On September 17th at 1:30 p.m., we here at Mead High School had a school-wide walkout to protest gun violence. The results? 20-30 students who, although I’m sure did try to protest, didn’t really do anything. When news of this reached me, someone who has an entire file saved on my phone on protesting, I was disappointed. So, I write this article to explain how protests actually happen, and why they need real planning, not just action. This article will be separated into three main sections: What rights do protesters have? How does one organize a protest? And How to Protest Safely and Effectively.
The United States of America is one of the few countries that has some pretty robust protections for protesters, but oftentimes, they are misleading. Here is a basic overview of what rights and protections you have when participating in a protest.
#1: The First Amendment. This amendment protects and grants the right to freedom of speech, petition, press, and assembly. You have the right to record any government official performing duties in public spaces (although reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions do apply). You also have the right to peaceably assemble, although it is limited. You cannot trespass on private property, engage in unlawful conduct, and have no right to interfere with crime and disaster scenes.
#2: The Fourth Amendment. This amendment protects seizure of both property and person. You cannot be arrested or frisked without an objective or reasonable belief of being “armed and dangerous.” However, at a protest, there are certain restrictions in place. Your cell phone is protected from being seized during a protest, unless it has a fingerprint scan or face recognition. But thankfully, most 4A issues can be argued against in court.
Here are further protections and rights you have as a protester:
- You have the right to protest on public or government-owned property (a permit may be required).
- You can protest on a sidewalk as long as others can pass, and on your own private property or someone else’s if they give consent.
- You have the right to take videos and photos as long as you are in a public place, and deny officers access to your phone.
- Law enforcement cannot delete information or data on your phone under any circumstances.
- If you are stopped by law enforcement, you can ask if you are free to leave. If you are free to leave, then walk away calmly.
- You have a right to refuse consent to a search of yourself and your belongings in public spaces.
With the rights of protesters out of the way, we can get into how to actually plan a protest. In my experience, if you are doing a protest or demonstration during the week, you’re gonna want to begin the planning stage at least a week before the date of the protest. So, what are the steps?
#1: Organize. As we saw with the walkout, there was no public group organizing it, no public leadership, no plans as to what to do when protesting—nothing that makes protests effective. You must begin with a small number of people and coordinate. Choose a place to organize, choose a time, and plan accordingly.
- View a map of the area where your protest is taking place.
- Coordinate with members of your group, make sure there are delegates passing out water, food, and other essentials such as signs and posters.
- Inform someone not attending the protest that you will be there, in case you are detained by a law enforcement officer or remain longer than intended.
#2: Set clear goals and messaging.
- Make your message clear and concise, not divisive and confusing. Something short, usually around 3 words or a sentence, should be enough to get into the minds of those protesting.
- Set a goal for how long you need to protest for, and how many people need to be there. Usually, protests have crowds of 150, which seems like a lot, but is a fairly reasonable number depending on the subject. Make sure you know how many people are going and what their roles are; you don’t want anyone acting criminally. An example goal would be, “Activist A will make a list of signatures of everyone that shows up, hopefully getting 150 signatures, and keeping track of how many people enter the area.”
#3: Determine your actions and how they might change the environment. Walkouts aren’t the only form of protest, and neither are marches. Protests come in many different shapes and sizes, from singing protests where people congregate to sing in opposition to something, a notable example being how Estonia freed themselves from the Soviet Union by singing. To lie-ins, where a large group of people pretend to be dead on the ground to bring awareness. This is a very important step in the process, but as long as you follow regulations and laws, you can basically do anything you want for your protest.
With the planning out of the way, how do you protest safely and effectively?
At least a day before the protest, get with the organizers and make sure everyone is on the same page. Where is everyone going? Who’s in charge of what? And please, for the love of god, bring water and extra posters. Make sure you obey the laws in place, and make sure to be civil. Protests usually last a while, so dress for the weather. During the protests, the organizers should be handing out flyers or posters, and participants should be as loud as possible, and have posters and pamphlets of their own.
One solid message with one solid group of people is sure to bring attention. Should the media or law enforcement arrive, remember to stay civil and calm, attempt to be on your best behavior while simultaneously presenting your beliefs. Don’t stray too far from a crowd, police oftentimes question and/or arrest those on the outside fringes. Should law enforcement stop you, just follow the precautions above.
I hope this helps clarify a few things on how protests actually work and happen, while also providing a good framework for political, social, economic, societal, or environmental changes.
