6 Ways to Protest Without Leaving Your Apartment

By Chelsea Jackson on January 28, 2017

Protests and mass assemblies are exemplary methods to bring attention to an important cause and call for justice. Whether or not you agree with a movement’s mission, the United States of America was built on protests, both peaceful and violent.

The United States of America was established in part from the Boston Tea Party in 1773, where protesters assembled in the Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act that allowed the British Parliament to control the cost of tea. Although this initial protest by the Bostonian activists stemmed from the monopoly on tea, the Boston Tea Party propelled the United States into a revolutionary movement that eventually led to the country’s independence in 1776.

Today you don’t have to dump nearly 50 tons of tea into a body of water to get your cause noticed, but it does take a drastic amount of people to bring forth change. Marches and rallies are largely successful by the sheer number of people who attend these events; however, there are several reasons why some individuals cannot physically show up to support these like-minded movements. It can be too ambitious for some people to go to work, school, and a protest on the same day.

While convenience, or lack thereof, should never deter you from marching in a protest, sometimes there simply are not enough hours in the day. It can also be strenuous for people with particular disabilities to attend a massive event. Regardless of the reason, you can still contribute to a protest without leaving your apartment.

1. Contact Your Local Lawmakers

Calling your local federal representatives is a great start to expressing your concerns. Before you call, staff up some points that you want to discuss and practice what you want to say prior to dialing the phone. Practice in front of a friend or a roommate to see how they react, as this will help you avoid stumbling on the phone.

2. Use Your Creativity

Next to attending events, graphics are the most effective way to get a movement noticed. In fact, the human brain processes visual information much faster than text. Humans are naturally visual creatures. From logos to posters to t-shirts, visual representation helps people remember causes. Whether you’re a graphic design major or you just love to doodle in your free time, use your artistic skills to draft up the next great flyer design for your protest of choice.

Even if you aren’t the craftiest activist, you can still utilize your creativity. Instead of designing the next t-shirt, you can use your skill set to create the next internet challenge to broadcast your protest. Using a seemingly wacky video challenge can get any movement noticed by the masses. Although activism organizations aim to do more than just be noticed, gaining the world’s gaze is just the first step to getting real results.

Ultimately a viral video challenge, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, is what raised $115 million in just 8 weeks for the ALS Association. So why not draft a unique twist on the egg and spoon race to bring awareness to a protest?

3. Update Your Social Media

Social media is a great platform to get your voice heard. While you can use your Facebook and Twitter accounts to support and share your views on human rights issues, a more effective approach to protesting on social media is to bombard your accounts with facts. These facts can range from upcoming protest events to facts about environmental and human rights issues.

Better yet, you can emulate the rebellious Twitter handle, @ALTUSNPS, to create a new social media account solely to distribute pertinent information to your 612,000 followers. Not only will your theme on social media help support your protest, it may also educate others.

4. Use Your John Hancock

Signing a petition is a great way to devote to a protest. While petitions may often be outshined in comparison to a sizable rally, the United States government is required to respond if an official government petition receives more than 100,000 signatures in the span of 30 days or less.

5. Give The Gift Of Giving

Along with calling your local lawmakers, sending them gifts can also raise awareness to your protest. In 2007 after Jericho‘s first season was canceled, the fans took it upon themselves to send thousands of pounds of peanuts to CBS executives. Fans sent nuts as a way to illustrate to the CBS executives that they would not surrender and accept the cancellation, as when a main character in the series was asked to surrender his response was, “Nuts.”

While your protests and political beliefs are likely more crucial than the end of a beloved television series, when you feel like admitting defeat on your cause, send your lawmakers assorted nuts!

6. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Along with signing a petition, donating to an activist movement can help tremendously. Monetary donations can go toward required permits associated with a protest or peaceful assembly. For example, local governments often require specific permits for an organization to use in order to host a protest on public property, such as streets where activities or attendance can burden pedestrian or vehicle traffic. While there are exceptions to these permit requirements, typically large protests need to pay hefty permit and insurance fees at each event.

Even if you don’t have any spare funds to donate, there are some unique ways that you can raise money and create for your protest:

Etsy is an exceptional means to sell custom goods and crafts online to make some supplemental funds, but Etsy can also be a powerful resource for any protest. Individuals and organizations alike can set up an Etsy account to sell protest-specific signs, hats, t-shirts, and much more. Plus, the profits can be used toward other aspects of a protest, such as renting a crane outside the White House.

Kickstarter can be used to distribute goods as a reward for donations, much like Etsy; however, all proceeds go completely toward some kind of final project. You can get quite creative with what form of protest-related project you would like to promote. However, if you can’t think of anything unique, you could also create a Kickstarter for an old-fashioned mass assembly and instead get creative with what contributors will receive in return for their donations. Donation rewards can be simple, sweet and cost efficient such as a handwritten thank you note or a photo. Likewise, they can be equally inexpensive but twice as wacky, such as allowing a contributor to write a tweet on your Twitter account.

Though monetary donations can help alleviate permit fees and advertisements for protests, you can also donate in other ways. Donating supplies is a considerable way to devote your efforts to a cause that also motivates protest attendees. Supplies can range from prepackaged snacks to jackets for extended protests.

Regardless of your mode of contribution, protesting is an excellent way to exercise your first amendment rights and to support others as their rights are being threatened. Whether you cannot attend a march or would like alternative ways to protest, it is vital that you speak and act out for your beliefs and freedoms.

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