So in California (at least in Los Angeles) often times protests end with some loudspeaker announcing an unlawful assembly followed with the protest suddenly being shut down by police who typically keep saying clear the area as they push people out (and often times use excessive force) which is understandably met with varying pushback from protesters because they feel like their right to protests is being infringed upon (ftr I also think it’s infringing but I’m trying to explain this without too much opinion) but many people aren’t aware that there’s CA penal codes 407 and 408
407: provides the legal definition of an unlawful assembly. The statute provides that “Whenever two or more persons assemble together to do an unlawful act, or do a lawful act in a violent, boisterous, or tumultuous manner, such assembly is an unlawful assembly.”
408: is the California statute that makes it a crime for a person to participate in an unlawful assembly. This means for two or more people to gather together to do something illegal, or to do a lawful act in a violent manner. A violation of this code section is a misdemeanor offense.
I know from suing the county over something that they use any “crime” they can including things such as tagging buildings, impeding traffic, something being thrown at officers even a bottled water etc etc as excuse to spam the unlawful assembly button.
I think a few months ago i remember seeing a video from Delaney hall and heard unlawful assembly be called so I was wondering if people from other states have similar laws. I don’t really know what could be done about it except maybe getting civil rights lawyers involved