Monitoring Assemblies: Online Activities and Digital Technology

Activists and CSOs are increasingly relying on different social media platforms and other forms of digital technologies when planning, organising and participating in public assemblies. Similarly, state authorities also turn to digital tools in responding - both positively and negatively - to assemblies and protests. This growing use of digital technologies as part of assemblies in turn impacts on the monitoring of such assemblies.

This short paper, written by Neil Jarman, seeks to give an introduction into some of the issues to monitor before, during and after an assembly if we are to fully assess the extent to which the right to peaceful assembly is being facilitated or restricted.