Supportive roles
MARSHAL:
FOR MARCHES & OTHER DEMONSTRATIONS
Marshals “serve in a position of special responsibility as a demonstration marshal for an event. You are being asked to step away from being a participant and to accept the responsibility for helping the organization conduct the event and ensure the health and safety of participants. You will need to be ready and able to respond to orders given by the organizers and law enforcement, and be able to work within the chain of command. You will also need to lead the people for whom you are responsible.”
This is a serious and important role.
THE BASICS
Marshals need to be supplied with high-visibility (high-vis) vests (or another form of identification) by event organisers. The usual colour for marshal vests is orange.
Marshal duties vary depending on what type of event or demonstration it is, but there are some basic principles and duties that are consistent throughout any event:
Being a marshal takes physical endurance and can be physically taxing.
You must behave in an orderly fashion and follow instructions from event organisers and/or police.
There should be a chain of command for marshals. For example: event organisers > Lead Marshals > Marshals.
Having a few marshals designated as “runners” is beneficial. They relay messages between organisers and Lead Marshals etc.
Schedule a day of marshal training, if possible, and at the very least, plan a marshal briefing an hour or so before the event begins so that all marshals understand their role, know the event format & other important details and receive their vests (or another form of identification for the event).
Other tips
Wear comfortable clothing, and bring clothing suitable for weather conditions.
Wear protective and comfortable shoes.
Bring extra water (and snacks if you will be there for an extended time).
Wear a hat and other protective items if the event is taking place in warmer temperatures.
DETAILED INFO FOR MARCH & RALLY MARSHALS
Sample information pack for marshals (to be given on the day of event).
Check out this amazing resource for very important information on how to successfully marshal marches. It is also a great example of what type of information to provide your volunteers.
SAMPLE GUIDE FOR MARSHALS at rallies & marches
Police Liaison:
A Police Liaison’s role is to speak directly with police and negotiate terms of interaction with activists, Right to Protest and level of Police response, amongst other things. A Police Liaison will also negotiate terms of arrest(s). Wear high-vis and introduce yourself to police and explain your role. It is very important to document any arrests. Police liaisons need to ask what police station the arrested group member(s) will be taken to and make sure to arrange pick-up for each arrested group member.
The following information (Police Liaison) was pulled from https://anitamckone.wordpress.com/nva-resources/how-to-do-police-liaison/
If people haven’t previously done police liaison, or if they have but don’t feel confident about it yet, it is very useful for them to do a facilitated discussion exploring the feelings and issues involved. The following is a sample agenda for this.
The following information regarding police liaison is attended as a guide only, and is not intended to be used in relation to actions where information and details should be kept secure. Furthermore, some of this is not in line with direct action. You should spot what fits and what doesn’t fit in to the theory of direct action, and what may be more in line with institutionalized forms of activism.
Agenda (2 hours approx. depending on the number of people)
1) Personal sharing – How are participants feeling today? (1 and 2 can be combined)
2) Sharing – Why do you want to do police liaison? What do you want to get out of this session?
3) Working out or presenting the agenda – facilitator either works one out on the spot according to what people have said they want or presents the following format and checks that it includes everything people want to do.
4) Feelings – What are people’s feelings around dealing with the police in general and particularly in a liaison situation? Give each person plenty of time and reflectively listen to their feelings.
5) Why do we do police liaison? – let people brainstorm, then fill in any major gaps. People will probably come up with a combination of reasons related to principles, tactics and strategy. The list should include points related to:
* openness and honesty
* taking responsibility for, and pride in, our actions
* minimizing the risk of violence
* developing relationships beyond the stereotyped roles people normally play
* increasing opportunities over time for individual police to decide that they support your cause.
6) How do we do police liaison? – Ideastorm every issue that needs to be covered in a meeting with the police, or present the following general agenda for people to comment on/adapt to the particular circumstance.
1. Arrange a meeting with the police who will be dealing with the action. Find out which police to talk to well in advance of the action. Ask for about half an hour of their time (depending on the complexity of the action).
2. Work out in advance who will be talking through each part of the meeting so that new people, particularly, can prepare what they are going to say.
