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Things to consider when planning an Action

Give yourself time. At least a month planning, preferably. This is especially important for nourishing a regenerative culture. It also allows you to sit with ideas and reflect and develop them without rushing into things

This is not an exhaustive list but covers the main headings it will be useful to think about before reaching out for help
Type of Action

Spicy/Family friendly, Press/Media impact, Creative, March, Rally, Occupation

Openness

It is best to tell everyone what you are doing – there is huge power in telling the government, the police and the media where you will be and when, and then doing it. This is an act of pure defiance. We are too many to stop. We are reclaiming our power. It is also respectful to give members of the public /city transport management due warning of disruption so they can choose to not drive their car/take another route. Recognize important routes where access needs to be clear for emergency vehicles. We aim to disrupt, but not to harm.

There may be different levels of OPENNESS in the planning of an action and within parts of an action:
  • COMPLETELY OPEN All parts advertised on social media, best for mass-mobilisation
  • COMBINATION OF OPEN AND CLOSED This is the main model used in XR – a hybrid of the effective elements of mass mobilisation and high disruption. Actions are openly advertised ( e.g a mass rally out- side Parliament) with certain parts that are co-ordinated secretly by Affinity Groups (e.g like the location of particular roadblocks.)
  • CLOSED All aspects hidden due to need for surprise. Rebels take closer care with their secure communication channels. We recommend this for high risk actions. Please consider seriously the potential for public backlash and ask for feedback from other trusted rebels/ contact the national Media and Messaging team for advice on a channel through media@rebellion.earth
Numbers

Think about NUMBERS when planning:

  • How many rebels are needed?
  • How will you reach out to them?
  • How many public do you expect to be there?
  • How can more people be involved?
  • What roles carry the risk of arrest?
  • What can you achieve with the number of rebels you have?
  • Has everyone done an NVDA (Nonviolent Direct Action) training and/or other trainings? Highly advised! Contact your local XR to find out when trainings are going on.
Location and Timing

Think about LOCATION when planning:

  • Always do a reccie! Scout the location out thoroughly, preferably at the same time of day as when your action will take place.
  • How does your chosen location fit with your narrative?
  • Does it gain publicity?
  • Does it cause effective disruption if that is your aim? Who are you disrupting?
  • Will disruption be to influential people more than public; is it an influential area?
  • Which parts of the area / terrain are public, or private, or a highway?
  • Are you blocking any emergency service access, e.g. near to a hospital or firestation? (Don’t!)
  • What will police presence be like / are there private security there?
  • What legal implications will the location incur? Is there a byelaw in place? What different criminal charges could there be depending on exactly where it happens?
  • How will you publicize the location? Do you meet up at the location you are disrupting; or meet in a publicized location and keep the area you want to disrupt secret?
  • Have you considered all possible scenarios and how you might deal with them? E.g. heavier security for a building than you anticipated, dense public presence that is in the space you want to use, another event or blockage already occurring etc.
Roles within your group

It is advised to have these designated roles covered and a back-up for each role in case of someone being unable to attend at short notice. This is not an extensive list of roles for larger actions.

  • PROTEST LIAISON – Ready to speak to police before/during actions, more info below
  • STEWARDS – help guide people where to go, ensuring teh safety of all those involved at an action.
  • ACTION OUTREACH - recruit new rebels, speak to the public / hand out flyers.
  • DE-ESCALATION – person who has good skills at calming a situation, e.g. speaking to a rowdy member of the public or speaking to a crowd to calm an undesired atmosphere.
  • ACTION WELLBEING – Wear blue high-vis or sash or green for first aiders. Looking after everyone’s well-being: making sure everyone is calm and grounded. Preferably also a First-Aider. Should carry essentials e.g. water, emergency snacks, sun-cream, umbrella, heat pads, sanitary items, first- aid kit, basic toiletries, other good stuff!
  • ANCHOR – is a point of stability during the tumult of an action and offers check-ins as needed by rebels on the ground. They might be someone who can’t come to the action or wants to support from a distance, thus conserving their energies especially for pre- and post-action support.
  • MEDIA TEAM – live-streaming, taking footage to edit, interviewing etc.
  • SPOKESPERSON – ready to speak to any press, well-versed on the narrative of your action and core values and Demands of XR
  • LOGISTICS – person to lead on gathering equipment required and taking it away again.
  • ARRESTEE SUPPORT – Willing to go and wait at police stations to welcome brave rebels back to the free world: making sure they can get transport home, that they are ok, giving them massive love. Preferably go in pairs. This could be waiting long through the night so designate shifts. This person needs to communicate with the back office about where arrestees have gone. Must be sober. ACTION CO-ORDINATOR (Not the same as an ‘organiser’ in legal terms) An excellent communicator, verbally and electronically. Making sure everyone is in the loop and giving the action go- ahead in the moment. Need to think on their feet and be strategically responsive. Advised to not risk arrest and have a back-up co-ordinator. Could have one co-ordinator’s phone that is passed on if switching roles. On the ground it is use- ful to have 3 people in this role, to make quick decisions via consensus together, or individually if the need arises. But ahead of time important to have one person bottom-lining the project.
  • LEGAL OBSERVERS (external to XR) Wear orange high-vis. On the ground at an action. Legal observers are trained volunteers who support the legal rights of activists. Legal observers are independent from the protest and do not participate. They monitor arrests, collect witnesses and help connect arrestees with support at the police station. All rebels should have teh basic awareness of how to witness an arrest and report it to teh back office teams.

These roles are designated as low-risk of arrest, however there is never any guarantee how the police will respond to an action and we are all responsible for ourselves and our actions: more on Legal stuff here.

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