5 Essential Steps to Organizing a Powerful Protest
Protesting has long functioned as an aspect of human expression since historical times, serving as a powerful tool to affect social change and speak truth to power.
An effective protest can help you raise awareness and mobilize support to achieve this change. What makes a protest successful? At its essence, effective protest hinges on organization.
Here are five essential steps for staging a powerful protest.
1. Understand Your Objectives
The first step entails gathering like-minded individuals and determining if a protest is the best course of action. What goals are you trying to accomplish? Is a demonstration the best way to achieve your objectives? Peaceful protests are a great way to raise awareness about an injustice taking place, express displeasure with a government or company policy, or push for change. Some of the most effective protests we have organized involve spreading the word to stakeholders of companies and governments about problematic policies that they are in many cases not aware of creating pressure on management or government teams to take action. Protests are hard to ignore which is why they are effective. However, sometimes organizing a protest in the middle of a good faith negotiation (for example, in a collective bargaining situation) can be counterproductive because it entrenches your adversary in their position. To the extent that the protest is intended to insist on a particular action being taken, it’s important to understand the organization or individual’s sensitivity to such things. It is always effective to call out organizations for a disconnect between their stated values and the ramifications of their policies.
A progressive university may take swift action in response to a protest calling them out for enabling sexual harassment by professors or allowing racially discriminatory hiring practices. Similarly, a conservative church may take swift action in response to a protest calling out leadership for promiscuous behavior. Conversely, some organizations that don’t have a public-facing presence may not concern themselves with protesters.
Crowds on Demand often works with clients conflicted about whether a protest is the best step and will advise clients whether it makes sense strategically. Understanding the situation you are in is critical to understanding whether a protest is a good course of action.
2. Planning and Scale
Once you decide to organize a protest, it is essential to determine the location and scale of the demonstration. If your goal is to protest a corporate CEO, a group of 15 protesters outside corporate HQ will make a big stir. If you are looking to change US government policy and organize a rally on Capitol Hill or outside the White House, you need to think much bigger. Think about how many attendees you believe you can draw out and consider the best location with that in mind.
Next, you should discuss what your group will do during the demonstration. Draft a program that is directed toward the desired demonstration results. If you intend to have speeches during the demonstration, using celebrity speakers may be effective as they can draw attention from the general public, legislators or other elected officials.
Crowds on Demand can assist with organizing rallies from the ground up including bringing in participants who believe in the cause and organizing guest speakers. According to Crowds on Demand CEO Adam Swart, paying participants is a way to provide activists from lower income backgrounds a means to impactfully participate.
”Paid protestors can provide individuals from lower-income backgrounds or marginalized communities with the opportunity to participate in activism for causes they deeply believe in”, says Crowds on Demand CEO Adam Swart.
You must also plan for the route you'll follow while marching, either to the location of the problem or to raise more awareness of the problem. Additionally, consider incorporating a symbolic activity like chanting slogans, lighting candles or displaying a document or picture to relay your message.
3. Logistics
This entails clearly defining everyone's role in the demonstration. It also involves how you will acquire all the materials and facilities needed to make the protest smooth. Figure out a good meeting spot and make sure everyone at your protest is engaged with the movement. Sometimes, outside agitators join protests to create chaos which makes your cause look bad. Consider every little aspect of the protest. For example: Having professionally printed signs is expensive but can create much better photographs and visual impact. If it is a controversial topic, be prepared for hecklers. Try to instruct participants to engage respectfully with passersby to put the best foot forward for your cause.
Crowds on Demand CEO Adam Swart adds “don’t forget to buy lozenges, water, and make sure you know where bathrooms are.”
4. Legal Matters
Violating the local regulations can lead to a confrontation with law enforcement. To ensure compliance with laws and regulations, thoroughly research the requirements for public demonstrations in your community. Determine if a permit is necessary and take into account any restrictions, such as rules regarding littering and amplified sound.
Communicate to your supporters and authorities that safety is a priority, and establish a means for the authorities to maintain contact with your group during the demonstration.
According to Crowds on Demand CEO Adam Swart, establishing a communications channel with law enforcement is critical “Many demonstration organizers incorrectly view law enforcement as trying to shut down first amendment rights. In fact, law enforcement is there to protect First Amendment rights and they are almost always supportive of peaceful protests. I recommend organizers establish communication with law enforcement and advise them that their demonstration will be peaceful and respect local ordinances but conversely that they should respectfully insist on the ability to protest as long as they are on public ground. In my experience, sometimes authorities will ask demonstrators to move far away from where an event is taking place—I would respectfully insist that you be allowed to remain on public ground and respectfully ask that they check with their higher-ups. This positive dialogue will get you a lot better results than videotaping them–which they don’t like–and screaming ‘first amendment’”.
Understanding that you 100% have the right to demonstrate loudly but engaging respectfully with the authorities will lead to a well-executed event.
5. Promotion and Outreach
Publicizing your event is an essential element of organizing powerful protests. To ensure a large turnout, employ diverse outreach methods such as phone calls, flyers, posters, and advertising. The most effective way to drive attendance however is speaking with as many prospective attendees personally instead of counting on an online RSVP via social media being enough. According to Crowds on Demand CEO Adam Swart, RSVPs are not the same as attendance “Many of our clients come to us because they previously attempted to organize protests themselves and failed. I had one client who had a failed event with 10,000 RSVPs to attend and 20 attendees. The ratios can be that bad.” Each planning stage presents an opportunity to strengthen solidarity within your group. Maintain transparency by involving all members and encouraging idea sharing.
Additionally, you can cultivate relationships in your group through activities like sign-making parties. Consider throughout that process whether you’re spending more money on promotion than you would to incentivize activists to attend.
Conclusion
Exercising your right to free speech through activities like demonstrations can be a powerful way to enact change. Proper planning is essential for the success of any initiative. If you're organizing a protest for any cause, consider strategies to effectively mobilize supporters and ensure a strong turnout.
Crowds on Demand can help you get the needed crowds for effectiveness. Visit the company website for more information.