ABSTRACT
A range of definite conclusions flow from this book. The right to protest is under assault from governments internationally, not least from those in the United States, Britain and Australia. Anti-protest legislation is being introduced, and police powers created, that go far beyond the stated purposes of responding to alleged violence or obstruction of social or commercial activities. These developments can be understood, and combatted, only in the context of rising global unrest and mass protests, which point to the need for fundamental economic and political change.
Amid rising global protests, the right to protest is being increasingly curtailed by governments and legislatures, and objected to by business interests. Confronted by this political reaction, the right to protest can be defended only through mass struggles, not legal challenges, although these struggles may well include related legal battles. Legal cases may be important at times, but their outcome will be determined ultimately, history suggests, by the sway and swell of political social and class forces.
