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Let's be friendsTaking your campaign onto the streets with peaceful protest is a powerful way to share your concerns with many more people. And as this is where the retailers we’re targeting are found, it’s a very effective way to ensure they get the message too!
Planning an effective action
Planning an effective action
1. Know your rights.
Make sure you know what you can — and can’t — do within the law so your protest can take place hassle-free. Don’t forget that you have a positive right to peaceful protest.
Being clued up about your rights to protest peacefully leaves you better equipped to exercise, defend and advance this vital element of a democratic society. Find out more so you feel confident about your action.
2. Prepare your messages.
- The Redress Fashion campaign is not calling for a boycott or trying to intimidate shoppers into not shopping. The campaign is asking companies to change their purchasing practices and raising consumers’ awareness of how their goods are produced, and asking them to join us in calling for change.
- Be polite and friendly. Shop staff are workers in the supply chain too, and are not the ones benefiting from exploitation further down. They may not know much themselves about their company’s practices.
Decide on the key messages you’re trying to get across to those you are trying to influence. Focus on one or two points. What do you want those you’re approaching to know, how do you want them to feel, and what do you want them to do? What language and behaviour will persuade people to support your campaign, and what will alienate them? Don’t forget communication is about more than just what you say; how you say it is often even more important!
Preparing this as a group will help ensure that your whole group feels informed and genuinely involved, and that you can present a powerful, united campaigning message.
3. Get yourself noticed
An ironing board was used as a stall on Oxford’s high street
SLW/P&P
Placards or banners are a street protest basic. You could intrigue shoppers with the opportunity to “Change your pants here” (i.e. by taking action) or challenge stores with warning signs about their behaviour.
Street theatre can be an engaging way to get your message across and win more people around. One group advertised ‘jobs’ at a high street store, with the terms and conditions the garment workers making their clothes in Bangladesh endured.
Invisible theatre in shops is a non-confrontational way to raise shoppers’ awareness. This can be as simple as a loud conversation in the changing rooms. You could also fill your basket with clothes and go to the till with the intention to buy. Before you do, ask for a few concerns to be addressed, for example, can they guarantee that workers producers the clothes are paid a living wage; is the store a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative; how are they putting their ethical promises into practice? Decline to buy if you are not given a satisfactory answer.
In Oxford, protesters used an ironing board as their stall — why not set up an entire laundry?
Don’t forget to hang out Topshop’s ‘dirty laundry’ on your washing line, and encourage shoppers to add their messages to your giant petition.
4. Press for change
If you’re planning to raise awareness with an action, reach even more people through your local press. The media coverage of our Primark action last year also significantly increased Primark’s awareness of our campaign and the pressure on them to respond.
The People & Planet Groups’ Guide contains lots of advice and tips on using the media, (and a host of other vital campaigning skills!)
5. Join a national day of action!
A nationally coordinated action (when lots of groups across the country take action on the same target at the same time) can really increase our visibility and effectiveness. If you are able to, make sure your group plans something for that day too. Our first day of action is planned for Thursday 6 December, which, in most towns, will be a late-night shopping day in the lead up to Christmas. Of course, you can take action at any other time too! We’ll be planning another day for March 2008.
