Security of assemblies in the Republic of Poland and the Czech Republic – administrative and legal conditions

Abstract

The organization of assemblies in the Republic of Poland and in the Czech Republic is an increasingly common occurrence in public life. The freedom of peaceful assembly enables their participants to express their views, which in a democratic state under the rule of law is a desired expression of the constitutional rights and freedoms of individuals. Therefore the course of gatherings should be safe not only for its participants, but also for the attendees. The organizer, law enforcement and police officers are responsible for the safe conduct of the assembly. On the other hand, technical and logistical considerations are also important for the security of assemblies. The pandemic currently experienced by the majority of societies not only in Europe, but also on other continents, makes a significant impact on the sphere of law and civil liberties, including the right to organize assemblies. This paper addresses the issue of security of assemblies in Poland and the Czech Republic from the point of view of administrative solutions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper constitutes the result of team research conducted as part of a scientific internship by the Authors in Fakulta bezpečnostního inženýrství, Bezpečnostních služeb – Vysoká škola báňská – Technická univerzita Ostrava in the Czech Republic.