3. Points to be covered in the meeting with police:
Introductions – use police officers’ titles unless they ask you to use their names, encourage them to use your first names. Shake hands.
Chitchat – Try to chat about something not related to your action to make things a bit more relaxed before you begin (it helps if you already have a relationship with the particular police officer from previous actions).
a) Agenda – Run briefly through the different points you’ve planned to talk to them about to make sure they give you space to say what you need to, and to reassure them that you’re not going to rave at them for half an hour about the issue.
b) Who is organizing the action – Explain briefly what your action group does. If you have no previous connection with this particular police officer, explain the group’s connection with the Australian Nonviolence Network and find out if the police are familiar with other ANN groups such as the Melbourne Rainforest Action Group. Explain how all ANN groups use the same nonviolent discipline in their actions.
Find out if the police officer is aware of your group’s previous actions, give them names of police involved as a reference.
c) Why we are doing the action? – Explain briefly the issues involved in the action (plan for three or four sentences). Judge whether the officer is ready to hear more or less about the issue – if you feel that the officer does not want to hear about it, don’t push it and go straight on to what will be happening in the action.
d) What the details of the action are – Give the police a time-line and a diagram of how the action will be set up (if this is appropriate) and go through these step by step. Be prepared to give an estimate of the numbers you expect at the action – this is usually the first question the police ask.
e) How we will be carrying out this action – Talk about your adherence to nonviolent discipline, specifically:
* no physical violence
* no abuse of police or workers
* no damage to property
* intended response to arrest
* role of peacekeepers
* asking people to take part in the action only on the basis of accepting nonviolent discipline.
Give the police a copy of the ‘nonviolent discipline’ leaflet you will be handing out to people at the beginning of the action. (If you do not have a leaflet, you can make an announcement at the beginning of the event, or you can inform attendees in another way)
f) Police officers’ questions or concerns – Ask if they have any concerns and discuss these. If police ask you to change any part of the action, take time to consider whether or not the changes would affect the fundamental integrity the action. You might discuss the issue among yourselves there and then and come to an immediate decision, or ask for time to refer back to the whole group to get a consensus decision, depending on how complicated the issue is and how confident you feel in making an appropriate decision on the spot.
g) Requests of the police – Is there anything they can do for you (e.g. organizing parking spots for cars, talking to other parties involved, close off streets…)?
h) Concluding bits – Swap names and phone numbers. Arrange to send any extra information they might need or organize a future date to talk to them again if necessary. Indicate that you will be responsible for police liaison at the action and that you will be available for consultation before, during and after the action.
Police threats – If, during your liaison with them, police threaten to behave violently towards activists if the activists perform a certain action (such as trespass, climbing fences or obstruction) reiterate the activists’ commitment to nonviolence and state that, obviously, it is the police officers’ choice how they decide to respond. Depending on the political climate in your local situation, this type of threat may be given only in order to scare you off: if you maintain your calm determination to proceed as you have planned, despite arrest or violent responses from the police, there is considerable likelihood that no actual violence will occur (though activists most probably will be arrested). Obviously, if the police have been ordered to behave violently by political authorities above them, they may do so, but violence will be more difficult for them to enact if they see your relative fearlessness of their violent response and your calm determination to act according to your conscience while remaining nonviolent despite their provocation. Refraining from insulting police during the action and being willing to give up an immediate physical goal in favour of achieving a longer term strategic goal (by having mass arrests without physical tussles, for example) will also reduce the risk of police violence. If the police still behave violently despite the activists behaving in such a dignified way, this is likely to gain wider public sympathy and support for the activists and their cause.
Legal Observer:
Legal observers are individuals who attend public demonstrations, protests and other activities where there is a potential for conflict between the public or activists and the police, security guards, or other law enforcement personnel. The purpose of legal observers is to monitor, record these protests or other activities, and report on any unlawful or improper behaviour. Legal or human rights observers act as an independent third party within a conflictual civil protest context, observing police behaviour in order to keep police accountable for their actions. Legal observers can write incident reports describing police violence and misbehaviour and compile reports after the event. The use of video and still cameras, incident reports and audio recorders is common. The evidence that legal observers collect can be used later, during potential court proceedings for those that are arrested and charged during acts of civil disobedience and/or direct action.
