freedom of assembly

     The Constitution of the United States, Amendment I, guarantees "the right of the people peaceably to assemble". This is usually called simply the right to assemble, or the right of assembly.  It means that people may have public meetings--political meetings, PTA meetings, union meetings, church socials and many other kinds of meetings. Our government does not have the right to break up meetings because large groups of people make it nervous. The things people may not do at public meetings are few--they are the same things people may not say, although we have freedom of speech. People may not advocate violence, violent crime, or the violent overthrow of the government.
     Some controversial public assembly news stories are actually about where people may assemble. A church,  school, or  building rented or borrowed for the purpose may all be used for public meetings. But what about public space? Roads, parking lots, and parks are sometimes not considered legally appropriate for a public meeting. There are safety issues, and permits from local government or law enforcement authorities may be required. Roads and parks belong to all of the members of the community, so blocking off the access of the rest of the public may cause legal trouble. Parking lots may actually be private property--property that belongs to a mall or store.
     One of the strangest things people say about the right to assemble is to rename it the "right of free association". No "right of association " is to be found in the Constitution, nor is any such right guaranteed by our government. Association means just what it seems to mean--the right to socialize with anyone, with no restrictions. Some people do have "social" restrictions--they agreed to them when they took their jobs. Some employees of banks or financial institutions, for example, may not associate with convicted felons. People on probation or parole agree not to associate with former criminal contacts, as a condition of parole or probation.
    Freedom of Assembly, guaranteed. Freedom of association does not exist, legally, and it's not likely to become law in the future.