Organizing a protest is a big task to take on but when you are passionate about a cause they are essential in raising awareness and creating change. At first planning a protest can seem overwhelming with all the steps that come along with it.

When my family moved to Princeton 12 years ago, we began to see a huge lack in the diversity of cultural events and awareness for the Latinx community here. We soon began working with the Arts Council of Princeton to create events like the Day of the Dead celebration and the Festival Cultural Latino, not only to celebrate our culture but to raise awareness for the different ethnic groups living in Princeton. At first organizing an event that was to have over 600 people in attendance seemed very difficult but through working with other people and thinking about the end goal, we organized them well. These events were organized much like the way that a protest is organized, which is through work and communication with others. 

The need for systemic change nation-wide on the racism and white supremacy plaguing America and the police brutality that continues to go unpunished and overlooked is immense. Protesting that has been going on has been making a huge impact on the country. There are several steps that must be taken to organize a protest. 

Promoting your protest, having a presentable flyer, getting support from friends and family, having a main theme, finding a location, finding potential speakers, and ensuring safety are all things you must consider when planning a protest. This may seem like a lot but when you have a team of people who are also passionate about your cause you can break it down. 

Usually the first thing you should do is to find a location to have your protest, for example a street in your town or a park. Once you find a location you can then begin working on a date and time. From here creating a flyer that is visually appealing and clear on what you are trying to raise awareness for is important. Making sure that you have a main theme is necessary if you want the protest to successfully get a message across. 

Once you have your time, date, theme, location, and flyer you can begin to promote your protest through friends and family using social media or in person. 

If you choose to have speakers at your protest you can reach out to them through email and explain to them why you would like to have them speak at your protest and tell them the location, date, and time to see if they are available or willing. Be mindful of the speakers you are asking to attend; be clear on the voices you wish to uplift. Use the speakers that have committed to the protest to promote the event on social media. 

Ensuring safety is another thing you must consider when it comes to organizing. Right now, with the current pandemic, protesters must wear masks to keep all the protesters, organizers, and speakers safe. If you, your co-organizers, and your speakers will be sharing a bullhorn or microphone, make sure to sanitize it after every use! Overall organizing protests can be frustrating and overwhelming, but they are worth it if they are going to make a change in your community.

by Kyara Torres-Olivares