Create tiny afternoon pick-me-ups to brighten someone’s day, and “spill the tea” on your favorite form of resistance. Create a ‘zine with a list of local businesses engaged in mutual aid, or spread the word about an action (Whistles?) or a resource like this web site. Write little encouraging notes or details about an upcoming protest and tuck them into packs of afternoon joy.
Spreading joy is resistance!
Flock cameras have been installed around the country to aid police enforcement. They record licenses and other information as drivers move across the country. Learn more about Flock at an EFF zoom meeting on February 19th at noon PST: bit.ly/46n5vkz
The key to rapid mobilization of any kind is a decentralized mesh of pods that can quickly spread the word and mobilize into a network. The best way to get started is to join a group. Give it a decent try, and if the fit just isn’t there, try again. Alternatively, you can build your own pod by inviting 2-4 friends to take action together, or join you in launching a chapter of a decentralized national group.
Staying informed but calm is a trick these days. To avoid disconnecting or shutting down with overwhelm, curate your news sources regularly. Do you have reliable, steady voices that use rational, calm language? Raise the volume on those, while minimizing ones that leave you feeling so panicked you can’t act.
Protests work by building community, but you have to take the next step. If you collected a contact card or flyer at a recent protest, reach out now! Sign up for a mailing list or Signal chat and just lurk for a while. If you have no contacts, both Indivisible and NDLON are very experienced at integrating new folks.
We’ve been at this for more than a year now. Energy waxes and wains, and sometimes life gets busy for all the normal reasons. It’s easy to skip the resistance for a day that turns into a week or a month. Push back : pick a default task to do on a regular schedule when you’re too tired to make a plan.
