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Support for Civil Disobedience and Direct Action
October, 2002
Many forms of political protest are safe and perfectly legal. When we
engage in civil disobedience or direct action, however, we run the risk of
arrest.
Being arrested and going to jail can be an unpleasant and even traumatic
experience, but it can also be empowering and liberating. For many people
of more privileged backgrounds, it is an invaluable education! Even in the
post 9-11 climate, arrests for peaceful acts of protest are not necessarily
detrimental to one’s future life—in fact, they can be a badge of honor! But
the experience is more likely to be empowering if we are prepared, and have
organized support.
Before embarking on an action which risks
arrest:
- Arrange home support, someone who will take
care of your cats, plants, kids, excuses to
the boss, or whatever else you need.
- Arrange day-of-action support, someone who
will be onsite to witness the action from a
safe place, or offsite, whom you will call at
a prearranged time. If you don’t call, your
support person will know you are in jail and
take action.
- Arrange legal support—someone who will be
your lawyer and guard your interests. The National
Lawyers’ Guild has branches around the country,
and many members are willing to volunteer to
support activists. You may have friends or contacts
in the legal profession who are willing to help.
Do them the favor of letting them know your
intentions ahead of time.
- If you have no money, and no prearranged legal counsel, the court will
appoint a public defender.
Before the action:
- Write or email your friends and relatives, let
them know what you are planning to do and why,
and ask them to stand by to call or write letters
should you be arrested. Doing this will also
help to get them involved in the issue.
- Write down the names, jail names if you are
planning to use them, contact numbers and relevant
emergency information for all who are taking
part, and leave it in a safe place. Your support
person should have access to it.
- Take thought to where you leave identification
(if you choose not to carry it), car keys, money
and other necessities. Your support person should
know where all of it is, and have access to
it.
- Don’t wear or carry anything that you cannot
bear to lose.
- Write the contact numbers for your legal support
and general support on your body in ink, as
paper and pens may be taken from you.
- When you are arrested, you may get a phone
call. You may have access to a cell phone. If
so, contact your legal and general support people.
Try to consolidate and pass on the names of
all who have been arrested.
- While you are in jail, your support people
can vigil at the jail, attend arraignments or
trials, let your friends and relatives know
where you are, visit you, and mobilize people
to write letters or call officials on your behalf.
- When you get out of jail, they can greet you,
feed you, help you get where you need to go,
and provide massage, cheers, and healing.
- The role of support can be as stressful or more as going to jail.
Supporters also need support, cheers, massage and healing!
Copyright (c) 2002 by Starhawk. All rights reserved.
This copyright protects Starhawk's right to publication of her work.
Nonprofit, activist, and educational groups may circulate this essay
(forward it, reprint it, translate it, post it, or reproduce it) for
nonprofit uses. Please do not change any part of it without permission.
Readers are invited to visit the web site: www.starhawk.org.
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