First Amendment Rights and Protesting in Tennessee - Nashville Banner

First Amendment Rights and Protesting in Tennessee - Nashville Banner

In the United States, the constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly are foundational. In Tennessee, supporters of causes all along the political spectrum — from anti-tax demonstrators in 2001 to Black Lives Matter activists in 2020 — have taken to the streets to make their voices harder to ignore. But the right to protest has also often existed in an uneasy tension with the police, who are tasked with upholding law and order. Peopl…