Mississippi Center for Justice is here to support Mississippians who are taking action to oppose and transform cultures of injustice in America.
We’re doing this in four ways:
- training Legal Observers;
- coordinating the work of Legal Observers at demonstrations;
- providing Know Your Rights information to demonstrators;
- coordinating, where possible, legal representation of protestors unlawfully seized, arrested, or who are unlawfully denied permits.
Email us at protestsupport@mscenterforjustice.org if you have any questions not answered here.
Since 2020, MCJ has run a successful statewide Legal Observer Program training Legal Observers and sending them out across the state to help monitor and protect the civil rights of racial justice and civil rights protesters. We also routinely field questions from community-based organizations about protest-related regulations and laws.
Legal Observers are individuals who volunteer with a legal advocacy organization to observe demonstrations and document any violations of the rights of demonstrators—while agreeing themselves not to participate as a protester in that particular event.
Legal Observers wear vests and/or hats (identifying them as Legal Observers) and purposely position themselves close enough to demonstrators to be able to observe and report on law enforcement activity. They follow the direction of Legal Observer program coordinators and MCJ legal staff. They are trained to accurately document in detail their impressions of any law enforcement action that may have infringed on the legal rights of demonstrators.
How Can We Support You?
Email protestsupport@mscenterforjustice.org if you:
- Want to Become a Legal Observer?
- Want Legal Observers at your demonstration or event?
- Want to Volunteer as a Trained Legal Observer?
- Want to Know Your Rights at a Protest?
- Want to get in touch to discuss an event in which you think your rights as a protestor were violated? We can’t guarantee we can coordinate legal representation, but please let us know what happened.
- Want to request legal assistance with a protest you are planning?
Why We Support Mississippi Protesters
Mission of the Mississippi Center for Justice:
- Mississippi Center for Justice is a nonprofit, public interest law firm committed to advancing racial and economic justice. Supported and staffed by attorneys and other professionals, the Center develops and pursues strategies to combat discrimination and poverty statewide.
For more information please write to protestsupport@mscenterforjustice.org.