Post by Love Always Trumps Hate Admin on Nov 17, 2016 20:41:52 GMT
With so many protests, rallies, marches, etc that have been popping up I thought it would be a good idea that I would give some tips for those who have never organized a protest. It can be a little overwhelming especially if your event is getting some negative comments from the other side.
1. What is your message for having the protest/rally. What would you like others to take from going to your event. Do you want to give others a place to express themselves or do you want them to get involved.
2. Partnering with local organizations can help you plan your protests. They not only offer support but can help promote your event. It could be your local Democrat office or an equality organization. If you've never planned a protest this can be a great benefit to help guide you.
3. Depending on the type of event you plan on organizing you might need a permit. Like for example a march or a protest where you will want to use a PA system. Permits are pretty easy to fill out and the costs are minimal. You can obtain a permit usually in the city you plan to have a protest or at the location. General areas like sidewalks and parks you most likely won't need a permit as free speech is a first amendment right. In addition, you may have a right to speak in other public locations that the government has opened up for unrestricted public speech, such as plazas in front of government buildings. Places like City Hall are an example. Depending on your location if you want to do a candle vigil you will want to check with the location, many state courthouses don't allow candles. If you plan on organizing a march you will want to get a permit if you want to march on the street, otherwise you will want to stay on the sidewalks and be respectful to others.
4. If you plan on having a more organized protest/rally with a PA system it's a good idea to have people to come to speak to the crowd. Think about the message that you want to convey. For example, if immigration reform is the main message having someone from an organization that advocates for that would be great. So would be people personally affected by a Trump presidency. You will want a fair amount of speakers as the time flies. Having a schedule will help with this and will keep you organized. If you need a PA system you can check with your location to see if they have one to rent. Often times places like state courthouses have them. Also if you partner with an organization they sometimes will have them. That's when partnering with others comes in handy. If you don't want a PA system then you will want to get a bullhorn so that the crowd can hear you.
Have someone will be the MC, they will be the ones to introduce each speaker and will keep the crowd energized between by giving them chants. So if you're not a public speaker then you will probably find someone to do that for you. Also you will want to have someone to keep things organized, kind of like a stage manager. They will help direct what happens next like when speakers should go out to speak. This is when having a schedule helps. Again this is only if you want a planned protest.
5. Most protests/rallies are a couple of hours. If it's an organized rally with speakers then it's usually a good idea to keep the program around one hour or so. If it's a general protests with no speakers then those can go on for as long as the crowd is willing to stay. Even after your scheduled program is done people will stay to continue to protest, so there is really no set rule as to time.
6. Protests are great for expression but ultimately the goal of protests is to get people involved with creating change. So having organizations there to get people signed up to volunteer and/or donate is a good idea. Have an organization that will get people registered to vote is another way to help get people involved. In order for the movement to be successful this will be a really important aspect of protests/rallies. If your goal is to pressure the Electoral College voters have information about that to pass out.
7. Safety is important and one way to help with that is to have volunteers to act as safety captains. These will be volunteers that are stationed around the location to keep an eye on everything. I usually make arm bands for everyone to wear so that it easily sets the captains apart from the crowd. It's a good idea to meet with the volunteers before the start of the rally to go over the details and what to expect. Keeping the events peaceful should be the number one goal. Most the time captains won't really interact with the crowd. If they see something then they can let the appropriate people know so that they can take care of the situation.
8. Having counter protests can be expected. Though they not allowed to interact with your event. The police are usually really good at this. It's important to remind people to not engage them, just ignore them. You will get hate from just organizing the event. I know many organizers already have. If you're concerned for your safety then contact your local authorities. Using the privacy settings on Facebook will help keep you safe. Most the time haters are just trolling so it's best to just ban and delete.
9. Make sure to have everyone bring signs and banners that are eye-catching and help to promote your message. You can even have a create a sign party the day before or earlier in the day. Having great signs will help in promoting the message especially if the press shows up, which you will want.
10. Invite the media. This is really important to keep the movement going. Lately the press hasn't been talking much about the protests so it's sending out press releases to all the local media will help to engage them more. We need to send a clear message that we're not giving up. Again if you partner with an organization they can help with press releases usually. Also ask around in your network to see if anyone can help you. Google is also your friend as always. It's also very possible that the media will want to speak to you before or after the event, which is great for the cause!
11. Promote your event. Create a Facebook event page and share it with everyone you know. Make eye-catching flyers and graphics to go along with your event page. Make sure to include the specifics in your FB event page like the city, state and location. You can even print up some flyers and take them to local businesses that will allow you to post them.
12. Keep the PEACE by making sure that your supporters are not breaking laws that may result in arrests. Blocking traffic, failure to disperse after being ordered to, and loitering are all actions that may result in arrest. You can also call your local chapter of the ACLU and they can help guide you to make sure your event stays peaceful.
13. Know your rights. The ACLU is a great organization for that. Freedom of speech and assemlby is a First Amendment right. For more information visit:
www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/what-do-if-your-rights-are-violated-demonstration-or-protest
right-to-protest.org/protect-your-protest/
14. Be prepared and aware of your surroundings. Having a plan both with how you want the protest to go and if anything occurs out of the ordinary will help you react quickly and in a calm matter.
15. Make sure to leave the location as you found it. When the protest ends make sure to clean up any litter left by others.
16. Don't let this list or the idea of organize an event stop you from organizing an event. Everyone has to start somewhere. These are guidelines to help prepare you. We need more people to take the initiative to organize more rallies especially in the areas where there hasn't been much activity like in the red states. So if you can't find an event I encourage you to start one. Don't be afraid to ask for help, including messaging me. Have someone help you. The more events that occur the more our movement will grow. In the past week the number of events have grown by big numbers both in size and location. I hope that these events will go on for a long time.
