ACLU to Train ‘Legal Observers’ in Advance of Third No Kings Protest
The organization says that having impartial, third-party witnesses and documenters of what goes on at public gatherings is essential for protecting First Amendment rights.
FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – The previous two No Kings protests at City Hall in Fargo featured plenty of community volunteer staff members in hi-vis vests, monitoring the area, aiming to keep the peace.
This time, though, those in attendance will see a new kind of vested volunteer on display.
The ACLU calls these people Legal Observers – a term not to be used interchangeably with “Constitutional Observer” or similar – sounding titles.
Their job is – what it sounds like – simply to watch – from a purely objective, third-party standpoint – document, and record.
“To ensure that – or to be able to observe – if any First Amendment violations occur, or if anyone is prevented from expressing under their First Amendment rights,” explained Cody Schuler, advocacy manager for the ACLU of North Dakota.
He says that this program has actually been in development for a while and that he and his colleagues felt March 28 was an excellent time to get legal observers on the ground in the state.
The ACLU is offering two training sessions beforehand, to make sure the protest is properly staffed and that their volunteers are prepared for the occasion.
“We want to make sure that people who are observers understand their First Amendment rights, and therefore the rights of the people they’re observing, both on the side of law enforcement and the general public,” said Schuler.
Ultimately, Schuler says the job of a legal observer is not about taking sides or offering quote unquote protection – it’s to ensure accountability for all those mentioned parties.
The two legal observer trainings offered by the ACLU will both be in the Unglued Craftatorium on the second floor of Brewhalla.
They’re on Sunday, March 23 at 3 P.M. and Monday, March 24 at 6 P.M.
The ACLU encourages those interested to register in advance.
