504. Nature and status.

The right to assemble peacefully1 is a foundational feature of a democratic society, allowing people to visibly participate in the political process and communicate ideas that challenge the existing order2. It is an important element of the development of culture and the preservation of minority identities, as well as for the promotion of social, cultural and economic interests and the creation of a tolerant society in which groups with different beliefs, practices, or policies can exist peacefully together, and is closely bound up with the right to freedom of expression