for Baton Rouge Sheriff, Erlingson Banks, Baton Rouge;

Eileen Rosen, counsel for Chicago Law Dept., Rock Fusco & Connelly, Chicago;

Wylie Stecklow, counsel for Occupy Wall Street, Stecklow & Thompson, NYC.