International law places a responsibility upon all States to respect, protect, and fulfil these rights. “Respect” means States must refrain from interfering with or curtailing protests. “Protect” means States must protect protesters. “Fulfil” means States must take positive action to facilitate protests. The UN and other international bodies have developed international standards to provide a benchmark for what States should do in order to fulfil their obligations. International standards are clear: protesters do not need permission, protests should always be allowed, and protests should only be stopped if there is significant violence or a real and immediate threat of significant violence.