When planning a protest,

Select Your Target

Sites for a protest must be on public property unless you have written

permission to hold your event from the property owner.

You can be arrested on any private property.

Potential protest sites include:

• Outside State, County, City, Town, or Federal buildings
• State and County election commission offices
• Town Halls, City Halls, State Capitols
• National Media offices and studios
• (only on nearby public owned and maintained sidewalks, parks,
• and open spaces)

Protest outside local media. Local media will gladly cover your protest

if you target them.

If you have a guest speaker, a PA system, or plan to plug something in

get a permit.

Schedule Your Protest

Select a date and time when most people in the area can attend:

• If picketing offices, the hour employees arrive and depart
• provides high visibility for your target audience:
• weekday mornings, lunch hour, quitin' time.

Give yourself enough lead time before the event to sufficiently

publicize and prepare your event.

Once, announced, don't change the place, date, or time.

Plan Your Protest

Good planning makes a big difference.

A Logistics Coordinator can really help.

Here's a partial protest planning checklist:

• Arrange for a permit (if needed) immediately.
• Many jurisdictions require a two-week notice or longer
• Invite speakers early (local/national politicians, radio
• and television personalities, political activists, celebraties,
• and writers).
• If possible, arrange to meet your event speakers personally
• beforehand.
• Rent or find someone to volunteer the use of a PA system
• (make sure you have access to electricity on site)
• Notify the police and fire departments nearest your site
• the week prior to your event
• Plan for set up, tear down, and clean up

Put together a Press Kit for the day of the event. Include:

• A protest press release detailing the facts of the protest
• and describing the protest's purpose and goals
• A list of guest speakers with short biographies of each
• A list of online links providing background information on
• election reform, research and evidence of election irregularities, the dangers of digital voting systems, etc.
• A list of upcoming  local and national events. Don't forget
• any follow-on meetups or events you have planned.
• Any protest contact information for follow-up and interviews
• Plan for press interviews during and immediately after your
• protest. Designate who will be interviewed and what message
• will be delivered. During the protest, seek out the press and
• don't let them get away without an interview.
• Remember to "stay on message" when talking to the press.
• Plan a post-protest "What's Next" meeting.
  

 

Publicize Your Protest

Communicating your protest is vital. Define who can get to your event. Research how to get to them.

A Communications Coordinator comes in handy for managing your

event communications. Here is a partial checklist:

• Email people and organizations you know or who know you.
• Ask them to spread the word.
• Compose and release a press release to all local media announcing
• your protest.
• Post electronic protest announcements and requests for volunteers
• on community message boards, blogs, and usergroup forums
• Make, print and distribute flyers announcing your protest
• (download our flyer template and modify it to suit your event).
• Put flyers only in permitted locations.
• Seek business's permission to post any flyers in or on their premises.
• Call in to local radio and television talk shows. 
• Contact local political and activist organizations
• Notify union halls, civic organizations, and college campus
• student groups and organizations

Post-Protest Planning

Don't leave your protesters hanging. Announce at your protest things

people can do after the event . Announce and hold a post-protest

"What's Next" meeting. Communicate other activities happening

elsewhere and the need for continued action and involvement.

Remind everyone to spread the word about the state of our country

and the urgent need for effective reform.

Citizen protests seeking a redress of grievances from their government

are constitutionally guaranteed provided any assembly is peaceful

and law-abiding. Permits are not required.

However, public rallies involving PA systems, invited guest speakers,

use of electic power, and the need to prepare a public space do require

a permit. Without a permit, property can be confiscated and people

arrested. So, if you plan music, speakers, and supporting equipment,

get a permit.

Remember, many jurisdictions require a two-week lead time or

more for the issuance of public site use or street march permits.