Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association, Right of Reply

Delivered by Kate Byrnes, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Mission to the OSCE  | OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting | Warsaw, September 23

We are exercising our right to reply to a point made by the Russian Federation regarding the recent climate protests in New York City. We too have read the news reports, including in the New York Times. We are aware that on September 21 an estimated 300,000 people exercised their rights to peaceful assembly and association without incident. According to the organizers, this was the largest ever climate change protest. The United States is an unapologetic and vocal supporter of the rights to peaceful assembly and association at home and around the world.