Go to next caseColumbia, South Carolina was the sight of a peaceful march in protest of the discrimination against blacks. Approximately 200 black high school and college students took part in this march, beginning at a local church and ending in a public park. When the march began, police were waiting, and informed the marchers of their right to assemble peacefully. They did so for approximately an hour, during which time a crowd of about 200 had gathered to watch. Three dozen police were present, an adequate number to handle any kind of hostility by the crowd. When the crowd did begin to get restless, the police instructed the students to disperse. Those who did not do so were charged with, and later convicted of, "breach of peace." The Supreme Court overturned the students' convictions, saying that "The Fourteenth Amendment does not permit a State to make criminal the peaceful expression of unpopular views."
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