What protections does the Constitution give for speech, religion, the press, assembly, and petitions to the government? First Amendment rights are the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. These rights limit government action, not ordinary private conduct. Through the Fourteenth Amendment, they apply to state and local governments as well as the federal government. They are powerful, but not absolute: courts still allow narrow limits on threats, incitement, defamation, and certain time-place-manner restrictions.

In practice, these rights often matter when a public official punishes someone for speaking, recording in public, protesting, publishing information, or criticizing government decisions. Oregon also has strong free-expression protections in Article I, section 8 of the Oregon Constitution, which can be broader in some situations than the federal First Amendment.

For an injury claim, First Amendment rights can matter if harm follows government retaliation or unlawful crowd-control tactics - for example, injuries during a protest, arrest, or roadside recording of public activity. A claim may arise under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 if a government actor violated constitutional rights under color of law. If the defendant is an Oregon public body or employee, the Oregon Tort Claims Act, ORS 30.275, generally requires tort claim notice within 180 days, with a two-year filing limit for many personal injury claims.