A Nigerian’s Open Letter to European Governments on Protest Rights

I write as a Nigerian who remembers the lessons of the 2020 Lekki Toll Gate protests. When governments respond to young people’s anger with force instead of listening, the damage can last for years. Reports from France, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Albania describe large protests over education, wages, housing and the rising cost of living. These protesters are citizens asking to be heard. While arson, looting and attacks on officers should be addressed, individual wrongdoing must not become an excuse to punish peaceful crowds. International human-rights standards protect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Governments should listen to legitimate grievances, police should use force only as a last resort, and oversight bodies should investigate serious injuries openly. The right to protest must be defended even when we disagree with the cause. Democracies should show the same respect for human rights at home that they demand from others.

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