This year has thrown us monumental challenges. We’ve fought through a global pandemic and shown up for the Black uprisings. Now, leading up to the most important election of our lives, we are forced to defend our democracy in case a losing president attempts to lie and cheat his way into staying in power. We’ve seen his desperate attempts to undermine the credibility of the elections and know that he will likely do anything he can to disrupt the democratic process that will have unseated him—especially trying to claim a win in the days and weeks following the election, before all of the votes have been tallied. We can and we must stop him from cheating his way into four more years in the White House.

We know that Trump has sown lies about the legitimacy of mail-in voting, and that the right wing media is painting the left as instigators of violence. We know that establishment democrats lack the principles to confront the GOP about their dishonest and disruptive tactics. We know that the Green New Deal can’t pass while Trump is in office, and waiting four more years will amount to catastrophic consequences for our communities. But we also know that this will be a narrative battle, rooted in credibility and legitimacy in the public’s eyes. We can take control of the narrative to expose Trump and the Republican party as the liars, cheaters and criminals that they are, and demand a fair election process, where everyone’s voices are heard.

Our movement is working hard across several different lanes to win this election and, in the bigger picture, to defend democracy by ensuring everyone’s vote is counted fairly . We’re doing GOTV work, training massive numbers of new members, and building a coalition that will bring more of the crowd into the movement. If you’re reading this, it’s because you’re here to take action—which is a crucial part of our strategy. Since this is a narrative battle, we need our actions to show up in the public eye as moral and non-violent actions fighting to defend democracy. Actions are how we tell our narrative, grab the attention of the public, and demand they take our side.

This country and its future belong to us. The decade of the Green New Deal will start with Biden’s first days in office, where we will use the power of our movement to demand that he supports Green New Deal policies. We must ensure he gets there by showing the power that our communities have and defending the democratic process and the will of the people with powerful, strategic actions.

What is a narrative battle and how do we win?

This means that whether we’re able to fight and win in this election is based on the public narrative. What is the media saying? What does the public believe? The way this election is interpreted will be a battle for credibility and legitimacy in the public’s eye, and we need their support to win. Actions build our narrative and popular support from the public, and fight against dangerous rhetoric from the right that we know will continue to fill the media.

Part of winning the narrative battle is preparing for the way the right will portray us and reframing that narrative. We can do this by polarizing the public against Trump and for us. Polarization is when we force the public to choose a side.

We know that the right will try to paint us as too young, naive, unorganized, fringe, and not powerful.
They are already seeding a false narrative that we are violent and aggressive. We know that we are being framed this way so that Trump can try to look powerful even when he is weak and unpopular.
But we know what’s true about us. As young people we have the moral authority. We are the ones standing for the will and rights of the people, and we will not give up or lose hope.
If the public understands that Trump’s threat to steal the election is because he’s weak and lacks support we will have a huge amount of leverage to fight back. If we are mischaracterized as a violent fringe group, it will be significantly easier to dismiss us and our claims of Trump attempting to steal the election.

Important word choices

Say “Trump is trying to cheat & bully” instead of “Trump is trying to steal the election” and “Trump is losing” instead of “Trump is an authoritarian”

Trump wants to be cast as a strongman. Declaring that Trump has rigged or is stealing the election presents it as a predetermined outcome and depresses and demobilizes turnout. Instead, talking about Trump's desperate attempts presents him as weak and cast people as agents of our own change

Talk about “swearing in” instead of “electing” leaders

We need to prime the public to expect a lengthier process to determine the outcome, and to mobilize through January to ensure the next government sworn in is the one elected by the people.

Talk about “record numbers of voters turning out for Biden” instead of “the race is tightening/Trump is closing in” (if it comes to that)

We must inoculate against the GOP story that the race is close enough for them to contest.

Say “Politicians can say what they want, but the people decide who leads” instead of “Trump is lying”

Focusing on the people’s will rather than what specific politicians say helps the public see the bigger picture, removes Trump’s power and de-escalates partisanship

Tailoring to your local context

No matter if you are in a blue, red or purple state, we all have a role to play in winning this narrative battle. Sunrise is strongest when we take coordinated action across the country, and we have a much higher chance of winning the attention of the media and the public if we work together. Disruption of the democratic process is a national crisis that we must fight together, and there is a way to tailor the messaging to your local context, no matter where you live.

