Harrys Puusepp

02.11.2010

Tallinn

Public meetings and public order

Legislation concerning Estonia

Constitution of Estonia: freedom speech and right to assembly meetings

EHRC, article 10 and 11 Right to freely gather and express Your mind,

pracitcal meaning: No permit needed Must notice authorities

Same purpose?

To people: Only peaceful meeting are protected Everyone ownes that right Restrictions can come only from the law To police: Right to interviene: when public safety is in danger

or peoples lives etc, right to detaine some of participants, stop the meeting or make compulsory proposals. Concidering the circumstances is important!

Dialogue?

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Being too protective

Bronze night lessons as the only mass meeting experience:

Having to have to react = You`re already late Proactive dialogue = better chances to safe

meetings Trustful relations between police and organizer,

defineing roles, expectations and duties No hazzle with ignorance nor misunderstandings In case of crisis, You already know Your contact

In reality…

Estonians are peaceful meetinghelders Small measures, 50 people= mass-action

Figures – it figures

Capital Tallinn and Harju county together “hosted” 850 public meetings

280 of them had security company as a partner Wide scale meetings had law enforcement keeping

an eye on them

Community-led police mentality

Society works as its own policeman, with some of its members acting as daily-workers wearing a

uniform, others at their spare time in order to grant the prosperity and well-being of the whole society.

(Something like that was said in 1829 by the founder of the metropolitan police in London sir Robert Peel)

So, what`s it going to be?

A little less conversation, little more action?

NOT

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