FreedomSide#NMOS14ActionToolkit

FREEDOM SIDE ACTION TOOLKIT

Who is Freedom Side? Freedom Side is a collective of young leaders of
color, standing together at the front lines of the fight for racial justice. Were
from Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Ohio and countries we were born in but dont
live in. Were from every state and every hood, and we call America home. In
1964, a group of young leaders came from all around the country to register as
many African- American voters as possible for 10 hot, historic weeks. They called
it Freedom Summer. In 2014, on the 50th anniversary of Freedom Summer, this
generations leaders are inheriting that legacy to continue that fight. Together,
we definitely claim that our lives matter.
Why Act? Why Now?
Too many lives have been lost in communities of color because of the
criminalization of our bodies- we are being killed and imprisoned and abused
because of our dark skin. Inspired by WalkRunFly Productions response to the
unjust murder of Eric Garner I Cant Breathe, and the community of protesters
in Ferguson, MO saying Dont shoot while holding their hands up in the air, we
are making a call to action to stand up and say Our Lives Matter.
We are coming together to say no more Mike Browns, no more John Crawfords,
no more Eric Garners, no more Renisha McBrides, no more Trayvon Martins. As
Eric Garner said before he was murdered ,It ends today.
We ask asking anyone who is on the Freedom Side, on the side of justice, to join
us in organizing an action in your community.
Where? It can be anywhere that is relevant to the cause where you can publicly
assemble. Some ideas: outside local police headquarters or sheriff offices that
cooperate with ICE or that have a record of police brutality, a place where a life
was taken by the hands of vigilante or police violence, or any other place that is
personally meaningful for your community.
When? The time is now! We are coordinating with events happening in
Ferguson, Ohio, Florida over the next few weeks. We ask that your action





How?
1. Coalition and Community Outreach:
1. Make a list of friends and family to invite to the event, make calls,
email them, tag them on social media, ask each person to invite 5
more people.
2. Invite community organizations, neighborhood associations to your
action. You can tweet them, email them, visit them in person--but
the best way to recruit is by phone.
3. Put your event up on Facebook [For Example Our Event Page from
Nashville] using #NMOS14 #OurLivesMatter #FreedomSide so we
can track all the events that are happening.
4. If you are planning an action, please register your action here
[action network link coming at 8PM] and
email freedomside14@gmail.com.
2. Plan Your Action: We are planning actions that range from vigils and
creativity like the WalkRunFly Productions video, to standing in solidarity
with those in Ferguson by putting our hands up at actions. At Freedom
Side actions we wear all black with a touch of red (can be a hat, a bandana,
wristband), so we encourage you to do that to coordinate with other
actions around the country. We understand that not everyone wants to
write an original piece, so here is a list of songs, poetry and spoken word
on the same topic. The rest of the event is up to you--but below is a sample
of an event program to get you started:
1. Arrive at location
1. We suggest arriving 30 mins-1 hour ahead of time of
when your event is scheduled to begin.
2. Sing your song, drop your beat, spit your words--whatever
your action is, do it. We are encouraging participants to put
their hands up in the air like what the people have been
doing in Ferguson, MO.
3. Explain why you are here.
1. Tell your personal story. Why does this matter to you?
How does it affect you, your family, and your
community
4. Close out by reading names of lives lost in the local
community through vigilant, or police violence. For
example:
1. John Crawford III: Dayton, OH
2. Mike Brown: Ferguson, MO
3. Eric Garner: Staten Island, NY
4. Israel Hernandez: Miami, Florida

Scenario Options:
1. People can keep there hands up in solidarity with the demonstrators in
MO.
2. Candlelight Vigils

Fill Action Roles:
1. Communicators:
1. Social Media: At least 1-2 people who are responsible
for livetweeting the action using the #NMOS14 and the
#OurLivesMatter hashtag
2. Traditional Media: At least 1 person who is in charge
of handling the press, and getting the word out to
them. At least 1-2 spokespeople who are comfortable
with speaking to the press--these people should be our
most articulate messengers who can speak
passionately about the action.
2. Poets, lyricists, singers: People who are responsible for
leading the songs and poems.
3. Police Liaisons: People in charge of communicating with the
police on hand and making sure that law enforcement and
community can exist peacefully before, during, and after the
action
4. Community Liaisons: People in charge of communicating
and recruiting local leaders from community organizations,
churches, and other institutions
5. Legal Support: Please reach out to your local National
Lawyers Guild chapter at least 5 days before the action to
ensure that legal support can be on site. They provide pro
bono legal support to groups like us. You can find a list of
their chapters at:http://www.nlg.org/chapter
1. Messaging:
1. Please feel free to use our talking points document here.
After: After the action, its important to have a debrief with all who attended
and to plan next steps for the community that wants to continue to fight.
Freedom Side will be transitioning this energy into educational opportunities
around the importance of our power on the streets and in the voting booth--and
we welcome you joining us!
Have questions? Need support? Email us
at freedomside14@gmail.com with questions and to let us know about your event.
You can also tweet at us @FreedomSide on Twitter or like us on
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreedomSide14.

Dealing with Police at Your Event
If you have a large gathering of people, it is likely that you will be monitored and,
potentially confronted by police. Remember that your right to free assembly and
speech are guaranteed by the constitution. Here are some tips for dealing with
the police at your event.
Police Liaison
Having someone designated to serve as police liaison on site is important. Have one or two
people to liaise with police when they arrive to ensure that they do not over react to a situation.
Good liaison can reduce the risk of conflict with police and serve to find out what police intend to
do regarding the event. If you know people who are definitely attending the event, ask a couple
of them that you trust to serve as police liaisons. Otherwise, be prepared to fill the role yourself.
If police arrive at your event, make it clear to event attendees that there are designated liaisons
and that they should direct police to those individuals if questioned.
Permits
Local police may ask if you have a permit for your event. Often, localities have a
certain threshold for gatherings of people that requires a permit. The police may
tell you that you need a permit because of the size or nature of your event. If this
occurs, tell the police about the event. Be explicit that this is not a rally or protest
but an event to mourn the loss of community members. Normally, such events do
not require permits but do not debate the legalities with police unless you are
well-informed. You may also be able to ease police concerns by explaining more
about the event. Tell them the program and duration of the event. Knowing when
the event will end can make police more comfortable. Assure them that the event
will be peaceful and over shortly and they will likely decide the best.
Consider reaching out to the National Lawyers Guild Chapter if there is one in
your community. The may be able to advice you on the laws governing gatherings
or even send a representative to help deal with any police presence. You can look
for a local chapter in your community here: https://www.nlg.org/chapter
Talking to Police
Police officers have different ways of interacting with protestors. Some are
insulting, others are quite friendly. Your race, gender, class, sexuality, ethnicity
and disability can all be factors in how the police choose to behave towards you.
Regardless, remain calm and respectful. Behave as if you expect to be treated
with respect. If you represent people at a mass action, insist on speaking with the
senior officer present.
Be prepared to negotiate with police, but be firm and stick to the basics of your
plan of action. Some compromise with police may not be detrimental to the action
so long as it doesnt compromise the basic aims of the action. For instance, if
police ask you to stay off of a sidewalk or not to have open flames (ie. Candles),
consider complying if it does not hurt the fundamental goals of the event.