We’ve included some more details in the below on how to adjust your action for your area, but we know that local context affects what is strategic. We encourage you to fill out this coaching form to get paired with an action coach and get direct support on planning your action.

Using visual strategy to win

Visual strategy is all of the parts of your action that the public can see - the action art, the slogans, the formation we’re in, the way we hold our bodies, our facial expressions, and more. Your narrative should be clearly communicated through your visual strategy.

We know that the right wing falsely claims to be the ones protecting our country. They do this by mixing their white supremacist imagery with patriotic imagery like red, white, & blue and stars & stripes. Combining these visuals intentionally confuses the public. We can’t afford to cede the moral high ground to the right. We have the opportunity to push back by claiming the imagery of the United States and making it stand for OUR values.

Claiming the moral authority through visual strategy can feel uncomfortable -- and for good reason. We know that this country, the government, and patriotism has caused great harm to us and our people. Patriotic symbolism is a big part of colonialism and racism in this country's history and present, which is not representative of the country we want to build. Because we understandably don’t want to associate with the harm that our country causes, the public narrative sometimes paints us as anti-American. This gives room for white supremacists to claim that they are patriotic and acting in the best interest of this country. But we know that isn’t true, and we can take back the narrative by leaning into our version of a patriotic style in this moment when democracy is on the line.

In this moment of such clear confrontation, we have the opportunity to claim that real patriotism is fighting for a country that actually takes care of its people and stands for democracy, where every person and every vote counts; a country that allows everyone to have a voice, and where we listen to the most marginalized groups—especially Indigenous people whose land we have stolen and colonized for centuries. In this moment, connecting our messaging with visuals associated with patriotism allows us to more easily take back this narrative and hold the moral high ground.

Learn more about visual strategy in this guide or attend a visual strategy training here.

Designs

These designs represent the resistance patriotism style (the originals were created by Josh Yoder and Rachel Schragis for the Everyone Counts Project). You can find all the banner and stencil designs in this folder. It currently only contains designs for slogans meant for before trigger moments. Keep checking for updates as we continue to add to this resource, and let us know if you need help making a specific design by reaching out to #art4actions on Slack or art@sunrisemovement.org.

If there are reasons (ideologically or practically) that it doesn’t make sense for you to use the resistance patriotism colors we recommend you stick to Sunrise colors: yellow and dark grey. Our classic style clearly communicates us as climate youth, and helps us hold the narrative of us being aligned, disciplined, and powerful. We recommend still using the designs so that you’re incorporating the stars and stripes style into the traditional colors.

Making Action Art

You can follow our banner guide and our stencil guide for step-by-step instructions on how to turn these designs into art. Here is a supplies list for red, white & blue designs, and a supplies list for classic Sunrise yellow & grey designs. Usually people hold an art build to make the art for an action. You can also host a virtual art build, if that’s safer for your community due to COVID.

Hubs can apply for up to $3,000 to buy action materials! Check out the Hub Materials Project Explainer and Application. Fill this out NOW so that you can receive funding as quickly as possible.

To guide you through all of the important steps of making action art for your action, check out this Action Art checklist. For lots of other resources check out the Master Action Art guide!

Staging

Another important way to communicate your narrative is through staging—the way you hold your body and your action art, what formation you stand in, and your facial expression. The staging for your actions should communicate militant optimism and non-violent discipline. The specific staging should vary based on the specific tone of your action. Learn more in this Staging Guide.

Photos & Video

Capture the content of your actions! Having photos that clearly communicate the message of your action is a crucial way to get your narrative out to the public. Check out this Photography Guide and Shot List & Social Media Guide for more specifics on posting content from actions, and upload photos to this folder when you’ve got them! Be sure to get consent of those photographed and the photographer before uploading; here is a form you can send out to people participating in the action beforehand (make a copy before sharing!): https://smvmt.org/photoconsent.