It is thought that the concept of using legal observers first emerged during protests in the 1930s in the East End of London, where police agent’s provocateur was used during protests by the British Union of Fascists (BUF). There were large counter-protests and it was alleged that the police sided with the BUF. Another case of legal observing was that carried out by the Black Panthers in the United States.
Legal observers were used by Liberty (then known as the National Council for Civil Liberties) in Wapping, London, during the mid-1980s. The Wapping demonstration was in response to large protests by labour unions against the industrial relations policies of media magnate Rupert Murdoch.
In the United States, the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) holds registered trademarks for the words "legal observer" alone, as well as the words "legal observer" on a green background. The National Lawyers Guild Legal Observer certification program was established in 1968 in New York City in response to protests at Columbia University and citywide antiwar and civil rights demonstrations. That same year, guild students organized for the defense of people swept up in mass arrests at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The NLG Legal Observer certification program requires legal observers to take a training course and is part of a comprehensive system of legal support designed to enable people to express their political views as fully as possible without unconstitutional disruption or interference by the police and with the fewest possible consequences from the criminal justice system. Legal observers are trained and directed by National Lawyer Guild attorneys. The presence of legal observers may serve as a deterrent to unconstitutional behavior by law enforcement during a demonstration.
Some other sources of information and/or specific legal observer training are:
Activist Court Aid Brigade (ACAB)
Melbourne Activist Legal Support
Search for similar organisations in your area to know specifics that are relevant for you.
First-aid:
This is a very important role that should take priority at all rallies, protests and actions. Even small, sneaky actions need someone designated as the first-aid role so that any injuries or medical issues can be quickly addressed.
When organizing public rallies, demonstrations etc., you need to ensure that someone with up-to-date accreditation or certification takes the role of first-aid officer or organizers may be held legally responsible for any incidents that may occur resulting in injury or sickness.
It is up to affinity groups, campaigns etc. to decide whether or not you want to get public liability insurance.
First-aid officers need to have a first-aid kit and be prepared to deal with anything ranging from overheating to snake bites depending on temperatures and weather conditions, the location of protest/action and many other factors.
Are police using mace/pepper spray? Will you be outside or inside? What is the temperature expected to reach? Will there be protection from the sun and/or weather conditions? Does anyone in your group have allergies or medical/other conditions that should be discussed? What is the protest area like? Will there be a high risk of sprains or other similar injuries?
First-aid officers need to be prepared to handle a range of situations and injuries. Make sure first-aid officers are trained and knowledgeable. Ideally, nurses, first-aid officials and other medical professionals can assist with this role or with training others for this role.
Pepper spray remedies (pulled from cross-referenced online sources) - Since pepper spray is oil based (derived from oleoresin capsicum) it simply won’t wash away with just water unless applied over an extended period of time (say 30 minutes or more). If you have been contaminated with pepper spray (especially in the face) DO NOT RUB the contaminated area because it will not remove or stop the side effects. Resist this urge as much as possible.
Pepper spray is an inflammatory agent. It is designed to inflame your capillaries and cause a horrific burning sensation. When you touch a contaminated area you aid the pepper spray in opening up the capillaries. Doing this may increase the burning sensation tenfold and make it spread.
Stopping the Burn -
There is no easy or pain free way to cure pepper spray contamination and people may react differently to pepper spray. The removing techniques that work for some may not work for others. The tips below may assist.
One recommendation for pepper spray removal is to start with applying whole milk to the affected area. You can apply it to the affected area via a spray bottle, splash it directly on your skin, saturate a clean towel and lay it over the affected area or submerse the affected area. The milk should help take the burn away. However, this will not remove the oils in the pepper spray. For getting the oils off it is recommended to use the below antidote.
Removing the Pepper Spray Oil from Your Skin
Use a solution of 25% dishwashing detergent and 75% water. Use cold water and make up at least a gallon because you are going to have to wash the affected area at least 7 to 8 times.
