The first amendment in the United States Constitution condones people to express their personal beliefs and values as long as it is done so in a peaceful manner. That being said, it does not condone people to protest their own beliefs in a violent manner. The first amendment guarantees several clauses of freedom including two distinct ones, which are freedom of assembly and the right to petition. The freedom of assembly basically means that people can come together and collectively promote and express their ideas about a certain subject matter. In addition, the freedom of petition means that these individuals can collectively protest the government and come to them by expressing unfairness about a certain subject matter. While thinking about the first amendment, it is also important to think about the idea of “the freedom of speech.” Americans are allowed to speak freely about anything they want to because it is one of their essential rights of freedom.
A clear-cut example of the first amendment being exercised was the black lives matter protests. Several individuals involved in these protests peacefully executed their first amendment right of assembly while they held up signs and stood up for what they believed in. Many people who were involved in this movement may have protested because they felt like they could have been censored for their own beliefs on social media platforms. During black lives matter protests, people were protesting the idea of racial injustice because of police brutality that was occurring throughout the United States. However, these protests turned into violence very quickly once people started looting and rioting across the country.
Several people involved in this movement were burning down stores and promulgating the area around them which was particularly unacceptable and it was to the point where they were unprotected against the first amendment. In the first amendment, it does not say anywhere that people are protected against causing violence and destruction against innocent human beings and their surroundings. Although people can protest their views, they can not be violent about it and that is what essentially goes against the core fundamental values of the first amendment in the United States constitution.
https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-race-and-ethnicity-violence-racial-injustice-afd7dc2165f355a3e6dc4e9418019eb5
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