While being a vital tool for achieving social change, protesting can be very complicated. It’s essential to participate responsibly and safely.
Young people from across the globe are leading powerful protests to fight for change on a range of issues – from global warming, to basic human rights. In this short guide, you’ll find everything you need to protest safely, while making an impact and ensuring your voice is heard.

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Get notified of top trending articles like this one every week! (we won't spam you)Organising a Protest
The first part of organising a protest is to assemble a group of like-minded people. Find people who understand why you feel your case is important, and make your case for why taking action and holding a protest is necessary. Exchange phone numbers or other contact information so that you can keep each other throughout the planning process.
Next, you’ll need to find an effective mode of leadership – whether you want specific leader(s), or if you feel a more open and non-hierarchical structure would make more sense with the group, and the cause you’re protesting.
Specify what goals you want to reach and how you’re going to be able to do this, and figure out the audience you want to reach – whether this is your school or local council, or even bigger.
It’s important at this point to know your local rules and rights regarding protests. Research and look around to see what you need to do to have a fully legal protest. It may be that you need to notify your local council or police department for safety reasons – but everywhere is different so it's key that you’re looking at the laws for where you’re planning on holding your protest. There can be a lot of issues that come up during protests, and by following them to a T, you can often limit any problems you may face.
Make sure that everyone in your group, and protesting alongside you, knows their rights and understands what they mean. This will allow everyone to fully advocate for themselves during and after the event, in case of any legal trouble. If you’re going to engage in anti-social behaviour, you need to understand what kind of consequences that you’re going to be facing.

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How to Plan an Accessible Protest
Planning a protest that’s accessible to everyone is an important aspect that is often forgotten – it ensures that everyone can participate, and can help you reach a wider range of communities. Don’t forget that people with disabilities or health issues want to fight for their rights too, and don’t just assume that they’ll have help.
Location, Location, Location.
Take the time to scout locations – not only looking for a place where the most people will see you, and what makes sense for your protest, but make sure people can get there.
Think things like
- Is there public transport?
- Where are the nearest stops?
- Is there parking nearby?
- Are there disabled spots?
- Are there any dropped kerbs?
- What is the pavement / road surface like?
- Are there any benches or seats nearby?
- Could we bring portable seating?
- Can everyone keep up with the speed?
- Are there any public toilets?
- Are there any gender neutral or disabled toilets nearby?
If you’re considering a march, its often a good idea to let people know so that they can prepare, and keep in mind that there are some wheelchairs and mobility scooters that can only go so far.
Keeping Others in Mind
It’s important to keep in mind that there are people with hidden disabilities, and some people may have conditions that are triggered by noises or lighting, or other sensory input.
You could always use alternatives to the bright flashing lights or strong-smelling substances, but if you did specifically want to use these, just let people know and consider using them at a specific time so people can plan around it.
Smoke, while it can look cool, can make it harder for anyone to see, but it can be even worse for people who use sight in order to communicate – either sign language, or lip reading. It is possible to have a successful protest without the use of smoke canisters, but you could always ask around first.
Avoid using language that makes having a disability is a negative thing, or makes them a bad person – because it’s not a bad thing. This can help people with disabilities feel more involved.
Some people with sensory processing disorders can’t deal with loud noise, especially not for long periods of time. While its not always possible to have quiet zones for people to regulate sensory input and emotions, it’s something to consider. It could also be a nice idea to bring along some earplugs, or include a notice if it will likely be a loud event.
Information Ahead of Time
While prepping for a protest, it’s a smart idea to write out an accessibility or transparency statement. It would give you the opportunity to let people know ahead of time what they will need in order to attend, or what’s going to happen. This can help increase participation for people from all backgrounds.
Honesty is always best – there are going to be things that, despite your best efforts – you can’t make fully accessible. Just be honest if you aren’t able to give full access information, or if you’re able to meet everyone’s needs. This will help people decide for themselves if they think they’ll be able to attend.
For written information, keeping it simple is advised. Use plain English and short sentences, using pictures can also help. When using images, it’s always a good idea to describe them and use alt text – this is used by people who may be blind or visually impaired, as well as those who find images hard to process.
It could also be a good idea to include the information as a video with transcripts and captions. Including the written information in different forms is a good way of making sure that the content is accessible and everyone can understand what they need to know. Remember to keep all videos secure when sharing videos about protests.
While at the event, there are likely to be speeches or giving face to face instructions. Having someone available to transcribe in sign language, and talking with clear mouth movements, could allow people with hearing issues to get involved and understand what’s going on – especially if you’re giving key instructions.

