Barricades and Force Distance Citizens From Democracy, Article Argues

In a democracy, people get to choose their leaders by voting.

They should also be able to talk to those leaders, especially when they are upset about something.

Sometimes people join together and march to big government buildings, like Parliament.

This article says that when people march to Parliament, they are often stopped before they get there.

Police put up fences and barriers, and sometimes use sticks, tear gas, and special guns called pellet guns.

The writer finds this confusing, because leaders ask people to come out and vote.

The writer agrees that safety measures are sometimes needed.

But the writer worries that safety is being used as an excuse to keep people far away from their leaders.

The writer thinks citizens should be able to reach the buildings where decisions are made.