Activist Safety

None of us can afford to sit idly by as our democracy continues to slip away from us, so let’s proceed thoughtfully and safely using secure methods. Digital security is crucial as activists rely on online platforms to communicate, organize, and advocate. Implementing the following practices will reduce the risk of data breaches and cyberattacks targeting your group’s activities.

1. Passwords and Authentication:
   • Use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication on all accounts, especially for email, social media, and banking.
   • Avoid reusing passwords, and use a password manager to help manage and protect your credentials.
2. Data Backups: Keep an encrypted backup of essential files on an external hard drive. Cloud services (Google Drive, Dropbox) do not count as backups since they are vulnerable to deletion.

Following are the tools Indivisible Upstate SC uses and recommends for conversations with fellow activists.

Digital repression can include doxing, phishing, and spyware. Protect yourself with these resources:

• • Digital Preparedness Guide by Indivisible: Safety & Security for a Second Trump Administration. Comprehensive guidance specifically designed for activists operating under heightened political tensions, covering everything from secure communications to legal preparedness.
  • EFF’s Security Guides: Learn secure messaging, password protection, and anti-surveillance tools: Electronic Frontier Foundation. The Electronic Frontier Foundation provides detailed technical guides for protecting your digital privacy, including tutorials on encrypted messaging, secure browsing, and avoiding surveillance.
  • Access Now’s Helpline: Real-time digital security help for activists: Access Now Digital Security Helpline. Access Now Digital Security Helpline offers immediate, personalized assistance for activists facing digital threats, available 24/7 in multiple languages.
  • Security in-a-Box Toolkit: Practical tools for human rights defenders: Front Line Defenders. This comprehensive toolkit provides step-by-step instructions for digital security tools, from basic password management to advanced anonymity techniques.
  • Amnesty’s Digital Security Hub: Amnesty Security Lab. Cutting-edge research and practical tools for activists, including guides on detecting spyware and protecting against sophisticated digital attacks.
  • CLDC’s Digital Privacy Guide: Civil Liberties Defense Center

 

Physical safety remains a critical concern for activists, particularly in hostile political environments where surveillance, infiltration, and direct confrontation pose ongoing threats. Law enforcement agencies have historically used excessive investigation, trumped-up charges, mass arrests, and infiltration tactics to disrupt activist movements, while risks extend beyond police action to include harassment from counter-protesters, doxxing, and coordinated intimidation campaigns designed to silence dissent.

Real-World Safety Resources:

• ACLU Protesters’ Rights Guide (https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights) – Essential legal knowledge about your constitutional rights during protests, including what to do if arrested, how to interact with police, and understanding the limits of law enforcement authority during demonstrations.
• HRC’s Tips for Preparedness, Peaceful Protesting, and Safety (https://www.hrc.org/resources/tips-for-preparedness-peaceful-protesting-and-safety) – Comprehensive safety guidelines covering protest preparation, situational awareness, what to bring and avoid, and post-protest security measures specifically designed for LGBTQ+ activists and allies.
• The Ruckus Society Security Culture Training (https://ruckus.org/training-manuals/security-tips-resources/) – In-depth training materials on developing security culture within activist organizations, including how to assess threats, protect sensitive information, and maintain operational security during campaigns.
• Greenpeace Protest Safety Tips (https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/protest-safety-tips-from-greenpeace/) – Practical advice from experienced direct action organizers covering physical safety at protests, de-escalation techniques, and how to prepare for various scenarios during demonstrations.
• Activist Handbook Security Culture Guide (https://activisthandbook.org/organising/security-culture) – Comprehensive resource on building security culture that balances protection with accessibility, including threat assessment, infiltration awareness, and maintaining open organizing approaches while staying safe.

This section provides guidance on planning as safe and effective events as possible, including considerations for choosing locations, coordinating transportation, and publicizing details responsibly. Activists must also carefully consider the risks and benefits of engaging with local law enforcement. Depending on your group’s relationship with police and the nature of your event, this decision can affect safety for attendees and the tone of the gathering. If law enforcement is involved, we provide recommendations for appointing a police liaison and using conflict de-escalation strategies on the day of the event. Republished from the indivisible.org site.

Before the Event

• Location and Time Planning: Choose times and locations that prioritize visibility and safety, with clear plans for entry and exit. Consider planning in open, public spaces where you can maintain visibility and control over your group’s surroundings.
• Transportation: Ensure organizers and attendees have a safe way to and from the event. Notify a trusted contact of your plans, and if you’ll be alone, coordinate with others to travel in groups when possible.
• Publicizing Events: Share event details selectively and consider avoiding identifying language or images on social media, especially in hostile areas.

Know Your Rights at Protests

Activists should be familiar with their legal rights to ensure safe participation in protests. This section outlines essential information about protester rights, when and where permits are required, and tips for engaging with law enforcement while maintaining safety. Activists should know their rights to assemble, document the events, and avoid self-incrimination. Preparing for encounters with police and understanding how to document any rights violations will support your group’s safety.

• Right to Assemble: Public spaces (streets, sidewalks, parks) are protected for public demonstrations. You can legally photograph or video anything in plain view, including police actions.
• Permits: You do not need a permit to protest on sidewalks or streets, provided you do not obstruct traffic. Large events or amplified sound may require permits—check local regulations.
• Non-engagement with Hostile Individuals: If approached by someone aggressive, encourage participants to avoid engaging and keep a safe distance. Notify an event organizer if necessary.

