Simple ways to get your message out
Here are some easy and low-risk (green level) ways to start taking action!
These tips are good to remember for other forms of activism, too. Messaging, the way in which you convey information, is very important when you need to communicate something important or urgent to the wider public, which is relevant for any type of action.
EDUCATE AND NEGOTIATE
Don't underestimate the power of education and reaching out to someone for negotiation. If a problem exists, the opposing person is most likely a victim of the same oppressive systems you are fighting against. Give them a chance to be reasoned with. Do they even know the problem exists? If so, do they know how to solve the problem? At times, you may end up reaching a compromise. As long as the group members have discussed this option and agreed upon it, compromise may be a viable option.
Public outreach is a very effective way of educating the general public and getting information to people so they can support your campaign/protest/petition/cause etc. As any form of activism can, public outreach takes many forms. You can learn more about this style of activism on our What type of activism suits you? page.
You can print off some simple, yet effective, flyers or leaflets and hand them out on campus, at work or anywhere there is a lot of foot-traffic. These are very effective and efficient ways to spread information.
SIGNS AND BANNERS
If you cannot afford professional printing, make your own signs and banners. You can go to many different businesses and ask for cardboard they would otherwise throw away or recycle, and use that cardboard for your signs. Markers/sharpies, paint or spray paint is all you need from there.
Stencils are great to use, but are not necessary.
You can go to your local thrift store/op shop and find sheets and other materials to use for banners. Learn more helpful tips here.
Using #hashtags is a great way to focus attention on your campaign or message as well as “tagging” relevant businesses and/or individuals.
Having a network, or community, of people to share information, posts, links etc is very beneficial. In fact, you can run an entire campaign through social media! It can be very easy to build public interest and pressure if you are informed. Our website has a lot of links and information to help you learn more about online campaigns, video outreach and more at the bottom of the What type of activism suits you? page.
Using eye-catching graphics is very important when engaging in digital activism. Canva is a great design platform which offers more than enough free options to make top-notch graphics for your campaign.
MAKE A PETITION
Making petitions and collecting signatures may seem old fashioned, but it is a very effective approach to changing laws and policies. Just google "making a petition in (insert your city/town/suburb)" and you should be redirected to a local government website with all you need to know about making and tabling a petition in your area. These websites may even have usable templates for paper petitions, and there are many platforms for online petitions including GetUp! and Change.org. Reach out to your community, friends and family, to help collect signatures and gain support for your cause. Learn more about making petitions when you go to find what type of activism suits you.
This can be very effective when you need to get exposure quickly or if you need to get some public pressure on a business or individual. It is easy to contact multiple media agencies, journalists and other media sources in a short amount of time using social media, hashtags/”tagging” them in posts and by sending them emails and messages. Remember to stick to the facts from your research and work as a group to contact as many media sources as possible.
Keep a media contact list to reference when needed.
Do not be intimidated by their professional position. The media is there for us to use to our benefit. When they won't, we can do it ourselves with the help of our communities and networks of support.
Check out ALL of our important media tips here.
Don't forget to send your footage, links to events & petitions etc. to thedirectactionmovement@gmail.com. We will do our best to share your material on our website.
It is important to Have the following skills for institutionalized forms of activism and for direct action. It is better to be prepared.
Physical skills
What you will cover
-Nonviolent movement and nonviolent body/verbal language
-Nonviolently resisting arrest
-Linking arms and hands + stance; standing and sitting as a unit while linked
-Moving as a unit while linked; removing targeted activist
Nonviolent movement, verbal/body language
Try not to swear. Not only does this escalate situations but it can also be a charge if you swear at an officer. Try to keep your voice down, do not communicate threats, try not to make swift movements around police/horses/dogs/opposition and try to keep your palms open (no fists) and do not act as if you are going to throw/hit/swing anything. Smile instead of looking angry when possible.
Humour is a great de-escalation tool.
You can do some role play to test the way each of you react and feel when different levels of escalation are reached.
Peacefully resisting arrest
You can either go with “stiff as a board” or “limp as a wet noodle.” If police ask you to move, you may have planned to get a move-on notice, which is just a piece of paper and a 24-hour restriction from a specific area in relation to the protest/action (may not be a ‘thing’ in your area, please double-check), or you may have planned to resist and get arrested. They will eventually physically remove you. If you choose to resist arrest, you can either tense your body (stiff as a board) or go limp (limp as a wet noodle). Either tactic makes it more difficult for you to be physically moved. You should not kick, punch or otherwise act in an aggressive manner. You can pretty much just lay/sit still and wait to be carried away and arrested.
Do some role play. Have an even number of police and protestors. The protestors have decided to sit down and block an intersection. The police have tried to negotiate through Police Liaisons for the protestors to move, but they refuse. So now the police have decided to physically remove the protestors. Have some of the protestors try the “stiff as a board” tactic while the others test out the “limp as a wet noodle” tactic. Discuss the pros/cons of each and what situations they may work best in.