General Action Planning

Support

Coaching: We encourage you to request an action coach through this form so that you have someone to support you through every step of taking action. If you don’t need a coach, we still ask that you fill out this form so that we can amplify your action.
Action Planning Template: Use this action planning template to think about your key action roles and all of the steps for prepping for your action.
Funding Support: Hubs can apply for up to $3,000 to buy action materials! Check out the Hub Materials Project Explainer and Application. Fill this out NOW so that you can receive funding as quickly as possible.

Key Principles

If you haven’t taken action before (and even if you have), start by reviewing the Taking Action as Sunrise Guide. This guide has information on Sunrise’s orientation to non-violent direct action, how to decide when and how to take action, as well as resources that will help you plan and hold powerful actions.

Every action we take will be with an eye towards maximizing public participation. Hundreds of people uniting together is powerful. We want a safe, participatory action for as many people as possible.
Every action we take will be with an eye towards winning over the most supporters possible. Our values and actions are popular. In our actions and our messaging, we work to reach the public.
We remain nonviolent in word and deed. Remaining strategically nonviolent allows us to win the hearts of the public and welcomes the most people to participate. In this country, the public often understand property damage as violence. We will not engage in acts of property destruction or physical violence.
Keep your eyes on the prize. In moments of tension, fear, or excitement it’s easy to lose sight of the goal of your action. We hold the goal of the action in our heads and our hearts always.
We hold discipline in action and narrative. We encourage every participant to adhere to the action principles, spirit, and narrative of the action.

Participating in other mass mobilizations and working in coalitions

Principle 10: We unite with other movements for change

A primer on principle 10 // partnerships principles

Principle 7: We take initiative; we ask “does this bring us closer to our goal?”

Sunrise is part of the “Protect the Results” coalition, which will almost certainly call for a massive day of action on Wednesday, November 4th at 5pm local time. You can see the map of planned events on the coalition website at the bottom of the page, or sign-up to host if there isn’t one near you.

Whether or not you join other protests or organize coalition actions, we recommend planning a Sunrise-style action for your hub or suggesting that your coalition take more targeted action. While marches and rallies will make a statement and get great turnout, it’s harder for our strategic narrative to get across in mass mobilizations. Targeted, escalated action with clear messaging and strong visual strategy can make a huge difference in how the public understands this fight.

Being a moral disruptor often rocks the boat and can be hard to get multiple organizations to agree to. While some groups will be excited to join us in moral disruption, others will not be willing or able to do so. That’s okay! Check out this toolkit for more info. If you have more questions, reach out to Sunrise’s Partnerships Manager Zoë Cina-Sklar (zoe@sunrisemovement.org or @Zoe Cina-Sklar on Slack).

If you do plan to attend mass mobilizations, consider bringing signs in the “resistance patriotism” style or that use Sunrise messaging and will support the overall narrative.

Safety and Risk

It’s important to recognize the moment we’re in: tensions are high in this country and the election has the potential to bring political divisiveness to a boiling point. We've seen violence towards peaceful protestors from agitators and the police all summer long, and our president has provoked right-wing militia groups into action. While there is a level of risk inherent in any action we take, this moment is unique, and that may be coming up for you and your hub members. At the same time, there is a lot on the line for us and our communities if Trump stays in office—more violence, more racism, more climate-fueled natural disasters. We must face this crisis with courage and do what we can to stop it.

Whether you’re in a blue, red or purple state, you should be prepared to have marshals and de-escalators to respond to any right or left wing escalators who might be in the streets, and a plan to leave if things feel dangerous. People without a commitment to strategic nonviolence may try to shift your action into a more escalated protest.

As you prepare for your action, we highly recommend reading through the Sunrise Safety & Security Guide. We cannot always control how escalated other people will be, so we want to be prepared to handle situations as safely as possible. This resource was created by movement partners who have been working to compile key resources for activists to use, and has detailed thoughts on how to prevent, prepare for, and deal with violence if it occurs.

