Protest Demonstrations, Political Participation and the Law in the Era of Terrorism: Nigeria’s Public Order Act and the United States' HR 347 in Perspectives

Abstract

Protest demonstrations are means of holding dissents or expressing discontent through public marches. At the macro level, they are globally considered an acceptable means of participating in politics, as stated in the Article 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other international laws. But owing to the increasing spate of terrorism and violence across the globe, different countries of the world have recently made, interpreted and enforced different domestic laws to regulate protest rallies and political assembly of people in public places and this threatens democracy and political participation. Examining the situations in the United States and Nigeria, this paper argues that while laws regulating protests may be inevitable in our increasingly terrorized world, their enforcement can also be manipulated for sectional political and even anti political advantages, depending on the character of the state in question, and the quality of its judiciary. Caution and suggestions are given on how not to hinder political participation and democracy while controlling protest demonstrations.

Key words: Protest Demonstrations, Political Participation, Law, Democracy, Terrorism