ABSTRACT
There is a close nexus between the freedoms of association, expression and assembly, since together they protect an interest which is vital in a democratic society-the right of citizens to form groups in order to express a view publicly that may be at variance with the official view. The linkage between association and assembly is sometimes explicitly reflected in human rights documents as it is in Art 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in Art 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The right to freedom to associate with a group in order to assemble to publicise the views of the group and obtain public support lends efficacy to freedom of expression in the form of protest. Clearly, a protest or plea for support will be more effective if carried out collectively rather than individually. All free societies recognise the need, first to allow citizens to join or support groups which express a view at variance with the government view and secondly, to allow such groups to assemble in order to express their views publicly. Toleration of public protest is one of the main distinctions between totalitarian societies and democracies.
