Actions you can start taking right now that will effect meaningful change
Paralyzed by the barrage of new and horrible things every day? It can be hard to think of what to focus on. These are things that you can start doing today that will immediately start helping the cause. Pick a couple and focus on doing them well. This is going to be a long, hard slog, so it’s more important to save your energy for meaningful actions rather than keeping up with the torrent of information.
I will add items to this list if I think of more. Feel free to suggest things as well.
Find and commit to attending protests
Protesting is mixed in its efficacy, but I think it’s important now when morale is at a low. I know lots of people have felt cheered up by seeing the sheer number of people who have showed up to various actions. It boosts the confidence of not only everyday people, but also politicians and other people with more influence. Politicians, federal government employees, activists, and other people who are on the “front lines” gain more courage to speak up when they know the public is backing up their message.
A thousand likes on an Instagram post can be ignored, but a thousand people showing up in person sends a strong message. When you see an incredible crowd, think of how each person had to decide to show up. Being a drop in the ocean feels insignificant, but being part of the ocean itself is empowering.
There are many ways to find protests. Here is one source. Your local organizing groups will also be a good resource.
Bring a friend or two. The buddy system can help you stay safe, but it also boosts attendance.
If you’re driving to a protest, see if you can fill up your car with other attendees who need a ride.
Peaceful protests can turn “violent” due to provocation from law enforcement. Be sure to go over best practices for safety during actions and ensure that your buddies are safe too.
Attend politicians’ town hall meetings
In recent days I have seen this be incredibly effective in getting politicians to realize they cannot continue their cushy jobs the way they have been. Republican politicians are starting to realize they’re in hot water, and Democratic politicians are realizing they need to be more aggressive in wielding their power, so regardless of who your politician is, it’s worth going. It’s as simple as checking your politicians’ social media, websites, etc. to find out when they’re having meetings where the public can comment. Don’t forget city councilmembers and other public officials who might meet with the public as well.
If you don’t know what to say, that’s fine. You can just cheer or boo as appropriate. Having more people on our side in the room is always a good thing.
If you are bolder and have a couple of other bold friends, see if you can use bird-dogging techniques to get politicians on the record if they’re weaseling out of answering questions.
Is your public official staying out of the public eye? You may be able to schedule an appointment with your Congressperson or organize a demonstration at their office.
Share video of these events on social media. Seeing MAGA politicians getting shouted down is good for morale.
Distribute info about protests and other actions
People are in their own social media bubbles and might not be aware of opportunities to protest, or they might have disconnected from political news. Many people, even those who are against Trump, are not yet aware that a resistance is underway. If you find out about opportunities to take action, share in your networks to ensure the info reaches more people.
Be realistic about your online reach. If you don’t already have engaged followers/friends, social media posting might not be the best use of your time.
You can post information in neighborhood groups or reach out to newsletters you’ve joined even if you don’t personally have an online following.
Don’t forget old school flyers! Many people don’t spend as much time online, or can’t, so they may need to be reached offline. Flyers don’t just have to be posted; you could also leave them on the windshields of parked cars or at peoples’ houses like takeout restaurants do (be aware that you may need a permit to do this in some places).
Distribute digestible information
There is a lot going on and even those of us who are checking multiple times a day are not able to keep up with everything. You can be someone who distills the most important facts and makes sure they get to the right people. Your audience might be people who are apathetic or doomers, people who don’t understand how this affects them, people who work with a specific population (ex: immigrants), etc. If you know people like this in your life, see if you can bring them relevant information that will encourage them to act, or help them focus on news that actually will affect them if they’re otherwise busy.
Keep it simple. Sometimes it’s not necessary to explain the background of an issue unless the person is interested. The goal is to give people whatever information they need to act.
For apathetic people, focus on how this will affect them. Elderly people should be worried about their SSA checks or veterans’ benefits getting cut, etc.
Avoid wasting time on preaching to the choir. The most important thing right now is to get as much of the American public onboard as possible, so focus on people who are not already interested in taking action.
