The following key principles underpin the Council’s policy on public processions and demonstrations :
- The rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression as outlined in the European Convention on Human Rights are fundamental rights which the City Council believes should be open to all.
- These rights are not absolute, however; they must be balanced by the responsibility to ensure that the rights of others are not infringed.
- The exercise of these rights brings specific responsibilities both to those organising and participating in processions, especially in relation to those residents whose lives may be disrupted by a particular procession.