The below resources will help you know your rights at protests, access legal support, and protecting yourself from surveillance and other digital threats. Although many resources are related to Palestine activism, the information is generally relevant to anyone attending protests and participating in direct action.
Know your Rights
Your Rights While Protesting, Council on American-Islamic Relations
Everyone, regardless of immigration status, has rights under the U.S. Constitution. Learn more about what your rights are and what to do if your rights are violated.
Know Your Rights Video Series, Palestine Legal
This video series covers What to Do If You are Contacted or Visited by the FBI, Protecting Your Rights on Campus, and State Anti-BDS Laws.
Know Your Rights Student Handbook, Palestine Legal
Students around the country are facing obstacles and experiencing backlash from Israel advocacy groups and universities intent on censoring, shutting down or undermining their speech activities. This resource was created to help guide students through situations they typically encounter when organizing an event, protest or simply express support for Palestinian human rights.
Legal Steps & Choices: Navigating the Criminal Punishment System, National Lawyers’ Guild
Prosecutions vary from state to state, and even city to city and county to county, but they follow a similar process across the U.S. Being aware of the process and possible points of intervention can be helpful for defendants, support crews of defendants, legal workers helping with the case, and lawyers.
legal support
Palestine Legal Legal Support Intake Form, Palestine Legal
Palestine Legal works with a network of organizations, attorneys and advocacy groups to respond to requests for legal and advocacy assistance, and to document incidents of suppression.
CAIR Report an Incident Form, Council on American-Islamic Relations
The Civil Rights Department of the Council on American-Islamic Relations takes requests for legal help for civil rights matters. Generally, we represent individuals who have experienced religious discrimination or been targeted because of their religion.
Legal Resources for Activists Advocating for Palestine Across the U.S., Palestine Legal
Palestine Legal compiled these resources to prepare for and resist backlash against your activism, including contact information for other organizations responding to this unprecedented backlash.
digital security & tactics
Attending a Protest, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Protecting your electronic devices and digital assets before, during, and after a protest is vital to keeping yourself and your information safe, as well as getting your message out.
How to Film the Police in the U.S., WITNESS
Good witnessing can de-escalate a situation, help someone confronted by police, and provide valuable documentation for advocacy and justice. This tip sheet can help you safely and effectively witness as well as film and share videos of police abuse.
Surveillance Self-Defense (SSD), Electronic Frontier Foundation
Surveillance Self-Defense (SSD) is a guide to protecting yourself from electronic surveillance for people all over the world. Some aspects of this guide will be useful to people with very little technical knowledge, while others are aimed at an audience with considerable technical expertise and privacy/security trainers.
How to Prepare a Cheap Burner Phone for Protesting, The Intercept
The safest option for attending a protest is to leave your primary phone, which contains a massive amount of private information about you, at home and instead bring a specially-prepared burner phone to protests.
Image Scrubber, everestpipkin
This is a tool for anonymizing photographs taken at protests.
Digital Security Helpline, Access Now
Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline works with individuals and organizations around the world to keep them safe online. If you’re at risk, we can help you improve your digital security practices to keep out of harm’s way. If you’re already under attack, we provide rapid-response emergency assistance.