Voluntary and empowered risks
Because activism is not "out of the box", it is up to you to decide if you, as organiser or participant, feel any responsibility for those you bring with you to an action.
Often there is no one team or group organising around protests, and no one accepted principle on which to base actions.
This can be both exciting and empowering for you and frustrating for the media and police who want to speak to a recognisable leader or spokesperson. But it also brings with it a larger responsibility for personal action.
A principle for good legal organisation is to ensure that everyone who participates has made a voluntary, empowered and informed choice.
Inform
Assist people to make informed decisions, so:
- inform those participating in a protest of the issues in clear simple materials that are based on fact, not speculation. Where possible, offer these in community languages also. Knowledge is power so use it wisely.
- inform participants of their rights refer them to resources such as this Activists Rights website or encourage them to speak to their local community legal service or lawyer if they have concerns.
- inform participants of possible consequences for their actions; for example, if you are reasonably sure that a peaceful action could escalate into a confrontation or possibly an arrestable situation, let them know so individuals can make an informed decision.
Consider providing:
- training before actions this is a good way to make sure people meet each other and understand issues before big actions. It can be a valuable way to establish affinity groups too.
- adequate protection where possible, with things such as shelter, a map of the area, and clear access and exit points to the protest.
- legal assistance again, if you can't organise legal assistance on site, encourage participants to take this on themselves by referring to resources like the Activist Rights website or community legal centres.
- medical assistance even providing a clearly defined area which people can go to in case of medical emergencies and encouraging those who have some first aid or medical training to rotate on shifts can be adequate.
- debriefing after the actions this can be very valuable and necessary, especially for those who may have been arrested or hurt, or for whom this was a "first time" experience. It can also be a great learning tool for organisers to hear what "worked" and what didn't according to those who participated.
Respect
Respect the limitations people set if they don't want to get involved in an action, try to find other roles for them. Every person has the right to choose how they will participate. Respect others ensure your actions are not going to harm, degrade or endanger other people taking part in actions, or innocent bystanders.
- Don't forget to be aware of and respect the environment around you too.
Responsibility
Most importantly, take responsibility for yourself and make it clear that all participants should do the same. Each person is responsible for their own life, experiences and behaviour. This extends to taking responsibility for one's participation at a demonstration, protest or rally.
This means taking on any legal ramifications for your actions, and making sure you have made yourself known to the legal support team if you have any concerns about getting involved in arrestable actions.
In an action, it can also mean informing others around you of any relevant medical details, pointing out any dangers, being sure that people standing with you have heard police warnings or are informed of any developments. Fundamentally it means owning your action and choices.
And remember:
If you don't protest injustice when you can, you may find yourself unable to. Read about the S11 Legal Support Team and case studies as a further resource.
For other discussions go to Organising legal support
|
|
