AMERICANS ARE TAKING to the streets by the tens of thousands to protest a plethora of President Donald Trump’s second-term policies, including his administration's crackdown on immigration, its travel and visa restrictions for foreign nationals, its rollback of rights for LGBTQ+ citizens, and its budget cuts—pushed through by Elon Musk—affecting essential services.
Acts of civil disobedience have become more commonplace over the past several years, as citizens have challenged Trump, police brutality against Black Americans, the US Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the brutal Israel-Hamas war. Now the protests are targeting abuses of government power and broader threats to freedom.
This WIRED guide to safe protesting was originally written in 2020 during the nationwide outcry over police brutality, which overwhelmingly targets Black people like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade. We’ve now updated this guide to include advice specific to mass action, your rights and protections as a US citizen, protesting in or around government property, and laws around defacing property.
If you're thinking about joining a protest near you, there are some crucial factors to consider: The US government is now allowing federal immigration agents to conduct sweeping raids, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement is reportedly detaining and deporting people who are in the US on legal visas, including many students. And, while police brutality is an abstract concept for some, it’s a stark reality for others.
