Protect your people

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Without active people willing to take risks, the social movement would never have grown and we would never have won cao’s, weekends, free elections, bike lanes, or same-sex marriage. Standing up for your rights and changing the world has never been without risk. And it’s reasonable to expect that those risks will increase in the years ahead. From getting online hate, to sanctions by employers or other authorities, up to legal risks. It’s good to make people aware of these risks without needlessly frightening them.

As an organization you have a responsibility toward the people you ask to take action and therefore to take risks. The best protection for active members is a large, prepared, and active group around them that stands in solidarity.

If an active member is attacked, that’s an emergency!

It is now top priority for you to show quickly and decisively that the attack is unacceptable; protect the active member, the watching bystanders, and demonstrate to your opponents that this won’t be tolerated. Of course, you must do this while listening carefully to what this member needs and what they do or do not want.

As an organization you can take steps such as:

Step 1:
Formal communication from the organization demanding that the attack stops, and announcing that failure to stop will have consequences.

Step 2:
Organizing a solidarity meeting with the affected active member.

Step 3:
A petition or other online action to make the support for that active member visible.

Step 4:
(Threatening) seeking media attention and publicity.

Step 5:
Solidarity actions at the opponent’s door.

Step 6:
(Threatening) legal action.

Counter campaigns

We are seeing it more and more: counter campaigns. Well-planned campaigns by opponents designed to undermine an organizing campaign. Sometimes these are carried out by the opponent themselves, but increasingly by PR firms that specialize in this type of campaign. It’s important to be aware of this and to investigate whether a coordinated counter-campaign is taking place.

What can counter-campaigns look like?

Spreading division and doubt among your target audience
- Portraying your organization as external troublemakers working in their own interest rather than the interests of the target group: “They just want your membership fees.”
- Launching their own petitions or public actions by a small group of supporters.
Undermining your efforts
- Offering (small) collective improvements before an organization is strong enough to achieve major change, thereby emphasizing the opponent’s goodwill and portraying the organization as unnecessary.
Intimidatie
- Using intimidating communication.
- Pressuring outspoken members through employers, clients, or other power relations.
- Issuing formal warnings.
Bribary or co-optation
- Offering individual members benefits (e.g., compensation, addressing individual grievances, or personal assistance) to isolate them from the group.

If you expect a counter-campaign, or notice that one has started, your organization can respond by:

Initially working under the radar and remaining active anonymously. Don’t ask members to reveal themselves to people they don’t trust, and avoid organizing public activities. The step of acting publicly should only be taken once your group has reached a sufficient critical mass and members are fully aware of the risks and willing to take them.
Safeguarding and coaching new active members to ensure they don’t inadvertently provoke repression through their own actions, thereby preventing opponents from having a means to pressure them.

Finally

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This guide is part of the ‘Toolbox for Movements’. This toolbox contains more short digital guides, offering fundamental knowledge about strategy, movement building, campaigning, and organizing.

We also love to learn. So, if you have any ideas for improving or adding to this guide based on your experiences, let us know!

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