ACT UP Zap Action Teach-In Outline

ACT UP was (and still is) a tremendously successful direct action group formed in 1987 to effect change in the response to the AIDS epidemic.

Many of its members are still activists, and are passing down their know how in a new era of anti-Trump protest. Here is a document written as an outline for training. It is not a substitute for training and experience, but it raises the issues that we must master now.

By Jamie Bauer and others as original authors as part of ACT UP Actions Committee

1. Conceptual
1. Goal – What you want? (from target?)
2. Target – Whom/What is action for/against
3. Audience – Who are you trying to reach? Who will see it? (Target/Publicity/Media/Co-workers/Higher-ups/Community
4. Message – What do you want to say? (sentence/visual)
5. Tactics – How will you achieve goal? Hit target?
   Reach audience? Get message across?
   (verbs/action: To embarrass, to goad, to advocate, to draw attntion to…, etc.)
2. Logistics
1. When (Time & Date) incl. Length of Action
   “optimum people time” vs. “optimum media time vs. “appropriate time”
2. Where – Location must be scouted
1. Outside
1. Physical Layout
1. space available for demo
2. construction/obstructions
3. entrances/exits
4. photo ops
2. Visibility
1. pedestrian/auto traffic
2. convenience/accessibility
3. nearness to “target”
3. Security
1. private property vs. public
2. building security
2. Inside
1. Layout
2. Public Engress & Egress
1. opent to public?
2. what do you to get in? (passes/ticket/“costume”)
3. Private vs. Public property
4. Security
3. Visual/Theme – Communicating Message/“Why We’re Here”
1. Visual Image(s)
2. Fact Sheet
3. Chants
4. Tactics:

(Gene Sharp List)

1. Type of Action (ex.)
1. Symbolic Protest
2. Disruption/Interference
3. Education/Outreach
4. Civil Disobedience – Purposeful Direct Action Risking Arrest by Disobeying Law
   (vs. “Arrest” – action by Police)
1. Planned
2. Spontaneous
2. Contingencies – “What ifs…”
1. Group is larger/smaller than planned
2. Act of Higher Power – i.e. Weather
3. Police presence/interference
4. Initial demands met prior to demo
3. Ending/Closure – Closing Gesture/Statement
5. What You’ll Need
1. Zap Coordinator(s)/Facilitators(s)
1. Nail down info. (pre-zap)
2. Set up communication/info network at zap
   (marshals/demonstrators/affinity/support/legal)
3. Help coordinate w/media
4. Interface w/police & legal
2. Props ($ avail. from Coord. Comm. via Action or appropriate Committee Rep.)
1. Posters
1. New Demo-Specific — Poster Party
2. Old Posters (Both handwritten & S-D) (Storage Space) via Action Comm. Rep.
2. Props (sheets, handcuffs, clown masks, chalk…)
3. Bullhorn (Storage Space) – Sound Device Permit?
3. Fact Sheet – must have Coord. Comm. approval
1. Research/Write – old FS, articles, Issues
2. Layout>
3. Typeset (Typeset Anon.)
4. Printer (Village Copy) or Xerox (Xerox Anon)
5. Transportation of FS to and from printers/demo
4. Marshals/Peace Keepers (Available via call to Floor)
1. Does not control demo $mdash; facilitates action and minimizes unfriendly interaction between police and protesters.
2. Number depends on:
1. size & type of demo
2. hierarchy of target (position in gov’t/corp)
3. how far demo pushes legal limits of behavior (type of action)
4. CD – spontaneous or planned – marshals oftn fill support/legal gaps
5. possibility of moving demo to another location
6. Support (CD or ARREST)
1. Before Arrest
1. Know all affinity mmbers/arrestees (faces)
1. Name
2. Phone
3. Address
4. Date of Birth
5. Emergency #’s – work, medical, personal
6. 24-hour needs (medicine etc.)
2. At Site
1. Find out circumstance of arrest
2. Whare arrestees have been put (vehicle/area)
3. Where arrestees have been takn to be procssed
1. Ask police/Commanding Officer
2. Ask precinct of arresting officers — call Precinct House and ask if protesters are being brought there
3. Possibilities: Local Precinct, Manhattan South/North, 1 Police Plaza
4. Go to Holding Site – with group if possible but ALWAYS with someone else
5. Interface with Legal/Lawyer on details – Who arrested/when/by whom
7. Legal Observers – ALWAYS
1. Not part of demo – identified as such (armband)
2. Take notes of “happenings” especially interactions with police – provides factual basis for court cases and law suits
3. Does not control demo – observes
8. Media
1. Amplifies & spotlights issues
2. Works as deterrent for police violence
3. Appropriateness for event (focus/goal)
4. ”Our” media vs. “General Public” media
9. Personal Issues
1. Rights/Legal (Check with Legal Contact
1. Right to moving picket on public sitewalk allowing pedestrian traffic
2. Right to hand out material in public area, allowing pedestrian traffic
3. Church/hostpital “Quiet zones”
4. Rights on “private property”
5. Rights in custody
2. Points of Contention
1. Responsibility of individual to group/group to individual
1. Endangerment by group or individual
2. Stepping away
3. Taking care of one another
2. Consensus & communication
1. Keeping everyone informed
2. Consensus when “decisions” are being made i.e. changing tactics, ending or moving demo
3. Ending: When to leave
   Warning signs (i.e. demo fatigue, increase of police harrassment, goal achieved — point of diminished returns)
10. ACT UP Procedures
1. Zaps presented to floor for “participants/planners” & ACT UP approval
2. Fact Sheets OK’d by Coord (Tues. mtg) or by at least 3 members of Coord
3. Posters available at Storage Space availabl thru Actions
4. Xerox/Typesetters/Car Owners Anonymous – Lists available thru Actions
5. Marshals/Legal Observ – Call to Floor
6. Reimbursement for $ spent on ACT UP approved Zap (save receipts and give to Action/approp. Coord Rep)
7. Zap Media Contact Sheet – available thru Media