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A Report: Protesting in Mesa, AZ, April 5, 2025 [1]

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Date: 2025-04-08

Hi Daily Kos Folks!

I going to give a short report on protesting in Mesa, AZ. I’m doing this and I’m hoping if you attended a rally, or will attend one soon, you will write a report. We can get better at doing this. (Please note: if we stop this Administration from its pillage and plunder, I’ll be happy even if we never reach perfection. I’ll take a win!)

I don’t have much criticism of the event, but the criticisms I have refer to my Protest Checklist, which I will re-post at the end. All of these criticisms are things I would expect to improve. This was a test of Indivisible calling for a mass protest, and the test went very well!

1. I only found out about the protest in this location a few days before the event. I assume this is because the groups were just forming, and there will be long advance notice before the next event. So this will probably not be a problem in the future. Protest Checklist # 14.

2. There was no map showing where restrooms were, or the first aid station. This event took place in two corner shopping strip malls, in front of several stores. There was no information about which one would allow a mom with a child that “needed to go” to go inside to their restroom.The first aid station could be a person with a phone, a cooler of waters, and a first aid kit. The important thing is to have known location with a trained volunteer ready to spring into action. Protest Checklist # 5.

3.It was not held at a park or open space where traffic is closed off. While we did enjoy people honking at us as they whizzed by, it was dangerous. Protest Checklist # 6.

4.There was no focus for the event. As a counter example, the event held in Phoenix was held in a plaza in front of the State Legislature building, and the Secretary of State and a progressive Legislator spoke to the crowds. Granted, we were so amazed to see lots of other people and we were delighted at their signs and props, it was wonderful! For example, people loved my red hat. I told them I was “making red hats great again!” They took pictures of my sign. Everyone agreed with everyone’s focus. I don’t know if I’ve ever been to a protest where there was such a wide range of subjects to protest! There were hands off signs about everything! Protest Checklist # 5.

And 5. The most important criticism is: there was no media coverage of the event. I have some pictures, but they aren’t as good as a professional news photographer would have gotten. An example of some wonderful coverage is this drone footage my friend in Providence sent me-Wow!(https://bsky.app/profile/conormcd.bsky.social/post/3lm3sc6n6p22e) There was no story on it either, except that in the coverage of the event held in the capital city, there was a mention of protests that “also” were in other cities. People need to know about this protest! This is Checklist # 14.

Now, 56 years in the making, The Protest Checklist:

1. Form a group. 8-16 people. More people? Next group. Have information on each other, names, addresses, phone #s,and contact info on a responsible friend or relative. (Remember when unknown people picked off one guy and hustled him into an unmarked vehicle at that BLM Protest? No more of that!) All for one and one for all.

2. Decide on a method of deciding: (consensus,majority vote, short straw/ dice/ rock-paper-scissors, etc. Keep the meetings short. Maybe a special committee needs to be selected to discuss a complicated issue.

3. Will you have Officers? Will you need funding? How are you going to be funded? Dues? Grants for a project connected to the issue? A shadowy donor? You might need a Treasurer and a checking account.

4. Decide on the theme: Down with This, Up with That,Up and Over The Side With Those (last used in Boston Harbor, c.1773.Disclaimer: I wasn’t at that protest. This information is second-hand.) etc., and choose a method: Canvassing, March, Rally,Speak at a Public Meeting,Sit-In, Strike, Highway Overpass Signs,Projection on a Building,etc. In the future, might there be drone displays of political messages or graphics? You might begin to think about a sassy slogan, or if there’s a graphic that “says it all”in one picture. You may want boxes, a work surface (a big piece of cardboard is usually sufficient, to keep from cutting or marking the tabletop) poster boards, pencils, scissors, ruler or straightedge,box cutters, (and/or a paper cutter,) paint & brushes, or markers, a set of stencils,and some extra long paint stirrers (21inches) from the hardware store, as well as a big stapler/staple gun and school glue. Keep your on-line dictionary/spell-check at the ready.

5. People coming to your event probably are giving up a day at the movies or at the park or some other enjoyment, so try to arrange something nice for them. Tell the group to think about a focus event within the bigger event, such as having a speaker, having music, etc. Presenting something to someone is always lovely. No dangerous stuff, such as an animal, like Punxsutawney Phil, where someone could get bitten,scratched, etc. (Disclaimer: I have never met PunxsutawneyPhil. I don’t think he’s ever bitten or otherwise harmed anyone.I might bite someone if they wake me up and take me outside on a cold February morning, so be ye fairly warned.) Seek a lot of control.Some speakers or musicians will enlarge your audience because they have a following. Everyone planning to attend should be given the chance to accept the rules. Include the rules in all your notices.Keep the gate.

