NEXT STEPS
Setting an Agenda, Spreading the Word, Preparing for Force
SET AN AGENDA
Having hundreds of people gathered in a single place is a great start. You know your goals, you have a permit to be there, everyone who agreed to come came but… Now what?
Without an agenda or an additional focal point, the cohesion and disposition of your assembled group can quickly fall apart.
We strongly recommend having community leaders with relevant experience to the issues your event is focused on attend your protest as speakers. There are many bright, eloquent, passionate speakers available to fill this role in Wilmington, and we can either get you in touch with them directly, or put you in touch with someone who can to request their presence and assistance with your protest. Pacing a series of speakers throughout the planned time of your demonstration is an effective way to keep the attention of your attendees, keep focus on the reason for gathering, and maintain structure for the duration of your event.
Another strategy for adhering to an effective timetable throughout the event is to have one or two designated organizers lead your participants in chants or songs, or assist with marching through a set path of locations and then returning to the designated spot.
SPREAD THE WORD
Once you’ve established your goals, obtained your permit for a specific time and date, and set your agenda, it’s time to get the eyes of the public and potential attendees on your event.
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The spread of social media has made this easier than ever, and you should utilize it to its full extent in order to advertise your intent and the specifics of your demonstration. The most simple form of this is the creation of a Facebook Event, which can be disseminated to other community activist groups for visibility, including our own. You can also spread the word via other social media platforms — Instagram stories and posts, Snapchat stories, etc.
Contacting local news media and radio stations and requesting that they publish information about your protest is another great way to reach audiences that may not otherwise have heard about your plans.
AN UNFORTUNATE REALITY
In our current political climate, several recent protests on a national level, including the ones in Wilmington on May 31st and June 1st, have resulted in use of non-inert CS gas and other aggressive dispersion tactics by law enforcement. Escalation measures undertaken by the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, and, to a lesser but still existent extent, the Wilmington Police Department, have caused conflict with protestors and resulted in the institution of a 9PM curfew for the city of Wilmington.
The use of CS gas and corralling protestors is Phase 1 of force. On May 31st, it was enough to scatter and completely negate the protest due to a lack of foresight, organization, and preparation from the attending protestors.
Phase 2 involves introducing rubber bullets and pepper balls in attempts to keep distance at all cost.
Phase 3 is close contact melee where protestors potentially face batons, riot shields, and close-quarters grappling in order to subdue and detain attendees.
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We disagree with the necessity of the current curfew, and even more vehemently disagree with the use of these counter-productive, inflammatory tactics by law enforcement both locally and nationwide. However, we acknowledge their reality and the potential that they are again deployed in the coming days. In the next segment of this Unit, we dedicate some time to addressing them proactively.