If your face is contaminated mix the detergent in a bowl that that is deep enough to immerse your face in for 10 or 15 seconds at a time. Let the detergent start to do its job of breaking down the oils. Do not use your hands or a cloth to wipe the solution away. Just let it sit. Once you have done this a few times you can start lightly using your hands (after they have been dipped in the solution) or use a solution-saturated towel to work the detergent into your skin. This is most likely going to activate your capillaries and the pepper spray. This is normal so try to remain calm and patient. Decontaminating yourself from pepper spray can take as little as 15 minutes to as long as 45 minutes before symptoms subside. Recovery depends greatly on your skin type.
Once you can touch your face without too much discomfort you can use a little more pressure to work the solution in. Once you are to this point rinse your face between the applications of the solution. You may even wish to make up a new smaller batch of solution that is clean and does not have any oil residue in it. Because your skin will absorb some of the oils you will not be able to completely wash it out. But by this time at least the effects will be tolerable.
If you get pepper spray in your eyes when wearing contacts, take them out as soon as you possibly can. Throw them away: getting the pepper spray off them will be practically impossible. Blinking helps wash the capsicum from the eyes, which isn't much comfort to someone who has to spend the next half hour waiting for the pain to diminish. You can also try flushing eyes with saline solution.
Community Liaison:
This role serves to inform the general public about why an action is occurring when it is in a public setting. This can be done through flyers or chatting to them individually or addressing a group of pedestrians/members of the public with a megaphone or microphone. Folks that perform this role also serve to de-escalate members of the public and/or other activists if their behaviour escalates. High vis is needed but should be a different colour of vest from the other supportive roles. (Each role needs its own colour of vest or other identification). Community Liaisons need to be trained/experienced in de-escalation skills and tactics. Using humour can be beneficial. Learn tips about de-escalation here.
Media liaison
WHAT IS THE MEDIA?
Separate from social media, we have journalists, editors and broadcasters that serve the community by reporting on important information, events and other matters that concern politics, the economy, weather, human rights, social matters and much, much more. We have international media companies along with national, state and local/community level ones. There are newspapers (yes, still!), magazines, blogs, and, of course, radio stations and television channels and the companies that own them. All of these forms of media are worth considering.
CONTACTING THE MEDIA
Contacting the media is very effective when you have important information that you want to spread rapidly or 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.
You can easily find email addresses for writers and editors by searching online or by calling and asking.
Keep a media contact list to reference when needed. This will need to be updated regularly as editors and journalists/writers may often switch employers.
For formal communication, like a media/press release, you would usually email these to media companies. You can opt to also send them through snail-mail, but you need to ensure plenty of time for your letters to arrive, and you still need to send emails closer to the date of your event, or a suitable date relevant to the information included in your media/press release.
Be cautious when divulging information with the media. It is not wise to share information with them that you do not want to be shared publicly. However, they do operate within rules and codes. If you are clear that certain information is not to be used, and you do this in writing, they should be bound to honor that request.
You can look up media/reporting/journalistic codes, guidelines and other relevant policies online.
INTERVIEW TIPS
Whether we like it or not, the general public want to see clean-cut, well-mannered and articulate people on their news segments, and media companies know this. If you/your group need to liaise with journalists and/or you or someone in your group will need to do an interview, there are some considerations to make and some general rules that will help make your interview successful.
Dress professionally when on camera or meeting a journalist.
Be clean in appearance, making sure hair is not too ‘free’ that day.
Remove excessive piercings and cover as many tattoos as possible.
Speak slightly slower than you normally would, making sure to pronounce words clearly.
Do not use words or terms that you do not understand, or that are not common in society.
Keep it professional, but also natural.
Always ask journalists for a set list of questions that they will be asking. This is your right.
Once you have the list of questions, answer them (write them down) so that you can practice your interview beforehand, numerous times.
Make sure to use consistent messaging and to convey your key points and information.
Remember to breathe! If you are doing a live interview, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth to steady your heartbeat and calm your nerves.
OTHER TIPS
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 through social media, blog posts, open forums, email campaigns and in other ways.
Remember to stick to the facts from your research and work as a group to contact as many media sources as possible. Resend messages if you do not get prompt responses.
Check online for other tips (there are plenty). We have provided some links to further information below:
Learn from the journalists point-of-view