BEFORE THE PROTEST

Effective protest begins long before the day of action. The preparation phase is where the foundations of an impactful action are laid, and where the most consequential decisions are made. Rushing or skipping this phase is one of the most common reasons actions fail, expose participants to unnecessary risk or are co-opted by others.

The first and most important question is also the simplest: Why are you protesting? Movements that have not agreed on what they stand for, what they are demanding, and what change they would consider a victory are easy targets for manipulation and division. With a shared purpose in place, work through the following questions together: