We shouldn’t have to apply to protest, say activists
By Barbara Maregele —
Right2Know campaign members and other civil organisation leaders held a picket outside the Civic Centre today calling for the City of Cape Town to respect their right to protest.
Right2Know has said that municipalities often use the Regulation of Gatherings Act as a tool to “undermine people’s right to protest and assemble freely.”
Sections of the Regulation of Gatherings Act 205 of 1993 have already been challenged on several occasions by various civil rights groups in recent months.
In September 2013, a group of 21 Social Justice Coalition (SJC) members were arrested because they did not inform officials about their protest and were convicted for contravening the Act. On 9 July this year, the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court granted 10 of the SJC members leave to appeal to a higher court to determine the constitutionality of the Gatherings Act.
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