How to Organize Effective Demonstrations

Imagine for a moment that you're a Member of Congress. Tomorrow your committee will vote on a bill that you believe most of your constituents support, but you have received very little mail on the subject. Thus, you conclude that while your constituents expect you to vote for the bill, it is not very important to them.

Then your Chief of Staff walks into your office and informs you that your district office has just called to report that "the phones are ringing off the hook against the bill." As you are absorbing this information, the district office calls again to report they are being picketed by several dozen constituents demanding that you vote against the bill. As you are weighing the significance of the picket, your Chief of Staff interrupts you again. This time he reports that a reporter from the largest newspaper in your district is on the telephone wanting you to comment on the picket.

"That's easy," you tell the aide. "Tell him there's no story. I'm not supporting the bill and the picketers are wasting their time." Though no one will ever know it, your decision was influenced by the picket.

Why Hold a Demonstration?

There are five reasons why you may wish to consider sponsoring a demonstration:

1. A well-organized demonstration can attract media attention. This attention can educate the public about your point-of-view, indirectly pressures public officials and increases the name identification of your group. This, in turn, enhances your ability to acquire media attention in the future.
   
   
2. A demonstration shows the public that a substantial number of their fellow citizens care strongly about a particular issue. Americans love to be on the winning side, so you'll sway many people to your view just by pointing out, or implicitly making it appear that your view is more popular.
   
   
3. Demonstrations are great recruitment tools. By organizing such an event, others will be alerted to your group's existence and will seek you out to volunteer for your next project.
   
   
4. A demonstration increases the morale of your group. By working together on a successful event, you will improve the morale of your members and increase the likelihood that they will want to work together on future projects.
   
   
5. A demonstration will help you build your contact base.
   

Demonstration Timing

Timing is crucial to the success of your demonstrations. Counter demonstrations, for example, are best planned a half hour to an hour before the demonstration you are countering. Except for special cases, it's easier to get press attention on weekdays than weekends and morning and early afternoon rallies are better than evening or late night ones (because reporters have deadlines). It's often a good idea to pick special holidays or anniversaries to enhance the significance of your demonstration. You'll also want to make sure your demonstration is somehow tied to the current public debate.

Tips

1. When to Hold Counter-Demonstrations. When conducting a counter demonstration within walking distance of the demonstration you are protesting, start your rally one half to one hour before the opposition rally. Do not start with your top featured speaker. Assuming he or she is a good, TV crews and reporters will wait a reasonableamount of time before going to the other demonstration. (Note - Since two demonstrations are physically close together, most TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers will send only one reporter or crew to cover both demonstrations.) Since your opposition will most likely start with their top-featured speaker, placing your biggest name speaker in the middle of your program will keep the media at your demonstration long after your opposition's top speakers have finished.
   
   
2. Take Advantage of Pre-Demonstration Media Hype. When organizing a counter demonstration to a rally you expect will draw considerable media interest, try to scoop the opposition by sponsoring newsworthy activities the day before the rallies. The media will often run "pre-demonstration" stories the day prior to an exceptionally large demonstration. But reporters frequently have difficulty finding a newsworthy angle for these stories and must resort to conducting pre-demonstration interviews or doing stories on the traffic problems the demonstrations will likely cause. You can scoop the opposition by providing a newsworthy angle. Some attention-grabbing public event, such as an awards ceremony or press conference, might be the kind of event you're looking for.
   
   
3. Say it With Pictures. As the old adage says, "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words." Make sure to provide ample photo opportunities at your demonstration for the media. Sometimes, newspapers won't run an article on your event, but they will print a picture if there is something interesting to photograph. On other occasions, a newspaper will run an article and a picture, enhancing the article in the process. Still other times, the newspaper will be writing both about a demonstration you are holding and a simultaneous (or almost simultaneous) opposition demonstration. If you have better photo opportunities at your demonstration than your opposition has at theirs, you are likely to get better press coverage.
   
   Photo opportunities also help you get better television coverage. Television is a visual medium and if you want coverage you must provide something visual -- and a better visual than one offered by your opposition.
   
