What to expect
Forget what you’ve seen on TV about protests, you can expect your first protest experience to be more sedate. You’ll be in more danger of losing your voice or overheating than rubber bullets and pepper spray. So let’s take a look at some things you can bring, review your rights, common sense safety tips, and go over what you can expect to do and see.
What to Bring
1. Appropriate clothes for the weather
2. A lightweight backpack/bag that is comfortable to wear for the day
3. A couple bottles of water
4. Any medications you’ll need for the day
5. A snack
6. A small amount of cash
7. Fully charged cellphone & battery extender if you have one
8. Emergency contact phone # on a piece of paper or written on you
9. Wear glasses, not contacts
10. Small handkerchief, towel, or wet naps
11. Do not bring weapons of any kind
12. If marching, wear comfortable close toed shoes
13. Bring something to hold, a sign with a topic you care about, a flag or noisemaker, you’ll have more fun with something to do
14. Bring a friend, partner or family member if you can
We won’t be going into more serious items that you would want for sustained contact with tear gas and rubber bullets which we don’t expect to encounter now.
For additional tips see: https://www.hrc.org/resources/tips-for-preparedness-peaceful-protesting-and-safety
Your rights
Free speech is YOUR right
Disagreeing with the government or anyone else isn’t a crime and saying so is protected by the constitution and more than 200 years of law. So don’t let anyone make you feel bad or afraid for expressing it. They’re just trying to get YOU to be silent because silence is acceptance.
Read more from the ACLU here: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights#im-attending-a-protest
Advanced guide from the National Lawyer’s Guild here: https://www.nlg.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Know-Your-Rights-Booklet-2022.pdf
Some additional suggestions:
Turn off bio-metrics on your phone (face recognition and finger print scanning) and use a pass-code instead.
Turn on airplane mode on your phone before protesting.
Practice asserting your rights, say “I do not consent to searches”, “I reserve the right to remain silent, I reserve the right to an attorney” and “Am I free to go?” in the mirror until it feels comfortable.
Safety Tips
Inform an emergency contact when you plan to go, how long you’ll be there and keep them up to date when you leave and arrive.
Know your way back to your car or rendezvous point, on the walk to the protest make mental note of a few landmarks you can use to navigate back with.
Be aware of your surroundings, be mindful of the mood of the crowd and any disturbances that are occurring so you can assess the situation and react quickly if necessary. You can talk to your fellow protestors to figure out what’s happening too.
Often there will be safety officers and protest leaders in hi visibility vests, call to one if you spot trouble.
Assess the level of risk you’re willing to take, if things are getting too heated for you it’s perfectly acceptable to withdraw until things quiet down or leave, you’re under no obligation to participate in something you don’t want to. It’s not like you’re getting paid (despite what Fox news might say).
If hecklers try to escalate, stay calm and remember you’re here to make a point, not provoke. Sometimes ignoring the angry dork in a car is the best response. If they keep trying to escalate, back away and get the assistance of other protestors and safety officers. Remember: They’re trying to paint us as violent agitators, don’t be the first to escalate, let everyone see it’s the other side who has to resort to violence.
Additional resources:
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-protest-safely
https://www.hrc.org/resources/tips-for-preparedness-peaceful-protesting-and-safety
What you can Expect
For most protests, expect to stand on a sidewalk with a bunch of like minded people and make some noise for your cause.
You’re here to show people that you care about the same things they do, encourage drivers to honk in support and show them some love when they do.
Participate in some chants when they come up, they’re pretty easy to do and fun when everyone’s participating. If you don’t like the content of a chant, don’t participate.
Most photographers at these events will ask if you’re OK with them snapping a picture, if you don’t want to be photographed feel free to ask them not to.
Meet some like minded people, talk to those around you; many of them are participating in other community events or trying to get some members for their own causes that you might be interested in joining. You’ll meet a lot of people outside your usual circle and that’s always fun.
Have some pride in what you did, you stood up and were counted. No amount of arguing on twitter, facebook or other socials, filled with paid Russian trolls and bots, will matter as much as what you did. Don’t forget to spread the word and invite your friends to the next one and encourage them to bring their friends next time.