Protesting has become a very controversial topic in the country today. Many people have different perspectives on protesting and its effects. Protests have become increasingly more common staring with #BlackLivesMatter and continuing with the current election season. To some, protesting is seen as dangerous and immature, where to others it's completely acceptable due to freedom of speech. Here's my interpretation of it.

In the United States Constitution, the first amendment allows us to peacefully assemble and protest – the keyword here being peacefully.

There has been many instances of people taking protesting too far, and innocent protesting has turned into violent riots.

It is absolutely our right and freedom to protest, and I encourage people to do it. However, when partaking in a protest, you have to make sure you stay peaceful and legal.

Some protesting may be peaceful, but illegal. If a protest involves illegal activities, it is no longer a protest, it's a crime. In recent rallies, protesters have blocked off traffic as a form of “protest” but blocking off traffic and other similar acts are also crimes. Protesting does not give anyone the right to commit crimes freely. Though the constitution protects the people to protest, it does not protect the people to use protesting as an excuse to commit crimes.

If protests get out of hand, of course the police can step in and end the protesting. No, they would not be violating our right to assemble and protest because our only freedom to protest, is freedom to peacefully protest.

There's a reason the founding father's specified that the people have the right to peacefully assemble, because once a protest turns violent it's no longer a protest, it's a war.