Civil Civics Summer 2025 Series: "Who's on First?": What's Up with Freedom of Assembly?

This week we're taking a closer look at the fourth freedom: the freedom to "peaceably assemble".

According to the Free Speech Center, "In the 1930s, the Supreme Court weighed in on the right of assembly, recognizing that the right to gather collectively as one voice advanced benefits warranting constitutional protection. In De Jonge v. Oregon (1937), the court made clear that “[t]he right of peaceable assembly is a right cognate to those of free speech and free press and is equally fundamental.” (https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/right-of-assembly/)

Seems to be a clear ruling, but as always, questions linger. What exactly is meant by a "peaceable" assembly? How many people constitute an "assembly"? Can you assemble anywhere? At any time? How big can an assembly be? Do you need a permit, and if so, when? Do you need a gas mask? Can you bring a weapon? Who gets to decide - the Federal government? State? City? Can a city deny a permit because they don't like a particular group's reason for assembling?