Protests

Protests Near You

Petitions

Petitions can have a variety of benefits from communicating desires of constituents to being a pathway to getting referrendums on electoral ballots. Here are resources for finding petitions that matter to you.

MoveOn

MoveOn: Progressive public policy advocacy group and PAC used to help grow grassroots progressive campaigning communities. Started originally in 1998 as an email group as an original "viral" movement.

Public Citizen

Public Citizen: Links to various email petitions, topics to contact your representatives on, and provides education on various progressive policies. The organization was originally founded by Ralph Nader in 1971 and continues to exist through donations as a non-profit.

Protestor Rights

• Your rights are strongest in what are known as “traditional public forums,” such as streets, sidewalks, and parks. You also likely have the right to speak out on other public property, like plazas in front of government buildings, as long as you are not blocking access to the government building or interfering with other purposes the property was designed for.
• Private property owners can set rules for speech on their property. The government may not restrict your speech if it is taking place on your own property or with the consent of the property owner.
• Counterprotesters also have free speech rights. Police must treat protesters and counterprotesters equally. Police are permitted to keep antagonistic groups separated but should allow them to be within sight and sound of one another.
• When you are lawfully present in any public space, you have the right to photograph anything in plain view, including federal buildings and the police. On private property, the owner may set rules related to photography or video.
• You don’t need a permit to march in the streets or on sidewalks, as long as marchers don’t obstruct car or pedestrian traffic. If you don't have a permit, police officers can ask you to move to the side of a street or sidewalk to let others pass or for safety reasons.

What to do if you believe your rights have been violated

• When you can, write down everything you remember, including the officers' badge and patrol car numbers and the agency they work for.
• Get contact information for witnesses.
• Take photographs of any injuries.
• Once you have all of this information, you can file a written complaint with the agency's internal affairs division or civilian complaint board.

Protest Safety

- Amanda Carpenter, If you Can Keep It

Physical Safety

• Stay hydrated and dress for the expected weather.
• Bring any needed supplies including water, meds, and cash.
• Fully charge your cell phone and bring a battery extender if possible.
• Take supplies to protect from and safely remove chemical irritants (face covering, milk of magnesia, towelettes).
• Keep your vehicle fueled/charged

The Buddy System

• Let at least one emergency contact know your plan and make arrangements to keep them posted on your status during and after the event.
  • Where will you be?
  • How will you get there?
  • Where do you intend to go in an emergency?
  • What time do you intend to get back?
• Have an offline map of the venue and surrounding areas available as cell service may be limited in some cases.
• Plan multiple routes into and out of the protest area.
• Set a rally point with others for where you will meet in the event of an emergency.

Environmental Safety

• Maintain “360 situational awareness” – know what is going on all around you at all times.
• The “OODA Loop” (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) is a useful framework to stay calm and make decisions during high-stress situations:
  • Observe: Identify the source of danger and your surroundings
  • Orient: Determine where you are and where you need to go
  • Decide: Choose a course of action that minimizes risk
  • Act: Implement your decision and stay aware of changes in the environment
• Be alert to anything that seems suspicious, this could be a person’s behavior, unclaimed packages, unusual activity, and vehicles.
• Stay Informed
  • Avoid traffic choke points.
    • Monitor local and government sources for updates
    • Sign up for your local government alerts.
    • Federal Emergency Alerts: Link to FEMA Alerts.
  • Monitor alerts from HRC and media sources.

De-Escalation

When in doubt: take initiative to attempt de-escalation. But if you feel it is too risky always listen to your voice of reason. Look for a protest marshal to help.

