Protest Rights

General information, not legal advice. These guides are written by the community, laws vary by state, and policies change. For advice about your own situation, talk to an immigration lawyer (how to find a real one, free if needed).

You have the right to protest immigration enforcement. The First Amendment protects speech and assembly in public spaces. Knowing the edges of that right keeps you and the people around you safer.

Where you can protest

• Public sidewalks, parks and plazas are traditional public forums. You can march, chant, hold signs and hand out flyers without a permit, as long as you are not blocking building entrances or traffic.
• Marches that take the street, large events, and amplified sound usually need a permit under local rules.
• Private property is different: the owner sets the rules and can have you removed.

Filming

You have the right to photograph and record police and ICE performing their duties in public. Keep your distance, do not physically interfere, and see Recording Incidents Safely for technique.

Your phone

• Use a strong PIN and turn off fingerprint and face unlock before an action. Police need a warrant to search your phone, and a PIN is harder to compel than your face.
• Consider enabling auto-upload for photos and video so footage survives a seized or broken phone.

If police give a dispersal order

They are supposed to give a clear order, an exit route, and time to leave. Follow it, note the time and who gave it, and document as you go. Arguing the order's legality happens later, in court, not in the street.

If you are stopped or arrested

• Ask "Am I free to leave?" If yes, leave calmly.
• If arrested: say "I wish to remain silent and I want a lawyer," then stay silent. Sign nothing.
• Write a legal support number on your arm in marker before the action. National Lawyers Guild chapters run legal support lines for many actions.
• Non-citizens face extra risk at protests. An arrest, even a minor one, can have immigration consequences. Protesting is your right whatever your status, but know the stakes, carry an immigration lawyer's number, and see If You Are Detained.

Practical kit

Water, comfortable shoes, any medication you need, a buddy who knows your check-in plan, cash, and a red card. Mask laws vary by state: check yours.

After the action

Document injuries and arrests you witnessed (Information to Document), report enforcement activity to the record (How to Report an Incident), and check in on your people.