While attending events, it is important that you consider your impact on the safety of others around you. Here is additional guidance from Black Lives Matter:

• Ask before you livestream the event attendees on your personal social media pages – this material is more often being used to vilify protestors by policing agencies. Only livestream to document the police present at the event. If you livestream, consider doing so from a group account.
• Taking photos of the event? Make sure to blur identifying features of attendees before posting to social media. 
• Protect and support high-risk protestors – ensure that you are keeping protestors of BIPOC and high-risk groups centered within the main body of the protest to protect them from the police or ICE.

Engaging with Law Enforcement

Activist groups have different approaches to notifying law enforcement about events. It is up to each group to assess their own community’s relationship with local law enforcement and decide whether or not to reach out in advance. Here are key factors to consider:

• Reasons to Notify Law Enforcement:
  • Required by law or necessary for securing permits.
  • Concerns about large crowds or known counter-protests.
  • Established trust with local officers or officials who are supportive of de-escalation.
• Reasons Not to Notify Law Enforcement:
  • Police history of bias or violence against certain groups.
  • Concerns about police presence escalating tensions or targeting marginalized community members.
  • No requirement for permits or expectation of conflict.

Regardless of whether you notify law enforcement ahead of time, assign a police liaison—a group member or respected community partner—who can speak with law enforcement on behalf of your group. This person should clarify your group’s nonviolent intentions, address any law enforcement concerns, and help maintain communication if tensions arise.

If Approached by Law Enforcement

Staying calm and knowing your rights can make a difference if approached by law enforcement. This section highlights strategies for managing these encounters, including how to document them if you believe your rights were violated. Keeping track of details, gathering witness contacts, and knowing what to say can help you address issues later.

• Stay Calm and Composed: Keep your hands visible and avoid arguing or resisting police. Ask if you are free to leave; if so, walk away calmly.
• Documenting Violations: If you believe your rights were violated, record the details (officer badge numbers, witnesses, any injuries) and report them later to a civilian oversight body.

Dealing with Orders to Disperse

Law enforcement should only issue dispersal orders when absolutely necessary. When this happens, it’s critical to remain calm, comply with instructions, and avoid escalating the situation.

• Comply Calmly: Law enforcement must provide a clear dispersal order, time to leave, and a safe exit route before arrests. Always follow dispersal instructions calmly to avoid escalation.

De-escalation Tips for the Day of the Event

• Remain Calm and Be Observant: Encourage participants to stay aware of their surroundings and avoid direct engagement with hostile individuals.
• Maintain a Supportive Stance: Use calm, open body language. Maintain personal space and use neutral facial expressions and gestures.
• Active Listening: Sometimes, letting a person vent can defuse a situation. Keep the focus on shared concerns rather than disagreements.

Certain communities face heightened risks when engaging in activism, particularly in politically hostile states like South Carolina where discriminatory laws and enforcement create additional layers of danger. LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants (even people who appear to be immigrants), Black activists, and anyone with visible left-leaning values in MAGA-dominated territories must navigate not only general activist risks but also identity-based targeting that can escalate quickly and unpredictably.

Resources for Targeted Communities:

• NAACP Travel Advisory and Safety Resources (https://naacp.org/articles/naacp-issues-travel-advisory-florida) – State-specific safety guidance for Black travelers and activists, including legal resources, emergency contacts, and documentation of hostile state policies that create additional risks for Black communities.
• LGBTQ+ State Safety Report Cards by SafeHome.org (https://www.safehome.org/data-lgbtq-state-safety-rankings/) – Comprehensive state-by-state analysis of safety conditions for LGBTQ+ individuals, including hate crime statistics, discriminatory laws, and protective policies to help assess risk levels before traveling or organizing.
• Human Rights Campaign State Equality Index (https://www.hrc.org/resources/state-equality-index) – Detailed breakdown of LGBTQ+ rights and protections by state, essential for understanding legal vulnerabilities and available recourse when facing discrimination or harassment during activist activities.
• ACLU’s ProtectBlackDissent Campaign (https://www.aclu.org/news/racial-justice/protectblackdissent-campaign-to-end-surveillance-of-black-activists) – Resources specifically addressing the surveillance and targeting of Black activists, including know-your-rights information, legal support, and documentation of government overreach affecting Black communities.
• Dignity for All LGBTQI+ Security Trainings (https://www.dignitylgbti.org/security-trainings) – Specialized security workshops and training programs designed specifically for LGBTQI+ organizations and activists, covering both digital and physical security measures tailored to community-specific threats.

Activists traveling in hostile political climates should consider careful planning and risk assessment, particularly when crossing state lines into jurisdictions with discriminatory laws or heightened surveillance of political dissidents. Travel advisories issued by civil rights organizations highlight real dangers faced by activists, with some states becoming effectively no-go zones for certain communities, making secure travel planning, emergency contacts, and legal support essential safety measures.

Travel Safety Resources:

• Equality Florida Travel Advisory (https://eqfl.org/florida-travel-advisory) – State-specific warnings and safety guidance for LGBTQ+ travelers, including legal risks, emergency resources, and practical advice for navigating hostile jurisdictions safely.
• 18MR’s Digital Security for Activists on the Go (https://www.18millionrising.org/2025/activistonthego/) – Specialized training covering device security, secure communications, and data protection specifically for activists traveling to organize or attend events in potentially hostile areas.
• Civil Liberties Defense Center Digital Privacy Guide – Comprehensive resource covering legal rights during travel, border search protections, and how to secure devices and communications when crossing jurisdictions with different privacy laws.
• Front Line Defenders Travel Security Resources (https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/digital-security-resources) – International human rights organization’s guidance on travel security for activists, including threat assessment, secure communications, and emergency protocols for high-risk travel.
• Social Movement Technologies Border Crossing Guide – Practical advice for activists crossing borders, including device preparation, legal rights, secure communication setup, and post-travel security protocols to protect ongoing organizing work.