Photo by Tony K. Luga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How to Protest Safely
While protests are usually safe spaces and peaceful, sometimes all it takes is one person getting violent and everything goes out the window. Knowing how to protest safely doesn’t just protect you, but it keeps everyone else around you safe too. There’s a lot that goes into protests, and not just from the people planning.
Preparation
Make sure that you research the cause and the demonstration that you’re planning on attending. There’s no point in turning up to a protest that you’ve only briefly heard about.
Know and understand your rights fully. There is nothing more important that knowing how to advocate for yourself in case anything goes wrong. Everywhere is different, so make sure you know your rights for the area that you are protesting in.
Inform someone that you’re going, just in case anything happens while you’re there. Write an emergency contact on your arm – under a sleeve and out of the way. You should also include a number for a solicitor in case you’re arrested, as well as any medical information that someone may need to know. It's also a good idea to buddy up with someone, just to keep an eye on each other throughout the protest.
Bring things like
- Identification
- Cash
- Water
- Snacks
- First aid kit
- Weather appropriate clothing that hides any distinctive markings or tattoos and covers as much skin as possible. Leave jewellery at home
- Protest signs and materials
- Personal protective equipment – think hand sanitiser or wipes, non distinctive face masks, earplugs, and a washcloth
- A notepad and pen to keep note of any issues that you face and shoulder numbers of police officers
- Any medication you may need
Don’t bring anything you wouldn’t want to get arrested with, just in case.
During the Protest
Throughout the course of the protest, its important that you stay peaceful and aware, even if other people get violent. It can only make things worse for you. Make sure that you follow all reasonable instructions and documents events in case anything goes unexpectedly wrong – but make sure that you protect the privacy of fellow protesters.
Keep an eye out for other people, even those you didn’t come with. You’re all in this together, if anyone looks faint or injured, flag it up and get them to a safe point.
Again, although protests are typically safe events, things can go wrong, and so it’s a good idea to be mindful of your phone settings. Ensure that there is a passcode on your phone, and disable any biometric log ins. It’s advisable that you bring an old phone with only essential numbers on it as police do have the power to search it if you are arrested.
Be prepared to encounter law enforcement, it is likely that they will be there – even if just to ensure everything is safe – but anything could happen.
Be mindful of any particular needs and vulnerabilities of any marginalised protesters, or those with additional needs or disabilities.
After the Protest
Make sure you check in with everyone and document your experiences in case they’re needed as evidence at a later date.
You should also seek support if you had been physically or mentally affected by anything throughout the course of the protest.
Supporting the Cause from Home
Protesting doesn’t have to be out in public – it doesn’t make you any less of an activist if you do it from home.
You can always donate supplies like personal protective equipment or water bottles, as well as making financial contributions to either the cause itself or to local bail funds in case things go wrong.
If you’re looking for something that doesn’t cost any money, you can always keep up the momentum by sharing materials and talking about the cause on social media. You can even advocate for policy change by contacting your local elected officials through email, phone, or by letter.
Protests are an incredibly powerful way to demand and achieve change, as well as making voices heard - but they require careful planning, thought into accessibility, and a commitment to keeping everyone safe. Whether you’re planning on leading at the frontlines, or prefer supporting from home, every single contribution matters, and can make a huge difference to the cause.
By staying informed, being inclusive, and taking practical precautions, you can help to ensure that your activism is not only effective, but meaningful and impactful.
Remember, change begins with action, so start where you are and let your voice be heard in the movement for a better world.