When we are assessing protests in democratic societies, nonviolence is not the only criterion that must be weighed. The principle of proportionality can serve as a useful guide to the factors that protesters should consider, enabling us to defend the right to protest while also specifying protesters’ ethical responsibilities.

MELBOURNE – Climate protesters have disrupted the tennis at Wimbledon, thrown tomato soup at the glass protecting famous paintings, sprayed orange powder on Stonehenge, and blocked traffic. In response, European governments have been cracking down on environmental protesters with detentions and fines, and, in one case, with a five-year prison sentence for advocating civil disobedience in a Zoom call.