What To Know When Protesting
The Peaceful Warrior’s Guide to Confronting Power
The Protester’s Handbook
Times are… interesting right now.
In my previous article, I explored how to easily spot Fascism by how it operates. Early detection is best, therefore knowing what to look for is an essential skill. We can’t properly confront cancer from growing if we don’t know what to look for. And, right now, I’m of the belief that the cancers of Fascism and Authoritarianism are growing rapidly in the United States.
How, then, do we confront such overwhelming culture shifts?
- We must acknowledge that something is terribly wrong.
- We must become willing to do the work of protecting the institutions, guardrails, and the world that we want.
That’s it. Simple to say, but hard to achieve when everything feels like it’s stacked against you. This is why there is ALWAYS a need for throngs of good people to come forth to not only protect and defend Democracy but to improve it as well.
Power corrupts. This is why it is the work of every generation to protect the freedoms they’ve been granted.
I spent a decade in my 20s and 30s working to save The Ballona Wetlands in Los Angeles from development and destruction. That work included creating and performing educational street theater, showing up to speak at city council meetings, protesting at Hollywood movie premiers, marching on the headquarters of Steven Spielberg’s business offices to hand out pamphlets to employees, writing letters, making phone calls, getting invited into schools to perform to/educate the children there, and any number of organizational meetings.
Until now, those memories have been fun to share and look back upon because I made life-long friends and made a difference by being a part of a movement that was larger than me.
Today, I now understand that my experiences protesting during that era has prepared me to stand up to the current global rise of Fascism, Totalitarianism, and Authoritarianism. More importantly, it’s now clear to me that the lessons I learned from protesting on the local, state, and national levels are valuable and need to be shared.
- One important factor has changed since the 1990s: readily available technology now means that today’s activists can plan and execute their strategies in incredibly powerful and widespread.
- One factor that has NOT changed: human beings act scared, mean, and defensive when confronted.
Therefore, it’s important to share that many of the same rules which applied to the political activism I practiced in the 1990s and 2000s still apply now. And so, for those who wish to join the movement to help protect and improve American Democracy, read on.
The Protester’s Handbook
During my decade of protesting both on and off the streets of Los Angeles, I came to understand a set of powerful lessons about the nature of protesting. Here, then, are those lessons:
- Those in power won’t grant you permission to protest, so don’t wait for it. There’s no bad time to start; just begin. American Democracy thrives on opposition. And, at times, it requires opposition in order to survive. Make like Nike and… just do it.
- Those in power don’t give up easily. Neither should you. A rarely-discussed secret about political action is that persistence counts for a disproportionately large amount of the results. Our coalition spent more than a decade battling against wealthy developers and a city government that badly wanted to destroy The Ballona Wetlands. As a result, we outlasted some of the developers, some of the politicians, and some of the proposed first tenants. That created leverage for us to ultimately score wins for our cause. Don’t give up.
- Don’t listen to haters. What other people think about our choices not only isn’t our business, but it also takes far too much time away from more important matters. Both Liberals and Conservatives alike harshly judged what our coalition did to try to save the Wetlands; we pressed on with our work anyway. It’s difficult — really difficult, actually — but we can train ourselves to ignore other people’s judgments and instead focus on the good and hard work that we’re already doing because…
- More people are on your side than you know. It is only a small minority of people who have concentrated their power. And while that power may seem overwhelming at times (because it IS), it’s important to remember: very few people have that kind of power. Everyone else is just like you and, for the most part, decent. They may not be on the front lines as you are to protest. They might be silent compared to your immediate colleagues who are on the streets with you. But they support you and you’ll be surprised when they show you how. Embrace those beautiful moments when they occur.
- Know and respect the law. There can be consequences to protesting. It’s important to know your rights before entering a situation. In general, I advocate for the kinds of non-violent, legal protests that the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Congressman John Lewis, Mohandas Gandhi, and the teams at Standing Rock have advocated. These kinds of protests are extremely powerful, especially when done in large groups. That being said, if you know the legal ramifications, sometimes…
- Non-violently breaking the law to make a statement can be powerful. When we were protesting the Ballona Wetlands being developed, we were sometimes joined by a lovely guy named Kyle. Kyle was a blind man with a huge heart. And, one day, after learning the possible consequences, Kyle allowed himself to be handcuffed to one of the bulldozers that the developers had been using to destroy as much of the vital wetland habitat as possible. Kyle stopped that from happening, at least for one day. He was arrested, of course, but his strategic and illegal protest served its purpose by sending a strong message to the city and its developer partners: we weren’t going away and we’d do whatever we could to slow them down. It’s essential to know in advance if chaining yourself to a bulldozer or stepping foot onto private property means that you might be arrested. This is why it’s important to…
- Work with lawyers that you trust. I think it’s essential to have a knowledgeable lawyer be an integral part of your protesting team. And not a personal injury lawyer: a Constitutional Rights lawyer. Ensure this person is with you when you protest. The National Lawyer Guild is famous for its members attending political rallies and protests wearing bright, green hats. If you’re without a lawyer during a protest, stay close to those with green hats. You’ll need a legal advocate to help defend your rights if law enforcement decides to act illegally or unconstitutionally against you. Law enforcement isn’t perfect. When they overreach — and they will — you’ll want someone on your team who knows the law and has the ability to fight for you in court.
