Organizing a Protest

· Know your issue and its underlying causes.

· Create clear and measurable goals – are you seeking to spread awareness and garner attention or are you trying to change a specific policy or demand accountability?

· Clearly articulate your demands.

· Identify the target for your protest action – whose actions are you trying to change?

· Clarify the purpose at the event and ask participants to honor it.

· Match your strategy to your cause (Will you have a march or rally? silent protest, peaceful demonstration, occupation of space, walk out, or boycott?)

· Anticipate potential challenges and how you will solve them.

· Disseminate your plan among supporters.

· Have action items prepared for protesters to do in the days and weeks beyond the protest.

· Encourage diversity and unity. A protest is not a movement, but it can help build one if you leverage them to develop relationships.

· Join forces with like-minded organizations and identify potential allies. Involve individuals who can use their platforms to generate support.

· Songs and chants create unity among demonstrators and forces the audience to see them as a group. Songs can communicate the political message of the protest and help establish legitimacy of the cause. Make sure you identify chant leaders in advance and equip them with what they need to be heard.

· The message matters – what message will persuade your audience and third parties?

· Align your message with your college mission statement or with widely accepted social norms. Decide whether human rights language connects with your audience. Use frames that resonate. Tactically you may need to abandon language that doesn’t. Achieving justice is what matters.

· Find the right messengers for your message. These should be individuals with compelling stories or experiences and individuals whose influence can sway audiences. Provide them with a platform and direct media inquiries to them.

· Make sure that participants understand and communicate the same message through social media, on their signs and banners, in their chants, and in statements to media.

· Consult victims – nothing about us without us!

· Do not reveal identities or disclose personal information about victims without permission. Be sure to minimize risk to vulnerable participants.

· Identify a location that is safe, accessible, and consistent with the protest message.

· Pick a convenient time and location relative to goals. It should be convenient for participants, accessible to media, and visible to your target audience. Know whether you need a permit and apply for one in advance if needed.

· Know state and local laws and follow them. Public spaces don’t typically require permits if you don’t block roads, sidewalks or access to buildings, and obey traffic signals.

· Private property owners set the rules for free speech on their property. You cannot protest in a private space without permission and could be subject to removal or arrest if you choose to do so.

· The right to peaceful assembly is protected by article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This right protects your right to defend human rights.

· Consult you student handbook and comply with campus policies on rallies and demonstrations or understand the costs of choosing not to do so. Have an attorney in your network? Run your plans by them and seek their advice. See if they’ll be on call in case an emergency arises related to the event.

· Remember counter-protesters have the same rights as you. Do not engage in physical or verbal retaliation when others target you. Don’t debate haters – they thrive on attention and your focus gives them legitimacy. Ignore them and maintain your message.

· In most democracies, police are not permitted to end a gathering unless it threatens public safely. If a dispersal order is given, protesters must be given a reasonable opportunity to comply, including sufficient time and unimpeded access to exit.

· Embrace nonviolence and get some training on civil disobedience. A safe and peaceful protest will attract wide participation. Multi-generational and intersectional participation increases legitimacy and strengthens the message. When possible, gain support from authorities.

· There is power in numbers. Encourage participants to travel to or from the protest location in groups. Better yet, coordinate walking groups or ride-sharing. Don’t let a single individual be the focus of harm or negative consequences.

· Encourage participants to bring a small bag or backpack with water, ID, cell phone, emergency contact numbers labeled ICE (in case of emergency), essential medicine, money, and snacks. As the organizer you should plan to have emergency supplies and water available onsite. If possible, invite medical and legal professionals to participate. If you anticipate arrests are possible, organize legal aid or coordinate a community bail fund in advance. Have a list of emergency contacts available in case anything goes wrong.

· Enable communication channels between organizers. Make sure the contact information for all organizers are clearly labeled in your phone. Know who, is in charge, of what. Consider duplicative systems like walkie-talkies to enable communication.

· You may wish to carry a scarf to protect eyes if aerosols are used to disperse a protest and other protective gear like an extra facemask or small battle of sanitizer during a pandemic. If possible, make these available to others. Never carry anything that can be perceived as a weapon.

· Make sure your cell phone is fully charged and disable facial recognition and fingerprint unlock feature on your smart phone. Turn off text preview to keep messages from showing on your screen. This prevents people other than you from accessing your phone without your expressed permission. Encourage organizers and participants to do the same.

· Do not run from or resist authorities and keep hands visible. Even if it seems unfair, be calm and polite. Memorize everything. Justice can come later. Do not lie but do not reveal unnecessary information like immigration status. State verbally that you wish to remain silent, that you want an attorney and that you do not consent to a search. Share this information with your participants. You might even go over safety information at the start of the event.

· If you believe that rights are being violated, cooperate with authorities in the moment but pay attention and record details. Document, film, or write down everything you can. Memorize names, and badge and patrol car numbers. Write down contact information of witnesses. Make prior arrangement with lawyers, legal aid societies and civil society or rights organizations who you can contact in case external assistance is needed. Better yet, invite those people to join you at the protest.

· Human rights-based activism must have principles of conduct. Participants should commit to non-violence, respect rights, share values and communicate the message.

· Set the tone. At the start of the event, remind participants of the purpose and ask them to respect the values and the ground rules of the event.

· Ask participants to adopt a human rights-based attitude. You are fighting for something.

· Everyone should understand the risks and rewards of their participation.

· Be prepared to provide accommodations for participants of all abilities and ages.

· Ensure access to water, food, and restrooms. Have a first aid kit or multiple depending on expected crowd size.

· When possible involve counselors, healthcare and legal professionals on site.

· Protest can be hard. Provide an outlet for self and communal care or a healing place where you can care for the humanity of the people you are fighting for and with during or after the event, or both.

There is joy in collective action! Enjoy the solidarity. Even as an organizer, have fun and take time to build community with people who share your commitment to justice and human rights. Know you are an agent of change and your work may be felt for generations to come.