National Week of Action for the Right to Organize and Protest
October 6 13, 2007
Days of Action inSupport of the Right to Organize
From October 6 13 we will demand the terrorism charges againstthe Suchitoto protestors be dropped. As CISPES wewill focus on street theater and public actions, along with the participation of othersolidarity groups. Weve chosen the week of October 6 forthe action because it marks three months after the initial arraignment of the protesters being charged under the anti-terrorism law.
Ideas for Actions:
-street theater in conspicuous public spaces (markets, downtown, publicsquares, etc.)
-leafleting in costume
-music
-puppetry or other visuals that communicate that protest is not terrorism
-signingbutcher paper-sized petitions with messages to take to the consulate
Targets (for phone calls/messages):
1) U.S.and Salvadoran governments, specifically the U.S. State Department (overseeingthe U.S. Embassy) and the Salvadoran Ambassador (who reports directly toPresident Saca)
2) Public space: highlighting the right to speech andmobilization and protest in public space.
Demands:
-Drop the terrorism charges!
- No water privatization!
- Repeal the Anti-Terrorism Law and the reforms to thePublic Disturbances Law
Resources:
-watch the video of the recent Consulate Action in Boston! http://cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=257&Itemid=29
Bring to the Action
-Pledge of Protest forms
-recent action alert
-print-outs of chants
-phone script for calling Jeremys office at the El Salvadordesk of the State Dept. and Rene Leon at the Salvadoran Embassy
-email script for emailing those same targets on theterrorism case in ElSalvador on the first day of the trial
Action Checklist borrowed from United for a FairEconomy:
-visually unified maintain aconsistent look and feel
-think about the photo you want tosee in the paper
Black or red on white background
Clear block letters, seen from 30 feet away
-show, dont tell
-organize someone in advance toshoot still photography of your event.
-less is more-keep text to aminimum
-use powerful metaphors
-dont laundry list/dont preach
-balance art and message
-combine serious and satire
-anchor your story to an image
-publicize by creating mystery
-creative outreach
"I am a CISPES supporter because continuing to fight for social justice and a more people-centered country means continuing the dream and sacrifice of thousands of my fellow Salvadorans who died for that vision.” - Padre Carlos, New York City
