Despite the historical and ongoing importance of protest as a vehicle for children to express themselves, current laws fail to protect and enable children’s participation in protest. More than two decades after the formal end of apartheid, a child may be subject to criminal processes for convening a peaceful, unarmed protest. This article highlights the importance of the right to protest for children and the obligation on the state to respect, protect and fulfil the right to protest, specifically taking into account children’s interests. Through a description of the Mlungwana & Others vs The State and Others case, the article highlights the manner in which the criminalisation of peaceful protest by the Regulation of Gatherings Act fails to take into account the best interests of children and violates the right to protest.

中文翻译：

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未能尊重和实现：南非法律和儿童抗议权

尽管将抗议作为儿童表达自己的载体的历史和持续的重要性，但现行法律未能保护和使儿童参与抗议。种族隔离正式结束后的二十多年，一个儿童可能因举行和平，无武装的抗议而受到刑事诉讼程序的制裁。本文强调了儿童抗议权的重要性以及国家尊重，保护和履行抗议权的义务，特别是考虑到儿童的利益。通过对Mlungwana＆Others与State and Others案的描述，文章强调了《聚会规则》将和平抗议定为刑事犯罪的方式没有考虑到儿童的最大利益并侵犯了抗议权。