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“How To” Action Steps for
Organizing a Direct Action: Protest
Identify the Issue(s) or Problem(s)
- Ask: Why are you protesting? For
example, you want your public officials to end discrimination
against Latino and Latina youth in the justice system.
- Make sure the issue is broad enough
to attract a large audience, but distinct enough to address in one
protest.
Identify the Pressure Point(s)
- Ask: Who has the power to affect
change in this situation? For example, state legislators have the
power to change your state laws on how Latino youth are treated by
the justice system; your governor has the power to approve or
disapprove funding increases for community-based youth services; and
state officials who run your state’s department of juvenile
justice have the power to change how juvenile justice services and
programs are run.
- Locate your protest at the office or
headquarters of this person or organization.
- You will need a permit from local
government officials to protest in most locations. Obtain your
permit as early in the process as possible.
- Target as few people or
organizations as possible, so that your collective energy is not
spread thin.
Identify Your Allies and Your
Opponents
- Ask: Who would be interested in
participating in this campaign? Who could potentially discredit this
campaign if they found out?
- Outreach only to those persons or
organizations that have been identified as allies. Allies could
include local civil and human rights activists, social justice
groups in the faith community and local chapters of groups such as
Amnesty International, the National Council of La Raza and LULAC.
Your opponents may have much greater access to media networks than
your organization, so try not to tip them off if possible.
Outreach!
There are many different strategies for
outreach in the community. Creativity, cultural and age sensitivity, and
a general knowledge of your audience will increase the community’s
reception.
- Flyers: Distribute as many flyers
as possible. When handing out flyers, talk to as many people as
possible about your event. Leave flyers in businesses,
restaurants, schools, on street lamps and in any public place that
will not consider this vandalism or solicitation (No Malls!).
Posting flyers in strategic locations will save energy and time,
but personal contact and conversation is more effective. It is
safe to expect a 3-5% return on your flyers: If you distribute
10,000 flyers, you can expect 300-500 people.
- Email: If you don’t have your
own email network, tap into networks of your allies. Through
email, you can potentially reach thousands of people with the
click of a mouse.
- Interest Meeting: If possible,
organize an interest meeting to educate the public about the issue
that you are protesting. A greater understanding can lead to
greater involvement.
- Media: If you want the media to
cover your protest, you will need to issue a press release and
media advisory. Contact ALL the major and minor media networks.
Contact both newspapers and TV stations.
The Message
- Be clear and direct with your
message.
- Be sure to include specific demands
and solutions to the issue.
- Identify a plan of action or a
series of recommendations to accomplish these goals.
- The media will be most interested in
your demands and proposed solutions.
- The media is also very skilled at
identifying that person who doesn’t know much, so designate two to
three spokespeople.
You should also distribute a leaflet
with your demands and recommendations at the event. Media tips are
included in this packet to help you get media coverage. |