Talk to non-voters and Trump voters
While we all carry a great deal of animosity towards non-voters and Trump voters, the reality is that many of those people have been consuming an unimaginable amount of propaganda and have been manipulated not only by cable news, but also by social media algorithms which have been engineered specifically to change their thinking.
If you don’t feel like you can do this, don’t force yourself. If you’re the kind of person who would get irritated easily in a conversation with a Trump voter, or who shies away from conflict in general, then your energy is better spent elsewhere. It’s important that we use our abilities and energy as efficiently as possible over the coming months and years.
Don’t waste your time on people who are committed to arguing with you. We need as many people as possible to start resisting so use your time and energy wisely and use your sense of judgment to determine if someone is worth talking to or not.
Remember that some Trump voters are essentially in the same mental situation as cult members. You cannot debate them out of this position or use logic or even shame to snap them out of it. What is needed instead is cult deprogramming techniques.
A lot of people don’t have a solid understanding of political ideology, so they might call themselves conservative but actually be more left-leaning than they think. Keep an open mind towards people who don’t have well-defined politics.
Help other activists with chores/accessibility
If you can’t attend a protest, but you can walk a dog or babysit, you may be able to free someone else up to attend a protest instead. Try to identify people in your life who would be willing to attend a protest if there was some task you could do for them. You may also be able to find people who need help in your local activist or neighborhood group. Alternately, see if protesters or other activists you’re with need help accessing protests—could someone attend a protest more easily if they had a ride or got their bus fare covered?
Hang a sign off a highway overpass
You can use all kinds of materials to make a sign to hang off of a highway overpass, though a basic sign can be made with a bedsheet and spray paint. This action gets the attention of pretty much everyone who is driving that way because it’s an unusual thing to see in an otherwise monotonous drive.
Keep an eye on the weather; if it rains, then your sign is not going to be seen as well so it would be best to wait instead of expending your energy otherwise.
Think about timing and location to maximize how many people see your sign; hanging one during rush hour, or when you know people will be going to/from a big event, could be very effective.
Be aware that the legality of this action is debatable depending on where you are.
Boost morale and fight astroturfing
It is well documented that social media is used to manipulate how people think. One of example of this is astroturfed comments that discourage people from acting by posting doomer sentiments. Many people are not aware that this is a thing that happens. You can help by downvoting doomer comments and/or posting a brief response that explains that many comments on social media are not even actually made by real people. This is especially important in organizing spaces. It’s important to be realistic about potential consequences, so this isn’t a prescription to be toxically positive, but be especially suspicious of comments that say stuff like “there’s no point” or “it’s all over now.”
Sharing anything that boosts morale is also helpful considering the mental onslaught we are all facing. Actionable information, humor, and videos of successful protests and other actions can help us feel motivated to keep fighting.
Study opsec and distribute information about it
If you are involved in more direct actions of dubious legality, OR if you’re attending a protest that may draw more police scrutiny, it’s important to keep yourself safe. Unfortunately, despite someone’s best efforts to be peaceful and even follow the law, police may still cause physical harm to them, so if you are planning something illegal, it is even more critical to use good operational security (opsec) practices before you even start planning. Distribute information about opsec practices where they are most needed, especially if people around you are less knowledgeable.
There’s too much to get into in this guide, and I’m not an expert, but Privacy Tools is a good place to start. For those planning actions, your first stop will be private communication tools, including messaging and email.
Learn about and promote mesh network usage in your community
In 2019, protesters in Hong Kong effectively used mesh networking to communicate even when cell phone communications were shut down. Mesh networking uses Bluetooth or existing wireless networks to connect devices only to each other, so they can communicate with each other on their own local network. The more people who have the app, the stronger and more widespread the network is.
Mesh networking hasn’t been common in protests in the US as far as I know, but it could very well be needed, so now is a great time to be the person in your community who knows how it works and can help everyone get connected. I am not a tech expert myself, so you will have to do some research on what apps exist and how to secure them. Briar may be one promising starting point.