How to find protests in your city when you don't know where to start
UPDATE: June 2, 2020, 5:08 p.m. PDT If you are specifically looking for George Floyd protests near you, check out our new informational post on the topic.
Original story:
If you feel a policy, law or even a world leader needs changing, the first step is simple: you protest.
Protesting has long been a way for marginalized communities to combat oppression. But the act of defiance and dissent is currently having a mainstream moment, thanks to the newly minted presidency of Donald J. Trump.
With many progressives passionate about contesting Trump's policies and actions, marches and protests have been popping up across the U.S. on a weekly -- and even daily -- basis. It's now common for at-risk communities and their allies to take to the streets after work, between errands and around their regularly scheduled lives.
But keeping up with the latest protests, both spontaneous and planned, isn't an easy task, especially if you're just starting to plug in to your local activist community.
If you want to stay in the know about the latest movements in your area, check out these four ways to navigate the protest scene online.
1. Check up on local protest calendars
Many major cities -- and some smaller, politically engaged towns -- have dedicated resources that compile lists of local protests. These sites can help you connect with planned protests that span a variety of social issues.
The best part is that these sites do the heavy lifting of sorting through hashtags, event pages and nonprofit websites for you.
To find some of the marches and activist events happening in major cities around the country, the pages below are a good place to start.
Boston: Boston Activist Calendar
Chicago: Chicago Activism Calendar on Twitter
Houston: Occupy Houston Protest Calendar
Los Angeles: March and Rally in Los Angeles Calendar
New York City: Take Action NYC Events Calendar
Philadelphia: Occupy Philadelphia Protest Calendar
San Francisco: Indy Bay Protest Calendar (Bay Area)
Seattle: Seattle Activist Solidarity Calendar
2. Connect with local activist groups
Local activist groups are the powerhouses behind organizing efforts, having the knowledge and expertise for mobilizing passionate advocates for a cause. Activist groups often have prior knowledge of when and where protests will pop up, given their connections within resistance movements.
Consider joining the mailing lists of your favorite local organizations to stay up-to-date with protests and essential information on the issues you care about. Many activist groups and nonprofits will send out email alerts for upcoming or last-minute protests to their mailing list subscribers.
If you want to tap into the movement more, consider donating your time at your favorite organization. Most social justice groups could use the help of passionate supporters, and you'll also get insider information on protests from the connections you make.
Plus, you'll be fighting for the communities and issues you care about on a regular basis -- not just when someone else organizes a demonstration.
3. Keep up with activism on Twitter
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When Trump signed an executive order restricting travel for non-citizens from several Muslim-majority nations, advocates swarmed major international airports to protest the ban. These unplanned national protests were announced on social media just hours in advance, leaving social network users to do the work in getting the word out.
Being tapped into activist groups on Twitter is crucial to staying in the loop about spontaneous protests. Plug into your local go-to activist groups on the social network to see which events they're planning or attending.
And when breaking news compels you to take to the streets, do a quick Twitter search of your location and keywords like "protest" or "activism." If you want to take action, others near you probably are, too.
4. Search events on Facebook
Facebook event pages are an easy way for organizers to deliver information about their movements and planned protests to the masses. This tactic was used with the Women's March on Washington, which quickly went viral and ultimately became one of the largest marches in American history.
Use the "Events" tab to search with keywords like "protest" or "march," along with your location. A clear perk of finding protests through Facebook is the ability to save them to a calendar within the social network, automatically setting up reminders in the days and hours leading up to them.
You can also search for activist-oriented Facebook groups or pages in your area that support the issues you care about, helping you discover events already on their radar.
Topics Activism Social Good Social Media
Katie Dupere was a Social Good reporter at Mashable from May 2015 to July 2017, covering activism, identities and social impact. Prior to her work with Mashable, Katie penned pieces about queerness, body positivity, sex and relationships for Gurl. She also previously contributed LGBTQ news coverage to PinkNews.
