Tips for participating in protest & public demonstration from Portland Outright
You’re planning to attend a public action, protest, rally, or demonstration! Whether this is for first or four-thousandth time participating, here are a few things that will help you show up for yourself and your community with care.
Do some research & know your protest plan!
A prepared protester is a safe protestor! Find out as much as you can about the physical space, the plan for the event (what is the arrest risk? Is this a march on a route that meets my accessibility needs?), and what resources will be available (safety teams, first aid, PPE)
Make a plan for how you will get to and get home from the action
What supplies will you need to be as comfortable and grounded as possible (water, snacks, medications)?
If you’re taking on a role or doing something you’ve never done before to support the event – that’s awesome! Ask lots of questions and don’t be shy to ask for support from organizers who have done that role before.
Use the buddy system!
Whenever possible, show up with a friend, loved one, or member of your organization. It’s always good to have someone to lean on, celebrate with, and march alongside! Having a buddy also means having support for de-escalation, planning, and debriefing after the event. Organizers look out for each other!
Know your own comfort with different types of risk & engagement (health, safety, police interaction, etc.)
It’s important to make individual and informed choices about how we participate in public actions! There are SO MANY ways to support and show up for movements, on the ground and from home. We are our best selves in movement when we’re honest and authentic about what we can offer and show up to.
As organizers participating in political action during the time of COVID-19, there is always the risk of illness in large groups. Check in with yourself about if this event works for your health and safety.
All public actions come with some level of risk for police interaction and arrest. Some actions have explicit arrest risk for some or all participants. It is important to know what you’re signing up for by participating and for event organizers to be clear about plans for escalation.
Some of us may not be able to risk arrest due to our identities, legal status, work, arrest history or probation conditions. Some of us might be in support or caretaking roles for others, like our children, families, or other protesters. Some of us are able to risk arrest, while others are not, and all of that is okay!
If you are planning to risk arrest, know your plan! Is there a plan from event organizers to offer bail funds and jail support? Who in your life knows that you’re taking on this risk and could show up to support from the outside? What is your plan for aftercare following that experience?
Practice makes us principled!
We are all learning all the time and that makes our movements strong!
Follow leadership when attending an action led by a particular impacted group, team, or organization, our job is to back their demands, follow their lead, and help hold each other to the plan laid out by organizers. Showing up is a commitment to align ourselves with whoever is leading this action and to always look out for community members most at risk when demonstrating in public space.
Know what you know AND what you don’t! We all come into this work with our own strengths, talents, and places of growth and challenge. Collective organizing means we all share the load, the knowledge, and the responsibility. Ask for support if you’re unsure and celebrate the opportunity to learn from each other’s experience.