When you are resisting arrest, keeping your head down can help prevent personal/internal escalation. If you are anxious or your stress levels are increasing, take slow deep breaths and use the grounding skills you’ve learned. Your affinity group should also be aware so they can support you.
There is a difference between facing police/opposition and turning your back on police/opposition. This can go different ways with Police. It may be taken as resisting arrest if you have already been addressed by an officer. It also may escalate situations between you and opposition, but at times, peacefully standing or sitting with backs facing opposition can be seen as peaceful and submissive. Discuss this and see if you can determine when each ‘position’ may be beneficial/appropriate.
Linking arms + stance
When standing/occupying a space that you do not want to be moved from, stand with your feet approximately shoulder width apart and bend your knees slightly. Do not stand with stiff, straight legs/locked knees or you may lose your balance easily. In order to be more difficult to move, you can link arms with those around you. Linking arms is a very commonly used tactic by protestors to make themselves a solid unit. This is a tactic to stall and use resources. When you do this, try your best to link arms with people that are of similar height. Any vulnerable or at risk protestors should be flanked by stronger and more experienced activists. Try to wrap your hands around the opposite wrist after linking arms. This makes for an extra tight hold. When protestors are linked up like this, it becomes much more difficult to move you. Role play and see the difference between police moving a few protestors that are not linked vs moving a line or circle of linked protestors.
Once you feel comfortable with linking arms, practice this in a line, and then make a circle. This steps up the difficulty or removing/separating you even more. The protestors on either end will need to look for one another and link up quickly. Now, you can either be facing out, or facing in, when your group forms a linked circle. Remember the discussion and role play regarding facing police/opposition and turning your back to police/opposition and translate it into this exercise.
Once you are ready to move on to the next level, take all that you have learned so far and practice sitting and standing in a linked line and linked circle. This takes practice to get your balance and weight dispersion correct so that you are not falling backward. This needs to be clean and quick so that police cannot come and pick you off.
Finally, practice moving a targeted protestor out of the area. This is done by making that linked circle around an activist and quickly but safely moving the circle away from police so that the protestor can get away. If you see police acting like they are going to target a specific protestor for arrest, your group can quickly link up and move to that protestor, circle them and move them away. You will need to have already decided on an exit route that allows the protestor to have cover or have easy access to a getaway. You need to make sure that the circled protestor isn’t being trampled on and that members of the linked circle do not lose their footing. This takes leadership and clear communication. You may want to nominate one or two group members to be the ones to call out during those instances; which direction to go, which protestor needs removal and so on.
Violence vs nonviolence exercise
This exercise is a tool that will help affinity group members understand how the concepts of nonviolence and violence are subjective, and how each of us can have very different opinions on what is or is not violent. This does not mean that group members cannot work together. Not at all. To the contrary, a wide variety of perspectives makes things interesting, and having different perspectives and outlooks involved with discussions and planning can be very beneficial.
This exercise is one that should open doors to conversations and lead to a better understanding of your fellow affinity group members and their stances on nonviolence vs violence. It may also give insight in to your own perspectives that you may not have been aware of previously. You should also begin to understand how, even if your actions are perceived as nonviolent by you and your fellow group members, others may perceive your actions differently. It is VERY important to understand that this exercise is just that. You are NOT saying “I would commit this act” by viewing an act as violent/nonviolent. There should be no judgement during or after this exercise. You can use your knowledge of the consensus decision making process and options for blocking when actions raise concerns for members regarding their perception of violence.
Exercise
Ask group members to stand up and ‘draw’ a line on the floor/ground. If you have something to use, go for it. Otherwise, just show where the “line” is. One end of the ‘line’ represents “nonviolence,” the other represents “violence.” The line is a spectrum and gradually increases from nonviolence to violence. (Like a scale of 1 to 10, nonviolent being the 1 and violent being the 10)
Once this is all clear to group members, you will ask the following questions, giving time after each for people to move up or down the line to where they feel the proposed action falls on this spectrum of nonviolence to violence. It is a great idea after each question to ask one group member to explain why they feel that proposed action is violent/nonviolent (or wherever they end up on that spectrum [line]). Rotate who you elect to answer and watch for social cues that someone may not want to be elected for this.
Questions/proposed actions
1) The act of screaming “AHHHHHHHH” very loudly when no one is around and no one can hear you.
2) The act of screaming at a child when they have misbehaved.
3) The act of screaming threatening remarks at officers that have assaulted a protestor at a nonviolent rally or protest.
4) Hitting a dog.
5) Purchasing and eating meat.
6) Removing a corporate-owned fence that is a boundary marker for an area of old growth forest that is being clear-felled.
7) Damaging a bulldozer, that is being used to clear a forest, by sabotaging the driving mechanism or the fuel system.
8) Burning down a facility where hundreds of animals are routinely, forcibly inseminated and killed every week.
9) Shooting the “enemy” during a war.
10) Making the decision to wage war against another country.