Peter Coyote is an American actor you’ve seen, whether you know you have or not—he’s been around. But he’s also a long-time activist and cultural leader…not to mention a buddhist priest. Something he wrote about events in LA has been making the rounds on social media, about the nature of protests and how to protest. With the impending protests coming this weekend, it’s important enough to republish widely. It’s been lightly editted for relevancy, with some practical pointers included after.
“I’m watching the Los Angeles reaction to ICE raids with trepidation and regret. Three years ago I taught a class at Harvard on the ‘theater of protest’—designed to help people understand why so many protests turn out to be Republican campaign videos working directly against the interests of the original protest.
“A protest is an invitation to a better world. It’s a ceremony. No one accepts a ceremonial invitation when they’re being screamed at. More important you have to know who the real audience of the protest is. The audience is NEVER the police, the politicians, the Board of supervisors, Congress, etc. The audience is always the American people, who are trying to decide who they can trust; who will not embarrass them. If you win them, you win power at the box office and power to make positive change. Everything else is a waste.
“There are a few ways to get there:
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At the first sign of violence, [get down]. Someone may blow a whistle, meaning the real protesters sit down. Let the police take out their aggression on the anarchists and the provocateurs trying to discredit the movement.
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Dress like you’re going to church. It’s hard to be painted as a hoodlum when you’re dressed in clean, presentable clothes. They don’t have to be fancy—they just signal the respect for the occasion that you want to transmit to the audience.
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Make your protest silent. Demonstrate your discipline to the American people. Let signs do the talking.
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Go home at night. In the dark, you can’t tell the cops from the killers. Come back at dawn fresh and rested.
“I have great fear that Trump’s staging with the National Guard and maybe the Marines is designed to clash with anarchists who are playing into his hands and offering him the opportunity to declare an insurrection. It’s such a waste and it’s only because we haven’t thought things through strategically. Nothing I thought of is particularly original. It was all learned by watching the early civil rights protests in the ’50s and ’60s. And it was the discipline and courage of African‑Americans that drew such a clear line in the American sand that people were forced to take sides and that produced the Civil Rights Act.
“The American people are watching and once again if we behave in ways that can be misinterpreted, we’ll see this explained to the public in Republican campaign videos benefiting the very people who started this. Wake up. Vent at home. In public practice discipline and self‑control. It takes much more courage.”
Amazing points. Not sure if I agree about making the protests silent, but I take his point.
A few other things—practicalities—about protesting that I have learned over the years.
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Pack a bag with extra/a change of clothes, water, couple power bars, a battery/charger for your phone, an actual hardcopy of a map of the area you’re going if you’re not familiar with it, some medical supplies like bandaids, an ace bandage, one of those ice-packs that don’t get cold until you shake or snap them (not because there is going to be violence, but in case someone gets hurt for whatever reason—tripping on a curb you don’t see, whatever). Bring a hat, mask, and a bandana.
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Throw something small in your bag that helps distract from and deal with stress - gum, mints, that kind of thing.
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Don’t bring anything that could possibly be mistaken for a weapon. At the very most bring a small multi-tool-type thing.
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If you can, stay close to the edge of whatever group you’re in. If a need to exit quickly arises, you want to be able to get out first and fast.
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Don’t go alone - have a partner. The buddy system is still one of the best ways to be safe. Have a pre-arranged rendezvous point set up in case you get separated and cell service is bad.
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Have your ID.
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Have some phone numbers printed out, for friends, family, legal aid, whatever you think would be helpful. I don’t have memorized nearly as many phone numbers as I used to. If you think being arrested is at all possible, put those phone numbers in sharpie on your arm. Seriously.
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Know you rights.
Good trouble takes time.
Get used to this stuff. It could be a summer of protests. Actually, let’s hope it’s a summer of protests. Peaceful, powerful, change-bringing protests. Remember: nothing is going to happen overnight. Please feel free to share and add anything in the comments. Peace.
[originally posted here].
