Freedom of protest and assembly is a fundamental human right, yet the Israeli military does not recognize this right in the occupied territories. In recent years it has openly attempted to prevent the regular, scheduled demonstrations by Palestinian, Israeli and foreign activists against the construction of the Separation Barrier and against the encroachment of settlements onto Palestinian lands. The measures used by the military to this end include the declaration of protest venues closed military zones; the declaration of demonstrations unlawful; the arrest of protest leaders; and the extensive use of crowd control means to disperse even nonviolent demonstrations.