A report by the UN Human Rights Committee states that governments have the right to restrict demonstrations on public health grounds, within reason, The Guardian writes.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, signed by 173 countries including the United States and China, has always incorporated restrictions on the right to protest, and today's report confirmed this, noting that: "The protection of ‘public health’ ground may exceptionally permit restrictions to be imposed, for example where there is an outbreak of an infectious disease and gatherings are dangerous."
Nonetheless, the report's author added that "This ground for restrictions should not be abused as a pretext to silence protest and opposition," and that governments had a duty "not to prohibit, restrict, block or disrupt assemblies without compelling justification."