Count Crowds
Big protests fuel resistance by normalizing dissent and bringing new people to the movement. This is a primary reason for large, permitted protests, but in a nation as broad as the U.S. many can’t coalesce in big cities.
At the June 14th No Kings protests, we set records for peaceful turnout, but around 18% of protests went uncounted. Help report smaller protests so the numbers are accurate.
Why we do it:
If you attend very large protests (Seattle, Boston, etc.) there will be professionals present to estimate participation. Alt. National Parks deploys trained staff for this purpose, and organizers will also release estimates. You can help by visiting the protest site and signing up. (If you’re carrying your phone at the protest, you’ve already decided being tracked by the regime is a risk you’re willing to take.)
They require a means of documentation. Options include public reports or on-site estimation systems. For very small protest, simply take a head count and report your method. For mid-sized protests, get involved with organizers and discuss options like handing out leaflets as a marker, or using a drone to get an overhead shot for later analysis : https://www.mapchecking.com/.
How to Report
The Crowd Counting Consortium is the canonical source for historic records. They accept documented reports from anyone, and take months to validate and compile estimates. Alt National Parks sends professional crowd counters to large events, and accepts documented reports from small events. Their rough estimates come out within days and help inform the news cycle during and after the event.
If you attended a SMALL protest (up to around 100 people) please submit numbers to both. You do NOT have to be the organizer. You don’t need an exact count, but don’t guess wildly, as the goal is to have multiple reports converge, as validation. Outliers will be counter-productive. Submit any documentation, along with the time and location of the event.
