IMMEDIATE STEPS (WITHIN 24 HOURS)
The protest does not end when participants disperse. The hours immediately after an action are often the most consequential: for people who have been arrested, the first few hours of detention are when legal intervention is most effective; for those who are injured, delays in care carry real risks; and documentation degrades quickly if not secured. This section covers the immediate priorities of the post-protest period, followed by the longer work of accountability, collective care and movement sustainability.
In the hours immediately after a protest, the coordination team should work through three priorities, in this order: accounting for everyone, responding to arrests and injuries, and securing documentation before it is lost or compromised.
Accounting for all participants
Use your buddy network lists to confirm that everyone has dispersed safely. If any participants remain unaccounted notify the legal team immediately, because they may have been detained without your knowledge. Silence is the signal that something is wrong.
Responding to arrests
Regroup as quickly as possible and establish the following:
- How many people have been arrested?
- Which police station or detention facility are they being held in?
- Have they been charged, and if so, with what?
- Have they been able to contact a lawyer?
Share this information with your legal support contact as soon as it is gathered; do not wait until everything is confirmed before making the call. Legal teams can intervene most effectively in the early hours of a detention, before charges are formalised or detention conditions worsen.
Stay in contact with detained participants’ families and keep them informed. Uncertainty is one of the most distressing aspects of an arrest for families, so even a brief message confirming that you know where the person is and that legal support is on the way is meaningful.
Responding to injuries
Check whether anyone is injured or unwell and prioritise those who need urgent medical attention. Do not leave injured people alone. Stay with the person until they are in professional care. If you pre-identified safe medical contacts during the planning phase, community health workers, sympathetic medical professionals or field medics, activate them now if formal care carries risk in your context.