Estonia plans to let 14-year-olds organize protests and public meetings
Estonia's Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs is advancing a bill that would lower the minimum age for organizing public meetings and demonstrations from 18 to 14. Police would have to be notified in advance of any meeting organized by minors.
Estonia plans to lower the minimum age for organizing public meetings and demonstrations from 18 to 14. The change is proposed in a bill drafted by the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs, whose authors stress that minors have rights and legitimate interests too. If adopted, young people could arrange such events themselves instead of finding an adult to do it on their behalf.
Why 14
The bill says the right to peaceful assembly is an important precondition for a democratic and pluralistic society, and that it gives children a chance to express their views and contribute to society.
The age limit is linked to responsibility thresholds already in place. Under the Law Enforcement Act, people are independently responsible for public order from the age of 14, which is also the age of criminal responsibility. The ministry argues that young people who have reached this age can take on the duties of organizing a meeting.
Safety safeguards
Justice and Digital Affairs Minister Liisa Pakosta, of the Eesti 200 party, said young people's voices matter in society and that their wish to gather should not depend on whether an adult is willing to organize a meeting for them. She added that young people are not left on their own: parents keep their supervision obligation until the age of 18, and police must always be notified in advance of meetings held by minors. In her words, this lets police be on alert and quickly help young people if necessary.
The principle that the organizer bears primary responsibility for a public meeting's safety will also apply to minors. Pakosta said that if young people are given greater freedom to express their views, they must also take responsibility for ensuring meetings proceed safely and that rules of conduct in public places are followed.
Student councils' view
Karl Erik Kirss, chairman of the Estonian School Student Councils' Union, called the amendment entirely positive. He said the previous rules involved a great deal of bureaucracy when a minor wanted to organize a demonstration. Kirss acknowledged that minors do not often want to hold demonstrations, but said youth and student councils already discuss them as a method of advocacy. According to him, their hands had simply been tied until now.
