Street theater Script

Code Blue for Free Speech

Roles: 

Administrator/Politician (overdressed - think ballgown, top hat and coattails, feather boa or some other exaggerated prop)

Medic 1 (Medics wearing white coats and/or scrubs)

Medic 2

Medic 3 

Freedom of speech (wears placard that says “Freedom of speech”)

Police: (wears placard that says “Thoughtpolice”)

Script:

Administrator: (walks up to location where protesters are assembled)

What is all this racket? Can’t you people shut up already? 

Medic 1: Palestinians don’t have bread or water in Gaza! Deliberately starving a civilian population is a war crime!

Administrator: No bread? Let them eat cake! We have an important fundraising lunch today and this protest is too disruptive! You should all have received a communication yesterday outlining the boundaries for protests. A line has been crossed. By choosing to violate our policies and guidelines, you have chosen to accept the consequences and made yourself subject to disciplinary action. 

Freedom of speech:  (coughs) I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe… (gasps) Falls down. 

Administrator: (scoffs). Someone call the police!… that thing (shudders with disgust)  is blocking pedestrian access…(indicating body lying on the ground. Steps aside.)

Medic 1: Person down. Code blue [states location]. Code blue. 

(Siren sound effect)

Medic 1: Who here knows CPR? (kneels next to Freedom of Speech). Are you OK? Are you OK? (Feels for carotid pulse, Listens for breathing.) There’s no pulse. Quick. (points to Medic 2.) Call 911. (Points to Medic 3) Get the AED. I’ll start chest compressions. 

Medic 1: (starts chest compressions) and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6… (counts to 30 then gives 2 rescue breaths.) 

Medic 3: (runs off to get AED)

Medic 2: (dials 911 on cell phone) Hello, yes 911? We have an emergency. Freedom of speech is down in front of [name of building]. Please, send an ambulance. We have started CPR.

(comes to help Medic 1 with CPR, stepping in to relieve them on compressions after 2 minutes)

Police:  (Walks up and puts a hand on the shoulder of Medic 1). You're under arrest 

Medic 1: For what? 

Police: For consumption of terrorist materials. 

Medic 1: What are you talking about? 

Medic 2: The Knesset did pass that new law yesterday banning anti-war protests and making it illegal to look at social media posts critical of the government. 

Medic 1: I was looking at Doctors without Borders, and checking the latest death toll in Gaza. Wait a second. What’s the Knesset? 

Medic 2: The Israeli Parliament. 

Medic 1: But we live in the U.S. Why are Israeli interests controlling our politicians? 

Medic 2: Probably because AIPAC and military lobbyists pay them more than we do. 

Medic 3: (returns with AED - just use a small cardboard box - write AED in big letters) : I found the AED but it won’t turn on! What is happening? 

Medic 2: We must have entered a new era of McCarthyism. All speech in favor of human rights for Palestinians is silenced or criminalized and labeled anti-semitism. 

Medic 3: But that’s ridiculous. Criticizing war crimes of the Israeli government isn’t antisemetic. Just like criticizing Trump wasn’t anti-American. Trump and Netanyahu are besties after all.

Medic 1: There’s only one way to bring back freedom of speech. We need your help. (Turns to audience). We need people to speak up. 

Medic 3: But I’m afraid of being doxxed. 

Medic 1: Together we are stronger. They can’t dox all of us. Soon there will be so many of us that the people supporting genocide will be the ones afraid to be doxxed. Join us. (Leads chant) Ain’t no power like the power of the people cuz the power of the people don’t stop. 

After crowd chants 3 times, Freedom of speech gets up and joins in.