Additionally, it’s important to recognize that even in peaceful, lawful actions, law enforcement may show aggression and each of us experience that risk in different ways. We also need to take into account how different members of our group will experience interactions with the public, politicians and press. Participating in a peaceful action may be a much higher risk for some of us, because of our race, gender identity, our ability, our immigration status or other factors. Although you can support and advise fellow hub members on how to stay safe, there is no way to fully guarantee the level of risk at an action and each person in your hub should decide what level of participation they are comfortable with taking. Check out this Know Your Rights Guide from the ACLU to make sure you are prepared. Consult the Taking Action Guide for more information about risk.

Accessibility

As stated before, one of Sunrise’s key principles is maximizing public participation; we want a safe, participatory action for as many people as possible. To do that, we need to be thinking about accessibility from the moment we start planning an action. Here are a few helpful questions from the HBCU Disability Consortium: Who is going to participate in this? Does our planning committee resemble the participants we want? Who is likely to feel unwelcome and not want to be there? From the start, what can we do to make things more accessible, inclusive and welcoming? What are some choices we can offer to support individual needs at this event? Check out this accessibility for election actions guide to begin thinking through these questions.

Absorption

Act, Recruit, Train

Never plan for escalation, without planning to absorb new people (even if you don’t believe you’ll need to!) It’s great when new people show up to actions, and phonebanks, but unless we connect with them and invest in their power, we are not actually building capacity in our hubs. Don’t throw a house party without a clean up plan! To continue to escalate and build the movement, we want to be organizing on teams with more people and new people each time we take action.

Absorption, or the Act-Recruit-Train Cycle, is pretty straightforward:

ACT: Give people a thing to do.
RECRUIT: Bring people into the movement.
TRAIN: Give people the ability to take on leadership in your community with unity and autonomy.

The National Training team can support your hub to make a plan to train and absorb. Leaders in your hub can attend Trainings for Trainers every Sunday for the rest of 2020. We’re also preparing a cohort of training coaches that can support you to prepare and put on a training

We have the opportunity to become a political home for young people in this moment. It's up to us to get ready to welcome and train new members for the long game fight for a Green New Deal.

Hub Orientation Training Plan

To plan an Orientation Training as a way to onboard new members to Sunrise, follow these steps:

Attend a Training for Trainers
Get your hub’s training on our website and map
Trainers meet with coach + prepare for training + get clear on your absorption asks!
Train your hub and members of your community - plug people into roles and leadership!
Debrief training with coach

Absorption and Training Support

Coaching: We encourage a few people from your hub to Attend a Training for Trainers to get matched with a coach to support your training through planning a training . If you don’t need a coach, this Training for Trainers to learn more about the Count On Us strategy and training and facilitation skills.
Watch a recording of a Count On Us Training we ran in October: #CountOnUs (2 Hours)
Funding: Hubs can apply for up to $3,000 to on materials for actions and training! Check out the Hub Materials Project Explainer and Application.

One last word about absorption - you’ll be exhausted if the same team doing escalation also has to be responsible for absorption and training. Don’t have your turn up crew be your clean up crew—bring in more people to lead!

Post-Election Actions

Despite the uncertainty of this moment, it’s crucial that we prepare to take action. Strategies and plans will continue to shift and rapid response will be necessary, but we know we can expect: Trump and the GOP attempting to cheat their way into four more years in the White House.

In coalition with Dream Defenders, March for Our Lives and United We Dream, we have created scenarios for how we, the youth, will turn out in response to two action triggers, described below. The youth coalition that Sunrise is a member of will decide when we have reached these trigger moments and communicate that information directly to Sunrise leaders.

If the first action trigger happens on or before 11/4: Mobilizations are being planned for Nov 4th by our Protect the Results partners. Look at this map of events and join one or host one in your community. Starting 11/5, after these mobilizations, we can move into more targeted action in response to action triggers.

If an action trigger has *not* happened by 11/5, you should consider doing a Pledge to Count action. This makes sense if your state has not yet counted all of its ballots and there is any chance there could be interference in the process of counting (for ex: if you have a Republican-controlled state government). These are important to maintain momentum and make sure we’re on the offensive against election interference. You can get all the information you need to do Pledge to Count actions here. If these don’t make sense for you, that’s okay. Use this time to prepare for the first action trigger or working with coalitions in your area on shared planning.

Below is more information about how to respond if the action triggers occur.

