Tips for protesters in Black Lives Matter

Fed Up Movement Woman leading a group of demonstrators on road by Tverdokhlib (Miami Downtown, FL, USA)

In the last few weeks, protests that began after the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers have spread to practically every major city in the United States. Black Lives Matter has become a rallying cry followed closely by “no justice, no peace.” Protests that are successful are more about winning the hearts and minds of the people than politicians. When the people want change, then there is the political will to change.

Protesters in Hong Kong to Chinese rule have lead a very successful DIY campaign that US protesters can learn from. A key component of Hong Kong’s success has been leveraging the internet and social media. Modern society is celebrity obsessed and the movement has had celebrity supporters testifying in high profile settings including on social media platforms.The Hong Kong movement has had a decentralized organization with self-chosen diplomats representing it in interviews. They have even called on foreign governments to discourage them from sending more crowd control equipment to the area.With racial protests pitting extremely well equipped police forces against unarmed protesters and journalists with tragic results.In Hong Kong, Twitter has become a major tool for organizing protests and for keeping their message front and center. The Hong Kong movement has catchy slogans, even an anthem and flag which help magnify the message on social media. Further, Hong Kong protesters have run successful crowdfunding campaigns that have been used to pay for advertisements to keep the issue in the spotlight. Viral videos are easily shared and keep protesters motivated and further spread the message. The eyes of the world are now on racial injustice in US. These are techniques that be used to keep them there.

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