- Those in power have contingency plans. You should too. Think of preparing for direct political action as you’d think of preparing for a natural disaster. Consider or implement all of the following: having safe and reliable numbers to text or call during emergencies; having trustworthy individuals with whom you can share information; knowing and working with a lawyer; having easy-to-use and encrypted lines of communication; forming an inner circle; having backup plans if you get separated. Think tactically and plan in advance.
- Record video of EVERYthing. The deck is stacked against protestors and especially protestors of color. There are many different laws. In addition, there are also many different local, state, and federal law-enforcement teams. Unfortunately, not all of them will know or respect all of those laws. As a result of the tragic shootings of Walter Scott, Philado Castille, and many, many others that I’ve tried to document, we’ve learned that having video evidence can help provide the kind of justice that would otherwise be unavailable. Everyone on your team should be ready, willing, and able to record video when you’re protesting. That means having charged devices and backup battery packs that are also charged and ready to go. Plan in advance and be prepared. Now that you’ve got video, you can…
- Get as much press as you can. Write letters to the editor with facts to support your opinions. Make friends with local journalists. Enlist the help of any well-known locals or celebrities (we were in LA so we had folks like Ed Asner and Martin Sheen join our cause) to bring attention to your cause. Call into radio shows. Attend city council meetings and bring your cameras, if allowed. Don’t be shy. The other side won’t be and neither should you. Boldly ask for coverage from the local and national press. This includes any blogs or social media accounts that you know and respect that might be able to post your exposure and/or readership. See some of our news stories at the end of this piece.
- You’ll learn that the issue you’re confronting is worse than expected. One of the perks of being in power is having the ability to hide certain information from certain people. Sometimes this includes hiding damning evidence from the entire public. Corruption, misappropriation, and scandals are often much worse than anyone knows. Until they do. Therefore, anticipate that you might be surprised or shocked at what you learn. The Flint, Michigan water crisis is an example of this concept.
- All police aren’t always the enemy. There are bad apples, to be sure. But there are also incredibly kind and patriotic officers who will defend your constitutional rights. The more you protest, the more you’ll meet some of them. Learn their names. Say hello. Treat them with kindness and dignity because their jobs aren’t only incredibly hard, but at times they can be life-threatening. Having a cop on your side in an unexpected or dangerous moment can provide a huge help when you least expect it.
- As you get closer to the truth, those in power will get scared and mad. I learned this lesson from an older and more seasoned protestor. One day, I was confused why it suddenly felt like the city, the developers, and the corporate interests were all simultaneously bearing down on us harshly. “It’s because we’re getting closer to the truth,” he said. “NOW they’re threatened. NOW they’re taking us more seriously. That’s a good thing. Now, the real work begins.” Embrace this truth. The closer you get to exposing a truth, the louder and more scared your adversaries will become. This is intended to scare you. As you work through your fear, try to see it for what it actually is: a sign that you’re about to take power from someone who doesn’t want you to. That’s the time to organize/protest more and DOUBLE DOWN.
- Those you love may be uncomfortable by your protesting. I’ve seen this and experienced this. Those you love — even those who claim to agree with your point of view — might be threatened by your protesting. Standing up for what you believe forces others who are close to you to confront why they aren’t helping you. Friendships and even romantic relationships can shift or end. Just know that in time, everything will be OK. In fact, it will be even better: you’ll find and create new friendships that are based on mutual understanding, shared interests, and respect in new and profound ways.
- Trust your instincts and trust your team. Always trust your instincts. It’s the small, still voice inside of you that yearns to be heard. But just in case you sometimes listen to the shit advice that your head can give you… make sure to surround yourselves with people who you trust enough to give you feedback when you want it. And when you need it.
In the next article in this series, I’ll explore some of the specific protest methods that you can use to confront and stop fascism and authoritarianism.
News Clippings