Action Triggers

Action Trigger 1: If Trump declares victory before all the votes are counted, makes unfounded claims that the election was “stolen,” tries to stop votes from being counted, or otherwise threatens the integrity of the election or the peaceful transition of power.

↳ In this case, we will take sustained, escalated action as outlined below.

Action Trigger 2: Ballots stop being counted by clear malicious intent, Republicans (attempt to) send a separate set of electors that conflicts with the popular vote, violence is perpetrated by the right or gvt agents, or there is another clear & illegitimate breakdown of the process

↳In this case, we will move towards a youth strike, as outlined below.

Action talking points

This is not just about defending democracy—it’s about defending our future.

Trump and the Republicans have put profits for Wall Street and Big Oil above the needs of working families. More Americans are dying from disease than ever before, and millions of people are out of work. The police are murdering innocent Black people in the street, and natural disasters fueled by climate change are tearing through our communities across the country. Young people know what’s at stake, and we have the solutions our country needs. We know that the Green New Deal can heal the country’s economy, stop climate change, and address inequality—but we need Trump to cede his power in order to make change at the scale and pace these crises require.

Disrupting the democratic process is unlawful, unconstitutional, and a violation of our rights.

We — the youth, the working class, people with marginalized identities — have been suffering under this administration since it started, and cannot take four more years of Trump. Now, the GOP is stripping away one of our biggest chances to determine the future of our country. All votes must be counted to ensure a fair process. It doesn’t matter if it’s a red state or a blue state or a swing state, stopping the vote count is undemocratic, period. Our cities, towns and communities matter, and we will make sure their voices are heard.

We are defending our country from those who stand in the way of making sure everyone can safely exercise their right to vote.

The right claims to be patriotic defenders of democracy. But those who stand in the way of a fair count are showing the utmost disloyalty to our country by disrupting the democratic process. We have seen record turn out for Biden this election, as BIPOC and working class people overcome unacceptable barriers to exercise their most basic right as Americans. Now, we must stand up for the America that we want to live in—one that fairly counts the voices of all people, including marginalized communities.

We are the powerful, vocal majority.

If Democrats somehow lose the popular vote, it likely will be due to voter suppression. Our political system is designed to make it harder for young people, people of color, and working class people to vote. That’s intentional, and it helps right wing billionaires hold onto their power. But we are the people who make this country and this economy run—and they cannot silence us or communities we stand in solidarity with across the country. We will use the power that we have to make sure that our voices are heard.

Trump is striking a blow against our generation, and we are striking back.

If our generation peacefully refuses to participate in society, if we don’t show up to school and don’t go to work, we can make it impossible for Trump to hold onto power. We can inspire other young people, workers, our parents and neighbors to join us, and together we can bring society to a grinding halt, and keep it up until Trump is out of office for good. We will stay in the streets until he leaves the White House.

Slogans

Until the results are decided:

OUR VOICES COUNT
OUR TOWN COUNTS
OUR CITY COUNTS
OUR VOTES COUNT
OUR COMMUNITIES COUNT
OUR FUTURES COUNT
YOU WILL NOT SILENCE US
YOU CHEAT, WE STRIKE
PROTECT THE RESULTS
(DEAR REPUBLICANS) THIS IS A DEMOCRACY, ACT LIKE IT

If it’s clear that Trump has lost the popular vote and/or electoral college, use the above slogans and add the following:

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN
WE ARE THE MAJORITY
OUR VOTE OUR FUTURE
OUR TIME TO RISE
WE VOTED, YOU’RE FIRED
THE FUTURE IS OURS
IT’S TIME FOR [CLIMATE ACTION] [RACIAL JUSTICE] [DEFUNDING THE POLICE]

If it’s clear that Biden has won and Trump's efforts to cheat aren’t working, we can shift to a more optimistic, future-facing tone. In this case we recommend shifting from the resistance patriotism style (red/white/blue) back to Sunrise style (yellow/gray) if it makes sense in your local context.

Sustained Action: Action Trigger 1 Response

Timing

We don’t know exactly when the first action trigger may happen—it could be the day after or even the week after the election—but when it is crossed, we need to be ready to move into action. Having your team ready with a general plan in place will be key to your success.

