Community #1: safety & knowing our rights
Goal: Keep our communities safe, by preparing as best we can.
Below, we consider 3 aspects of community safety: caring for basic physical needs, allyship through state violence, and crowd safety.
The bigger your event is, the more necessary it is to plan for these things. As artists, we’re not always trained as medics, lawyers, or security planners. We do the best we can with what we’ve learned, and whenever possible, we rely on collaboration with others for the most current guidance.
We also need to name that this work is demanding, and rarely paid for. But if we want to change how art is presented, who it is for, and where it can exist, we think artists have to take on responsibilities that others sometimes absorb.
To learn more about safety from the perspective of activists, click here.
Physical Safety
The main goal here is to avoid injuries as best you can and be prepared if someone gets hurt.
Before the event
Do a basic risk assessment: terrain, weather, accessibility, likelihood of counter-protest or police presence.
Identify exit routes, quiet spaces, and meeting points.
Have water, shade, masks, and ear protection if relevant.
Share emergency plans with organizers and volunteers, and understand how ambulances will move through the site.
First aid & medics
Always have basic first aid supplies on site (eg, bandages, ice packs, water).
Have a trained street medic or medical lead on site when:
The event is large or long
Physical activity, performance, or construction is involved
Police or counter-protest presence is likely
The event involves vulnerable communities
Make medics visible and known, but not isolated.
During the event
Use a buddy system for organizers and volunteers.
Assign people to monitor crowd well-being (fatigue, dehydration, distress).
Legal Safety
We want to protect people from state harm and targeted enforcement. Here, we look from the point of view of an ally who understands that they’re not the person most at risk in that moment and wants to support someone else. In these moments, there are two primary ways to be an ally: witnessing (documentation without engagement), and providing active support (communication or intervention). Follow the paths that you feel most comfortable with.
Be a Witness: Taking Video
Although everyone should know their rights for themselves, you don’t need to know the law to be a good witness. You only need to know what/how to document and how to do so safely.
Recording federal agents in public is protected under the First Amendment, but many people are increasingly targeted or intimidated when they film. This WIRED article includes guidance from privacy and civil-liberties experts on how to reduce risk and make useful recordings.
Before Filming
Some suggest using an alternate or “burner” phone to protect your personal data.
Disable biometrics on your main device and use a strong passcode to limit what authorities can access without a warrant.
During the encounter
Who: Capture patches, lettering, uniform, vehicles (ICE, VICE, ERO, HSI, DHS, CBP, local police, Gang Unit). Focus on documenting the agents themselves (badges, vehicles) rather than just those affected by their actions.
What & How Much: What they are doing, what equipment they’re using (weapons, flex-cuffs, dogs, battering rams, sound cannons, vans), # of agents/officers
Where: Address/intersection/borough. Include landmarks.
When: As precise as possible. Include timestamps to help authenticate footage later.
How: Document from a safe distance. Avoid narration that interferes with evidence. Start recording as early as possible and film continuously and horizontally to capture fuller context and reduce claims of manipulation.
After the Encounter
Share footage quickly with trusted community or legal defense groups, rather than on social media platforms. It is always a good idea to get connected before you need it. In New York City, a place to start is NYCicewatch.
Save original files and keep backups; don’t edit the original footage.
If an abduction or arrest occurs:
Write down what you observed while it is fresh
Share this information with trusted groups
Active Support
To support, we want to enable conditions for the person targeted to:
Know they’re not alone. They recognize you as a trusted ally.
Be at less risk of harm. Your engagement should not make things worse, for yourself or them. Can it de-escalate/prevent harm?
Know rights. To offer responsible support, you need to understand basic rights and how state enforcement works. There are dozens of resources today. Examples include the ACLU. This isn't easy: the system is designed to make it difficult to know and exercise our rights, and enforcement is not applied evenly.
Know legal resources available to them. Like phone numbers to get help.
Be able to communicate with friends and family after they’re abducted or arrested. It is not uncommon for people to have little way of contacting their families. An ally can find out where they're being taken and get contact information for loved ones. The laws and processes are different depending on the system they've entered. So it helps to be you involved early with community groups to be able to get advice.
Situational awareness is the foundation
We know what we want the outcome to be, but it's not always clear how to create the conditions that make them possible. Situational awareness is reading the scene, and adjusting your behavior as conditions change. It is a continuous process of observing and adapting to body language, verbal cues, and environmental circumstances to enable the conditions you want:
Build trust in very stressful situations: Why should the person targeted notice or trust me? Would my presence reassure them, or could it make them uncomfortable or draw unwanted attention?
De-escalate: Is my behavior escalating or de-escalating tension? Am I being noticed in a way that could increase risk — to the person I want to support or myself?
Communication dynamics: If I try to communicate, will they understand me? Are instructions or resources reaching them, or would silence be safer?
No one can build situational awareness by reading an article. Build your judgment by routinely asking yourself these questions in low-pressure situations. Over time, this practice trains you to make faster, safer, and more effective judgments in real encounters. Review these resources and let us know if you think we should host trainings in the future.
Crowd Safety
Sometimes, chaos forms in a crowd, even if people have the best of intentions. Our goal here is to help artists and event organizers anticipate and respond to crowd hazards at small to medium gatherings, reducing risk for participants. If you expect a large crowd, we recommend you check out these resources.
Prepare in Advance
Know the space
Identify entrances, exits, and potential bottleneck points.
Look for obstacles (tables, fences, planters) that could block movement.
Plan for movement
Think about how people might gather or shift if more attendees arrive than expected.
Identify spots where people could cluster and make sure there’s room to move safely.
Assign observers
Have one or two team members keep an eye on crowd flow and spacing.
Observers can alert you if things get too dense or tense.
Have a communication plan
Decide how you’ll communicate with each other if things start moving quickly (hand signals, phone, or designated runner).
Avoid shouting instructions, which can increase confusion or panic.
Responding If the Crowd Grows
Scan continuously
Notice areas getting crowded or where people look uncomfortable.
Pay attention to bottlenecks or people who may be blocked from moving.
Manage flow without forcing it
Encourage gentle spreading of the crowd or movement toward open space.
Guide people verbally or with subtle signals, not force.
Protect people at risk
Keep an eye on anyone who looks stuck, panicked, or isolated.
Step in only if you can do so safely and without escalating tension.
Know when to pause or stop
If density is increasing and you can’t keep people safe, pause the event or redirect flow.
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