Confrontation
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This video, from the Let Live conference, is called “Dealing with Confrontation at Outreach Events,” but I think it’s more just general advice about leafleting, tabling, protesting, demonstrations, etc.
Dealing with Confrontation at Outreach Events from Let Live Foundation on Vimeo.
Here is the video description:
During outreach, protest, and tabling events activists will sometimes be forced to deal with confrontational people. We will discuss common challenges street level activists may encounter and how we can diffuse tense situations, calm negative interactions, and refocus the discussion on the issue at hand.
Here are some key ideas I caught from watching:
- It’s highly unlikely that you’ll get arrested or ticketed.
- Most rent-a-cops and similar types of people don’t know the actual law. It’s a good idea to ignore them and/or insist that they call the police.
- We all make mistakes. Forgive yourself. Forgive others.
- It’s good to know a lawyer, an animal rights lawyer is preferable.
- Body language is important. Think about what your body says, not just what your sign says or what your mouth says.
- Try to listen to people and hear what they have to say.
Personally, this is what I think (take it with a grain of salt since I rarely demonstrate):
- It’s good to remember that you can usually just ignore or walk away from confrontation. It’s an option to keep in mind.
- Kill ‘em with kindness – you hear this all over the place: the best way to respond to rude or hateful people is to be extra nice. Well, it can work. It’s not for every situation, but for some, it makes perfect sense. If they flip you off, give them a peace sign.
- There are ways to help leafleters, tablers, protesters without doing the activism yourself. You can video-tape. Or you can show support with a honk or wave. You can take a leaflet and sit nearby and read it. You can notify the press… You can get active without being on the front lines.
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