BREATHE Method

1. Breathe: Ground. Notice your sources of support.
2. Remember: The Humanity of All
3. Empathy: Before Education
4. Ask First: Is the other person ready to hear your perspective? A is also for Authentic expression
5. BreaTHE: Debrief with Support

One-on-One Encounters

• Connect to the human response in tense situations.
• Someone who has the experience of being heard is more likely to calm down and listen to you.
• Be curious and open to feedback. There’s always something to learn from people’s anger and frustration. It’s impossible to be curious and afraid at the same time.
• Stay calm and keep your voice steady
• Avoid provocative behavior
• If necessary, walk away and remove yourself from the situation

Large Crowds

• When tension is building, start up a calming song, and invite others to join in. Teach and then sing it slowly and calmly.
• Establish silence can help calm crowds and prepare for the next move.
  • One person falls quiet and raises their hand, whilst inviting the people around them to do the same. This works well if enough people are practiced.
  • Project without shouting and say ‘Clap once if you can hear me’ and then clap once. Say ‘Clap twice if you can hear me’ and then clap twice. Say ‘Clap three times if you can hear me’ and then clap 3 times. Each time, more people around you should be joining in, until everyone has clapped 3 times and then fallen silent, waiting for what’s coming next.

Photography and Videography

• When you are lawfully present in any public space, you have the right to photograph anything in plain view, including federal buildings and the police. (On private property, the owner may set rules about photography or video.)
• Police officers may not confiscate or demand to view your photographs or video without a warrant, nor may they delete data under any circumstances. However, they may order citizens to cease activities that are truly interfering with legitimate law enforcement operations.
• If you are videotaping, be aware that there is an important legal distinction between a visual photographic record (fully protected) and the audio portion of a videotape, which some states have tried to regulate under state wiretapping laws.

What to do if you are stopped or detained for taking photographs

• Always remain calm and never physically resist a police officer.
• Police cannot detain you without reasonable suspicion that you have or are about to commit a crime or are in the process of doing so.
• If you are stopped, ask the officer if you are free to leave. If the answer is yes, calmly walk away.
• f you are detained, ask the officer what crime you are suspected of committing, and remind the officer that taking photographs is your right under the First Amendment and does not constitute reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.

Dealing with Police

• Stay calm. Make sure to keep your hands visible. Don't argue, resist, or obstruct the police, even if you believe they are violating your rights. Point out that you are not disrupting anyone else's activity and that the First Amendment protects your actions. Ask if you are free to leave. If the officer says yes, calmly walk away.
• If you are under arrest, you have a right to ask why. Otherwise, say you wish to remain silent and ask for a lawyer immediately. Don't say anything or sign anything without a lawyer.
• You have the right to make a local phone call, and if you're calling your lawyer, police are not allowed to listen.
• You never have to consent to a search of yourself or your belongings. If you do explicitly consent, it can affect you later in court.
• Police may "pat down" your clothing if they suspect you have a weapon and may search you after an arrest.
• Police officers may not confiscate or demand to view your photographs or video without a warrant, nor may they delete data under any circumstances. However, they may order citizens to cease activities that are truly interfering with legitimate law enforcement operations.

What happens if the police issues an order to disperse the protest?

• Shutting down a protest through a dispersal order must be law enforcement’s last resort. Police may not break up a gathering unless there is a clear and present danger of riot, disorder, interference with traffic, or other immediate threat to public safety.
• If officers issue a dispersal order, they must provide a reasonable opportunity to comply, including sufficient time and a clear, unobstructed exit path.
• Individuals must receive clear and detailed notice of a dispersal order, including how much time they have to disperse, the consequences of failing to disperse, and what clear exit route they can follow, before they may be arrested or charged with any crime.

Protest Resources

So far, the most energetic opposition has come not from civic leaders but from everyday citizens, showing up at congressional town hall meetings or participating in Hands Off rallies across the country. Our leaders must follow their example.

- NYT Guest Essay

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• A Guide to Safe, Nonviolent Protesting
• ACLU: Know Your Rights
• Derechos de los manifestantes
• De-escalation tactics at protests Guide on how to diffuse tensions

Set this graphic as your phone background lock screen while protesting for easy access