A federal judge declared Monday that forbidding gatherings of peaceful protesters in the wake of Michael Brown's death violated the constitutional right to freedom of assembly, NBC News reported. Amid the unrest in Ferguson following the killing of Brown, an unarmed teenager, authorities could be heard demanding demonstrators to "keep moving." The Missouri State Highway Patrol, which was put in charge of security in Ferguson during the height of the protests, said the ruling posed no issues "because it allows protesters to exercise their constitutional rights to peaceably assemble," while allowing law enforcement to protect the public from violence.