6. Reserve the place and time: Make arrangements fora specific business or work site, a public place like a penitentiary(protesting someone’s execution or continued incarceration,) Some places just need prior arrangements. You will have to call ahead and charter a boat, for a flotilla, or a plane to pull a banner flown over a city or beach, etc. The exception is of course is that you can’t get“permission” if you are planning to trespass, or break the law, but, giving public notice of your protest gives others the option of calling an emergency meeting and fixing the problem so you don’t need to protest. That’s been known to happen. Go to the place and look it over. Don’t take people to a plant nursery instead of a posh restaurant.

7. Please get permission to be on private property.You may need to get a permit to be on public property, and especially property overseen by Park Rangers. Some places have online forms,some places you go in and fill out forms. Let the authorities know you expect them to help.It is their job to assist you to do that by keeping groups that want to interrupt you “over there.” Keep in mind that “authorities”don’t like to be surprised. During some protesting way back when,the staff member of our organization sometimes was a “Police Whisperer” so the police didn’t panic when we started to do something they weren’t clear about.“Hi, Officer! We’ve assembled at the park here, and now we’re walking down the sidewalk by groups to the front of City Hall. We’re meeting the Mayor there.”

8. Basic necessities: You should figure out where people are going to park, sleep, eat, go to the bathroom, get first aid, etc. Can you get a stage set up? Microphones and speakers? Have some one make an online map? You probably need an online presence anyway. Where?

9. If what you are doing has risks, hold a training segment with the specific purpose of practicing scary scenarios. Role play. Discuss what happened. Discuss feelings. You can change what you plan to do if people are too uneasy.

10. If anyone is too eager to do illegal stuff,consider that they might work for the police. Don’t ask. Just steer people away from their ideas. Someday you may look back fondly on your meeting and think, “Those two fellows from the Ivy League University didn’t get thrown out of school because I discouraged them from risking being caught defacing a billboard in the middle of the night like they were discussing with that guy I was sure was a police undercover officer.” It will feel good.

11. Decide on boundaries: property damage? blocking traffic? burning your draft card/bra/Tesla truck/His Majesty’s Ship, The Gaspee? (c.1772, Warwick, Rhode Island, Tea? They shot and wounded the Captain, then burned The King’s Ship to the waterline.If it could have sunk, it would have sunk. Disclaimer: I wasn’t at that protest.This information is second-hand.) Intoxicating Substances? Vulgarity? (The last protest I went to was the Red For Ed Teacher’s protest. Lots of Signs. No vulgarities...and words spelled correctly and apostrophes used correctly!) Plan for the safety of the people participating. Near the street? ...stand by fireplugs or postal boxes which may make it hard for someone to try to scare you by swerving into your area.

12. If there is any risk of being arrested, or having a scuffle with anyone else, look around beforehand at lawyers and have one in mind, and have that information in your contact information.

13. Alliances: Are there other groups you may invite/join them because it turns out they were planning a protest as well? Ask to come to their meeting and discuss an alliance.

14. Advertise: What newspapers, newsletters, public message boards, real and virtual, can you use to let people know about your protest? This could be very select or very broad. Maybe you don’t want to inadvertently attract the wrong crowd until you’ve gotten a bigger following. Using a service like Mobilize, or similar service, is very convenient, maybe go to their protests and take notes, but don’t pay for a membership to a gym and send someone to the gym to build up YOUR muscles. Be an organizer, not a consumer, whenever possible. Post Protest: If you write a follow-up for a newspaper, spread the quotes around -exempli gratia: I call Ann who was at the protest. I say, “Ann, I need a quote about the protest for the newspaper.” Ann says, “OK, what should I say?”I read a statement I’ve prepared, in segments to her, and she repeats it back to me. I thank her for her statement, we giggle,and it goes into the story. This happened with me, called by the same guy who was the Police Whisperer in #6. I was glad to help, and I got my name in the paper. Woo!

15. Keep the Joy. Appreciate Freedom. Encourage each other. You are the Posterity to whom the Founding Fathers were securing the Blessings of Liberty. Peace.

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