Organize Your Own Iran Protest

Nearly three weeks after their elections, thousands of Iranians continue to risk their lives daily in order to exercise their inalienable right to free speech. Want to help? Consider organizing a protest or rally in YOUR city.

First, find out if someone has already organized something local to you. You can see a list of upcoming protests around the world at http://protests.sharearchy.com/

Perhaps you don’t see any. Or perhaps the protest you see doesn’t fit with your philosophical aims (some people want to specifically protest for regime change, others just want to support Iranian’s right to free speech).

Perhaps YOU could organize your own rally. Get together with like-minded friends. Try to recruit someone with some experience in organizing protests or rallies to help you plan. When you have selected a reasonable date, time, and location, then you can register/publicize it at http://protests.sharearchy.com/new.

Don’t let this be your only means of publicity. Also consider using Facebook, twitter, and word of mouth to publicize. Also communicate with local area newspapers (both on line and in print) to find out what it would take to put out a small announcement or ad.

In all publicity, please be clear about what type of event it is (a candlelight vigil? a march?) and its agenda (simply supporting the right of Iranians to free speech? or something else?). If people don’t understand from your information what they would be coming to, they may not attend at all.

Be creative. Not all protests have to be physically located. You could also organize a protest in Second Life or your on-line chat room.

Does anyone reading this have experience organizing protests or rallies? Please share your advice in the comments area below. Also please do suggest additional links I should try to link to in this blog post (but PARTICULARLY links to posts that give inexperienced protesters guidance in how to organize a rally).

Let’s let Iranians know that people around the world are listening to them.

Looking for more ways to help? Read Simple Ways to Help Iranian Free Speech.