ACLU to Offer First Amendment Rights Session and Legal Observer Training in Atlanta

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – On Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) will host a public education session on First Amendment rights and how to be a legal observer at protests.

The event will be held at Ebenezer Baptist Church at 101 Jackson St. NE. from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Participants are invited to learn what the First Amendment protects and also receive training to become a legal observer, who records “instances of intimidation, harassment and violations of the law” during a protest, according to the ACLU.

The training session comes as pro-Palestinian protests spread to college campuses across the country and around the world. Several resulted in clashes between protesters and police, including at Emory University in Atlanta, where 28 people were arrested during a police dispersal involving chemical irritants. A protester was also shot with a Taser, according to the Georgia State Patrol.

Andrea Young, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia, wrote an open letter to the presidents of Georgia’s colleges and universities last Tuesday. In it, she asked schools to protect the speech of all parties to the conflict, to take into account the “lasting impact” of protesters accused of crimes carrying harsher penalties, and not to call in security forces. order only as a last resort.

“In the wake of recent protests on Georgia campuses and with news of brutal arrests in response, it is essential that the free exchange of ideas is supported and protected on campuses,” Young wrote. “As you continue to respond to campus protests, we ask you to support your institution as a model of intellectual rigor, activism, and open dialogue. »

You can register for the event or find out more here.

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