1. What is your message for having the protest/rally. What would you like others to take from going to your event. Do you want to give others a place to express themselves or do you want them to get involved.
2. Partnering with local organizations can help you plan your protests. They not only offer support but can help promote your event. It could be your local Democrat office or an equality organization. If you've never planned a protest this can be a great benefit to help guide you.
3. Depending on the type of event you plan on organizing you might need a permit. Like for example a march or a protest where you will want to use a PA system. Permits are pretty easy to fill out and the costs are minimal. You can obtain a permit usually in the city you plan to have a protest or at the location. General areas like sidewalks and parks you most likely won't need a permit as free speech is a first amendment right. In addition, you may have a right to speak in other public locations that the government has opened up for unrestricted public speech, such as plazas in front of government buildings. Places like City Hall are an example. Depending on your location if you want to do a candle vigil you will want to check with the location, many state courthouses don't allow candles. If you plan on organizing a march you will want to get a permit if you want to march on the street, otherwise you will want to stay on the sidewalks and be respectful to others.
4. If you plan on having a more organized protest/rally with a PA system it's a good idea to have people to come to speak to the crowd. Think about the message that you want to convey. For example, if immigration reform is the main message having someone from an organization that advocates for that would be great. So would be people personally affected by a Trump presidency. You will want a fair amount of speakers as the time flies. Having a schedule will help with this and will keep you organized. If you need a PA system you can check with your location to see if they have one to rent. Often times places like state courthouses have them. Also if you partner with an organization they sometimes will have them. That's when partnering with others comes in handy. If you don't want a PA system then you will want to get a bullhorn so that the crowd can hear you.
Have someone will be the MC, they will be the ones to introduce each speaker and will keep the crowd energized between by giving them chants. So if you're not a public speaker then you will probably find someone to do that for you. Also you will want to have someone to keep things organized, kind of like a stage manager. They will help direct what happens next like when speakers should go out to speak. This is when having a schedule helps. Again this is only if you want a planned protest.
5. Most protests/rallies are a couple of hours. If it's an organized rally with speakers then it's usually a good idea to keep the program around one hour or so. If it's a general protests with no speakers then those can go on for as long as the crowd is willing to stay. Even after your scheduled program is done people will stay to continue to protest, so there is really no set rule as to time.
6. Protests are great for expression but ultimately the goal of protests is to get people involved with creating change. So having organizations there to get people signed up to volunteer and/or donate is a good idea. Have an organization that will get people registered to vote is another way to help get people involved. In order for the movement to be successful this will be a really important aspect of protests/rallies. If your goal is to pressure the Electoral College voters have information about that to pass out.
7. Safety is important and one way to help with that is to have volunteers to act as safety captains. These will be volunteers that are stationed around the location to keep an eye on everything. I usually make arm bands for everyone to wear so that it easily sets the captains apart from the crowd. It's a good idea to meet with the volunteers before the start of the rally to go over the details and what to expect. Keeping the events peaceful should be the number one goal. Most the time captains won't really interact with the crowd. If they see something then they can let the appropriate people know so that they can take care of the situation.
8. Having counter protests can be expected. Though they not allowed to interact with your event. The police are usually really good at this. It's important to remind people to not engage them, just ignore them. You will get hate from just organizing the event. I know many organizers already have. If you're concerned for your safety then contact your local authorities. Using the privacy settings on Facebook will help keep you safe. Most the time haters are just trolling so it's best to just ban and delete.
9. Make sure to have everyone bring signs and banners that are eye-catching and help to promote your message. You can even have a create a sign party the day before or earlier in the day. Having great signs will help in promoting the message especially if the press shows up, which you will want.
10. Invite the media. This is really important to keep the movement going. Lately the press hasn't been talking much about the protests so it's sending out press releases to all the local media will help to engage them more. We need to send a clear message that we're not giving up. Again if you partner with an organization they can help with press releases usually. Also ask around in your network to see if anyone can help you. Google is also your friend as always. It's also very possible that the media will want to speak to you before or after the event, which is great for the cause!
11. Promote your event. Create a Facebook event page and share it with everyone you know. Make eye-catching flyers and graphics to go along with your event page. Make sure to include the specifics in your FB event page like the city, state and location. You can even print up some flyers and take them to local businesses that will allow you to post them.
12. Keep the PEACE by making sure that your supporters are not breaking laws that may result in arrests. Blocking traffic, failure to disperse after being ordered to, and loitering are all actions that may result in arrest. You can also call your local chapter of the ACLU and they can help guide you to make sure your event stays peaceful.
13. Know your rights. The ACLU is a great organization for that. Freedom of speech and assemlby is a First Amendment right. For more information visit:
www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/what-do-if-your-rights-are-violated-demonstration-or-protest
right-to-protest.org/protect-your-protest/
14. Be prepared and aware of your surroundings. Having a plan both with how you want the protest to go and if anything occurs out of the ordinary will help you react quickly and in a calm matter.
15. Make sure to leave the location as you found it. When the protest ends make sure to clean up any litter left by others.
16. Don't let this list or the idea of organize an event stop you from organizing an event. Everyone has to start somewhere. These are guidelines to help prepare you. We need more people to take the initiative to organize more rallies especially in the areas where there hasn't been much activity like in the red states. So if you can't find an event I encourage you to start one. Don't be afraid to ask for help, including messaging me. Have someone help you. The more events that occur the more our movement will grow. In the past week the number of events have grown by big numbers both in size and location. I hope that these events will go on for a long time.