Defending Dissent: Tools for Organizers

The ability for people to freely demonstrate and express opinions about their world is fundamental to a healthy democracy. The civil liberty of direct dissent is so critical to a functioning democracy that in the United States, it is enshrined within the Bill of Rights. In the U.S., dissent brought about the 40 hour work week, Social Security, a woman's right to vote, the end to segregation, the end to the war in Vietnam, rights for LGBT people, and international action on the HIV/AIDS crisis. In 1773, dissent also brought us the first anti-corporate protest against the British East India Company, called the Boston Tea Party.

Unfortunately in today's world, dissent is becoming more criminalized because it threatens the greed, corruption, and power which characterizes the revolving door of government, lobbyists, and corporations. In the United States, fear has been used to strip civil liberties and behind the scenes an entire industry of "crowd control" planning has emerged to repress the people's right to dissent. These "crowd control" tactics are routinely used in communities of color and low income communities across the country.

Download "Miami Model" factsheet

Explore how the Architecture of Repression works.

To suppress demonstrations and protests, a militarized crowd control model has emerged that has become known as the Miami Model, a named coined by Miami Mayor Manny Diaz following the brutal police reaction to the 2003 FTAA protests. While Miami was not the beginning of the model, it reached a scary level of efficiency and organization during the FTAA.

Learn more about the Miami Model with Fact Sheet Page 1 and Fact Sheet Page 2.

Because the Miami Model utilizes military urban warfare/crowd control planning, the use of information warfare is a critical part of repression ensuring "total dominance of land, sea, sky and thought".

Learn about Information Warfare.

While imposing, the tactics of the Miami Model have been identified by civil liberties activists and can be anticipated using the following checklist: Miami Model Checklist

As people fight for the right to dissent and demonstrate, a series of actions and interventions have been used to combat the repression of the Miami Model. A few of the most important interventions are listed below:

Coalition Building: Pittsburgh Principles

Pro-Democracy Actions: Proposed Pittsburgh City Council Resolution | Miami Pro Democracy Statement | City of Boston Democracy Resolution for DNC Demonstrations

Effective and Coordinated Media/Communications: Tips for Media Teams Page 1 and Page 2 <!-- More Tips for Media Teams-->

Creative Visuals and Actions: 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action | Arts Activism WIKI and Puppets (from RAN)

Stopping the Use of Less Lethal Weapons: Less Lethal Weapon Fact Sheet | Less Lethal Weapons and Force Continuum

Prepared by Save Our Civil Liberties, a project of the Thomas Merton Center.

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