This chapter examines participation in public life as a core condition for cultural pluralism and social cohesion, focusing on how the European Court of Human Rights protects minority participation primarily through Article 11 ECHR (freedom of assembly and association). It argues that effective participation enables persons with diverse cultural backgrounds to promote their interests, preserve cultural identity, and counter social exclusion. The chapter surveys Strasbourg case law on minority cultural organisations, political parties, demonstrations, and cross-community contacts, highlighting the Court’s consistent protection of peaceful collective action, even where minority consciousness or contested identity claims are expressed. At the same time, it analyzes the Convention limits: associations may be restricted where aims or means threaten democracy, involve violence, or seek to undermine constitutional order, as illustrated by jurisprudence on party dissolution and registration refusals. Drawing on cases from Turkey, Bulgaria, Poland, and Greece, the chapter shows both the Court’s strong stance against preventive repression based on suspicion and its continued reliance on contextual balancing where states invoke public order or national security. It concludes that minority protection under Article 11 is often indirect, powerful against overt suppression, but less developed in addressing structural misrecognition and exclusion.