Category: Organising

  • Dealing with tabloid journalists

    Dealing with tabloid journalists

    The hallmark of sensationalist tabloid reporting is generating fear and outrage, invariably in defence of deeply partisan, reactionary politics. Campaigners who use direct action and civil disobedience tactics are often seen as a target for this kind of “journalism”. In particular, reporters have turned up at meetings or attended online discussions looking for gossip and…

  • Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when online

    Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when online

    A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a way to encrypt your online data and increase your anonymity on the internet, by routing your internet traffic through remote servers around the world to mask your IP address (your device’s digital signature). This involves an app on your mobile phone or a program on a desktop that…

  • How and why to use an anonymous Signal account

    How and why to use an anonymous Signal account

    What is Signal? Signal is a secure messaging application, which allows you to send encrypted messages to your contacts. We recommend anyone sending instant messages or setting up chat groups for political organising uses a secure platform like Signal, in order to protect their privacy. Signal’s end-to-end encryption protects the contents of messages from being…

  • Planning protests involving direct action or civil disobedience

    Planning protests involving direct action or civil disobedience

    Use the process of managing low/medium/high risks as the basis for planning your action if there is a prospect of arrests, media attention or police surveillance. As members of your campaign or group, consider together: Divide up responsibilities Every decision need not involve everyone – so divide up your planning and organising into separate teams:…

  • Managing risks to your campaign group

    Managing risks to your campaign group

    Like “never cross a picket line”, the principle that we “look out for each other” should become ingrained in the ways we organise. But too often the way campaigners talk about security is all or nothing. Make a plan Rather than muddling though and hoping everything will work out – make a plan that everyone…