Reporting public assemblies

Organisation of a peaceful assembly, public demonstration and events needs to be reported to the police, and the organiser must maintain public order at such an assembly

Public assemblies are reported by the organiser or their authorised representative to the competent police administration. The organiser is a legal or natural person who organises and supervises the assembly in accordance with the provisions of the Public Assembly Act.

Reporting deadlines

Public events should be reported at least seven days before they are to take place. Peaceful assemblies and public demonstrations should be reported at least five days before they are to take place and, exceptionally, for particularly justified reasons, they can be reported no later than 48 hours from the beginning of such events.

Permit to use public spaces

Apart from having to report any public event taking place in public traffic areas, you also need to obtain a permit for use of roads and public spaces for the public assembly from the local self-government, the Traffic Office.

Organiser’s obligations

As the organiser, you should state the time and place of the assembly, as well as the name of the person in charge of it.

You are obliged to:

• Maintain public order at the assembly
• Ensure there is enough security personnel present (security can be provided by a company registered for security activities)
• Implement all necessary measures to ensure that the assembly participants are not armed and do not cause any damage 
• Terminate the assembly if there is a chance of disorder and violence.

Therefore, the person in charge of the assembly or demonstration will supervise it, and if there is a chance of violence, they will terminate it. 

Bans on alcohol, weapons, and promotion of intolerance

Keep in mind that assembly participants may not have weapons and objects which can cause injuries nor alcohol, and may also not wear uniforms, parts of uniforms, clothes, emblems or other symbols calling to or promoting war or use of violence, national, racial or religious hatred or any other form of intolerance.

Assemblies which do not have to be reported

You do not need to report other forms of assemblies being held in spaces intended for such assemblies to the police, such as concerts being held in concert halls, association meetings on the official premises or weddings at restaurants.

Exceptionally, other forms of assemblies which, considering the planned number of participants or nature of the assembly, require special security measures beyond the scope of the local police administration should be reported no later than 48 hours in advance.