29. In the Government’s submission, Article 11 (art. 11) did not create any positive obligation to protect demonstrations. Freedom of peaceful assembly - enshrined in Article 12 of the Austrian Basic Law of 1867 - was mainly designed to protect the individual from direct interference by the State. Unlike some other provisions in the Convention and the Austrian Constitution, Article 11 (art. 11) did not apply to relations between individuals. At all events, the choice of the means to be used in a given situation was a matter for the State’s discretion.