SAFETY AND SECURITY SUPPORT & TIPS

Support & Tips

SURJ Support:

Review this guide!
Use the SURJ National member slack: use slack to ask general questions for peer support. Use Signal if you want to get into specifics, like naming people, groups, events, and places.
Connect with your coach for a great source of support. Make sure, again, that if you’re talking specifics, you use Signal.

General Safety Tips:

Do not seek out interaction with hostile forces such as counter-protesters, militias, law enforcement, or individuals seeking to escalate a situation. The goal here is to keep things as calm as possible, and focused on your meeting or participation at an action. It is safer to walk away from a potential escalation than to engage with hostile forces. Plus, you want to keep the story of your action focused on your goals.
Do not engage in any illegal activity.
If you’re a SURJ Member, part of a SURJ Chapter, or an Action Host, report any safety or security incidents to SURJ National within 48 hours. Please tell your coach what happened with as much detail as possible – and make sure to share those details only on signal or a Zoom call. Your coach will tell staff as soon as possible. Together, we’ll make a plan for any needed follow up.

Collective Care:

At an action, everyone should have a buddy or group to stick with! That’s why having a meet-up before going to a rally is a great way to participate in an action, with safety in mind. You should leave together, too. Make sure your buddy/ whole group gets home safe.
Make sure everyone knows their participation is a personal decision; if your gut says to leave, listen to it.
Someone in your group, whether you’re going to an action or you’re hosting a meeting, should carry snacks, water, and a first aid kit – that way your group can take care of any minor injuries, and everyone can keep their blood sugar stable and energy up.

Know Your Rights?

Read this Know Your Rights booklet from the National Lawyers Guild.
Listen to this Know Your Rights mixtape with accurate legal information. Great way to practice saying statements aloud (15 minutes)
Watch this 1-hour Know Your Rights training on YouTube by Civil Liberties Defense Center

Digital Security

Complete this Digital Security Essentials checklist and encourage the other organizers to do so as well
If you’re attending a public action, have everyone in your group this Protest Digital Security Checklist. While some of these steps might not be necessary for actions where the risk of arrest/surveillance is very low, we think it’s good practice to learn how to take these steps in case they are needed in the future.

Selected additional resources:

SURJ De-Escalation Handout
A TroubleMakers Guide: Principles for Racial Justice Activists in the face of State Repression by Catalyst Project
Security Culture for Activists by the Ruckus Society
26 ways to be in the struggle, beyond the streets by Disability Visibility Project

Roles & Responsibilities

Welcomer(s)

One or more people making sure that the necessary security practices are in the action plans, and implemented.
- They are responsible for research and risk assessments before the action, day of, and in the days after.
- They are checking people into the action, are aware of what’s happening at the action, and are prepared to de-escalate if need be. Click here for a resource on de-escalation

Before Actions

Review this guide
Communicate via Signal or in person about action planning.
Perform a risk assessment: A risk assessment is doing research and being aware of what is happening around you, and thinking about how your environment can impact your work. Action plans should adjust based on risks: for example, if police tend to patrol and clear a particular area of your town, consider picking a different location.
- Keep track of media: consider the events happening nationally as well as locally and think about potential impact on the meeting.
- Is there a local or regional group that is harassing groups like yours? Harassment can look like doxxing, trolling social media, verbal harassment, making threats, and physical attacks.
- What’s your local law enforcement like? Do they tend to target progressive groups and actions?
- Check in with local/ regional partners to check in about any potential current threats (far right groups/ individuals, or state actors like law enforcement).
- Vet participants: you should know the people you’re planning the action with, but if you don’t, you can do a quick search on them and ask if they’re connected with any other groups or people you might know.
Have an in-person huddle together to:
- Practice de-escalation together, with anyone else you know is coming
- Check in on your roles and make sure you feel prepped
- Discuss the welcomers risk assessment
- See how you are feeling generally, and what support you might need

During Actions

Keep a big picture view: make sure that the others on your team have what they need and are able to carry out their roles.
Check in with the welcomers before you start. Is everything ready, how’s everyone doing, are there any concerns? Do a scan of the area together: make note of the flow of traffic, any police presence, and any counter protestors.
Make sure your group is in communication via signal.
Share any concerns that you might have with the team, like if there’s more police presence than usual, or if anything has come up in your research (like any extra activity from far right groups).
Keep aware of your group’s perimeter, and how easy it is to move around in the space. Are people able to leave quickly if need be?
Approach everyone at the action with an attitude of open friendliness and welcome. Thank them for showing up, introduce yourself, ask people for their name, and get their phone number and email address so you can follow up with them later.
Keep a feel for the vibes, or the mood of the group. If you notice people’s moods getting fearful or angry, look around and ask for a potential source of the change.
Encourage people to stay with the plan and stay together.
Singing and chanting are great ways to get people’s spirits up and help them feel courageous and connected.
If anyone gets disruptive, whether they’re a member of your group or a newcomer, practice de-escalation. Guide them outside the group so you can talk with them and ask them to either leave or participate safely.

Immediately After Actions

Plan for a safe spot to meet after the action: a trusted member’s home, a quiet cafe away from the action location.
Check in with each other: is everyone safe? How is everyone feeling emotionally?
How did the action go? Were there any counter protestors? Any police?

In the days following Actions

Track media and social media, and do a daily online search to find mentions of your action.
- Attention is generally good! Public disagreement with your action isn’t necessarily something to worry about.
- Some potential red flags: any threat of doxxing (when someone maliciously reveals a person’s identifying information online so people can find them offline – address, workplace, etc).
Follow up with newcomers: invite people for 1:1s so you can get to know them. One of our best security practices is to forge relationships with people and build with them at the speed of trust.

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