If the first action trigger happens on or before 11/4: Mobilizations are being planned for Nov 4th by our Protect the Results partners. If you haven’t checked, make sure to look at the map to either join or set up an action in your community. These actions have a high likelihood of activation on 11/4, but technically are placeholders for if/when the action trigger is crossed, and may happen later.

If the first action trigger happens on or after 11/5 → Whether or not the above events occurs, starting on Nov 5th, we must be ready for rapid response to hold actions within 24 hours of the red line being crossed.

Tactics

Sustained action is our best tool for fighting a contested election or GOP interference with the election. While the response will vary from swing states to red/blue states, we need to act in unity across the country to defend the democratic process.

The basic tactic is to occupy the public space outside of a symbolic location to create a sustained, peaceful presence until the Democratic process has been restored or until the second action trigger occurs.

In swing states: mobilize people to join rallies and marches at County Boards of Election. It’s likely Trump and the GOP will try to stop counting votes or threaten the integrity of the election in swing states, and we need to show up strong to stop him. If the action trigger is performed by people or institutions in your state other than your board of elections, find a location most symbolic for them (ex: their office) and mobilize there. Get support for planning the specifics of your action.

NOTE: Most Boards of Election (or supervisors, or county commissioners, or the equivalent in your community) should be responsible for certifying the results of the election. If there is any chance that there will be intervention in the ballot counting process in your county, or the ballot counting process in your county was threatened as in action trigger 1, your actions should demand that the Board of Election not certify the results of the election until every vote is counted. That means that the Board of Elections office is not a symbolic location, but a primary target of your action. You should state that your protest will continue daily until the Board has pledged not to certify results before every vote has been counted.

In other states: mobilize community members to symbolic community locations in solidarity. We will show that people all over the country will stand up to stop Trump and the GOP attempts to disrupt the election and demand that every vote is counted.

The key part of this tactic is sustaining it—our power is in being able to sustain action with a clear narrative until we’ve won. This could look like a sustained peaceful presence with folks at the location 24/7, or it could look like coming back every day, ideally at the same time. You’ll want to set up a basic plan to hold a rally or march first and can grow from there. At a minimum, you’ll want to choose your location, have key roles set for executing the action (see action roles here), have draft recruitment materials ready, and have a comms plan prepared -- both digital amplification and press outreach. You’ll want to set yourself up to call people to do the same action the next day and the day after. As you are holding these actions, you should continue to assess the level of escalation, tactics and messaging with your team and change them as the situation changes. If Trump and the GOP back down you can call off the action and move to reset your plans to reactivate if they try something again. You can model the action of the Program section below with more information.

Location

County Board of Election: For swing states the best location will likely be your county board of elections. The key decision maker on continuing to count votes may not be on the board of elections but it is a symbolic place to call on the target(s) to step up and be on the right side of history.

Symbolic location: If you are outside of a swing state, think of a centrally located place that’s symbolic of the democatic process. A few options are city hall, your state capitol building, or a state government building.

Target

If you are in a swing state: Target your state legislatures, governor, and election administrators (i.e. secretary of state or board of elections) to ensure they commit to following popular vote and not electing separate sets of electors.

If you're outside of a swing state: Choose a target that speaks to the national narrative. Use general messaging about what’s at stake in this election and call on national leaders to step in to support or call for counting every vote. This could include your Senators or Representatives.

Additional Guidance

There are two versions of this action: a sustained presence, or a repeat daily protest.

Here is a document with suggestions and guidance for a repeat daily protest. This primarily goes over messaging, suggested “program” or rally content plan, and safety.

Here is a document with additional guidance for a sustained presence. Folks might also refer to this as a “hold out”- holding the physical space continuously. This tactic takes more capacity and has more risk, but we recommend it if your hub determines it’s safe and has the capacity to maintain it. This doc gives more guidance on preparation, materials and safety. You should use it in conjunction with the above doc to guide your messaging and program.

Support

Please ask for support - these actions are nuanced and it helps to have someone to talk them through with. You can request a coach for this action using this form.

For additional questions, contact Abby (abby@sunrisemovement.org or @Abby Leedy on Slack).