   Some examples of photo opportunities you might want to incorporate into your demonstrations:
   
   Posters and Signs. Every rally should have hand-held posters and signs. Make sure yours are large, with tall, easy-to-read-at-a-distance lettering. Use a dark color for lettering against a light background or light lettering against a dark background. Choose script that is easy to read -- this is not the time for calligraphy. Short, to-the-point slogans are better than long statements. Slogans that rhyme, include a clever play on words, or those that would be suitable for chants make the best poster slogans. Art is good, but it should not be complex. A drawing of a pig, for example, can more easily communicate your opposition to wasteful government spending than a drawing of a specific pork-barrel project. Keep the following in mind: All signs must be readable at a distance, be understandable to an average person in a few seconds, and be just as clear on a black and white screen or photograph as it is in color.
   
   Three-Dimensional Designs. Don't limit your photo opportunities to posters. Three dimensional objects can offer great photographs. For example, House Republicans included a seven-foot tall replica of the Statue of Liberty bound in red cellophane tape to demonstrate the need for regulatory reform at a March 1995 press conference. The press conference was held to announce the approval of comprehensive regulatory reform legislation in the House of Representatives. At the conclusion of congressional leaders' remarks, the red tape was symbolically cut with a pair of scissors.
   
   Make-up and Costumes. Special costumes and make-up can be an effective means of communicating your message and acquiring press. For example, in 1993, activists from Putting People First used quite creative costumes at a demonstration outside the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' annual "Animal Ball" to protest PETA' s extremist positions. Four activists from the group, one dressed as a carrot, one as a stalk of broccoli, one as a watermelon and one as a masked member of the "Artichoke Liberation Front" marched outside the Animal Ball chanting such slogans as "Stop the murder, stop the pain, stop the slaughter of innocent grain" and "Bananas belong in a bunch, not on a table at lunch." The demonstration was covered in The New York Times, MTV, and The Washington Times, among others.
   
   
4. Say it With Sound. Be sure to have an adequate sound system for your demonstration. If the people who attend your demonstration can't hear your speakers -- neither will the media -- and both will wander off. A good sound system will keep demonstrators interested, make your speakers seem more powerful and energetic and could attract passers-by to participate.
   
   
5. Obey the Law. Permits to demonstrate are required by city authorities in most U.S. cities. Applications for permits and information about procedures can normally be obtained by telephoning city hall. Applying for permits is a simple procedure. Although the questions asked vary from city to city, you will usually be asked questions such as where your rally will be held, how many individuals are expected to attend, and the phone number of the individual in charge. You may be asked to provide marshals for crowd control and to guarantee that your group will pick up any litter left after the event.
   
   Depending on the city, you usually need to apply for a permit at least two full business days before your event. If you organize a demonstration at the last minute, expect less than 15 participants, or choose a location that will not disrupt the routine of others (such as a city park) it is possible to hold a rally without a permit. However, be aware that if you do not have a permit, the police department can force you to disperse at their discretion.
   
   
6. Control Your Crowd. Keep your demonstrators together by roping off an area near the podium or speaking platform to ensure that the press can get a good shot of a well-attended rally. Too often, rally organizers fail to take this important step and photographs of crowds look sparse as rally participants wander throughout the rally grounds, making a complete shot of the crowd difficult.
   
   Be sure also to underestimate the crowd size you expect when responding to inquiries from the media. The purpose for this is not deception, but to protect yourself. People will tell you that they plan to attend your rally -- even swear to it -- and not show up. The last thing your event needs are press reports on the disappointing turn-out. As a rule of thumb, discount your turn-out by at least 30%.
   
   You should also appoint marshals for crowd control. Marshals are the people who can quiet hecklers, keep the crowd cheering (by cheering in their midst), take care of troublemakers, and handle incidental duties, such as finding lost children. Marshals should wear some identifying object, such as a single-color arm band or a particular color baseball cap, so attendees can readily identify them. Marshals should be staff and volunteers who exhibit good judgement.
   
   
7. Other Tips. Long before your rally, recruit other organizations and prominent individuals to endorse it. Not only will this give your demonstration greater credibility among the media, but it could well aid in recruitment of both rally attendees and speakers, since you can recruit from members of endorsing organizations.
   
   You'll also want to delegate responsibility. Though the temptation may be great, you can't do everything. You must have a cadre of staff members and volunteers you can depend on if your rally is to be successful. One might be assigned to taking responsibility for the physical arrangements of the demonstration, including arranging for the sound system, podium, permit, recruiting the rally marshals, etc. Another might be given responsibility for recruiting rally endorsers. Another might be put in charge of media relations, including the drafting of press releases, assembling press kits and handling press inquiries. Yet another might be put in charge of recruiting and coordinating volunteers and rally participants. The key to success of any rally is: DELEGATE.