Youth Strike: Action Trigger 2 Response

If the second action trigger happens, we will move into using the tactic of youth strikes. We will call on people to meet at our local high schools and march to our city hall or city center.

We expect bold actions by high school leaders in swing states who will call the rest of the movement into action. Just as in the first action trigger, you will ideally be ready to take action within 24 hours of the call to action. Start engaging now with high school leaders in your community, giving them agency and seeing how you can support them to lead actions. You should plan for a team to take on rapid response execution. If you’re a high school leader, reach out for support from other young people to plan your action.

Just like in the first action trigger, we’ll aim to sustain these actions, turning them into daily actions, and calling on more people and schools to join us. See more details here.

Other Scenarios

Our plan thus far addresses scenarios where the results remain unclear because of a disruption to the democratic process, or if Biden wins but Trump refuses to step down. But what happens in the other scenarios?

Trump Victory

Though it would occur due to widespread voter suppression efforts, we recognize that there is a possibility that Trump is named the winner. In this scenario Sunrise can play a role in the rapid response that will undoubtedly emerge organically from the left. We also know that healing spaces will be incredibly important for the Movement, as another four years of Trump is a threat to the safety and survival of our communities. As Sunrise, we will do our best to show up in that moment while also focusing on regrouping and restrategizing on how we can best move forward with our goals—which likely means focusing on local and state-level legislation and continuing to popularize the GND leading up to future elections.

Biden Victory

In the case of a clear Biden win, we will still need to take to the streets to make it clear that the people have spoken and that Trump needs to step down. Our messaging can shift to focus on the hopeful future we will fight for. See above for slogans that fit this moment. Once it’s broadly accepted that Biden has won and Trump has stepped down, we will shift towards targeting Biden as he builds his cabinet and set the conditions for passing GND policies in the first 100 days of his administration. We will need to be strategic about the right moment to make this shift depending on the state of our country post-election, and we must work quickly to assert our influence over the President Elect. More information will come if it becomes clear that we have won the election; for now, we are focusing on how to win the election and planning for the possibility of a contested election.

Communications for Actions

Social Media

Often when we think about posting on social media for an action we just think about the day of the action. To make the best use of our social media we want to think about sharing the entire action arc: preparing for the action, doing the action, and after the action, on your hub’s social media. Check out this Social Media Guide for more examples of how to do this.

Use social media to absorb people into the movement! When you post about your action on social media, make sure to include a link for them to sign-up for your next hub event whether that’s a hub meeting, training, or the next action. Absorption is an important next step after an action!

Press

Getting press coverage is key to shaping the narrative, demonstrating power, and making sure we get the public’s attention. Reach out to local journalists and share a media advisory about your action. You can use this Media Outreach Guide to help you through the process, and check out the recording, slides and accompanying resources from the Press 101 training. Share photos of your action with journalists immediately following your action.

Speakers & Spokespeople

An important part of your action planning is preparing the people who will be speaking publicly. Speakers should write and rehearse their speech ahead of time, and spokespeople, the people who are designated to talk to the press, should also review talking points ahead of time to make sure that your topline messaging, demands, and objectives are highlighted in short sound bites and so that you’re ready to answer questions during the action. See the Speaker Guide for more guidance. You can also check out this narrative selfie video guide for how to do short videos to share your story.

If you haven’t supported speakers or spokespeople before and need help, you can reach out to Jeremy Ornstein (jeremy.ornstein@sunrisemovement.org, @Jornstein on Slack) for coaching.

You’ve Got This!

This guide has a lot of information, but remember: you don’t have to do this alone! Share this guide with your hub and work together to pull this off.

To get help with action planning, fill out the coaching form or go to the #taking-direct-action Slack channel to chat with other people taking action across the country! If you’re stuck, you can reach out to Roberto (roberto@sunrisemovement.org, @Roberto Juarez on Slack).

To get support with absorption and training before or after an action, sign up for a Training for Trainers or talk to a regional organizer or regional trainer. You can also reach out to Emily (@Emily LaShelle (she/they) on Slack).

By taking unified, collective action across the country we will demonstrate our power to defend the democratic process, ensure that Trump steps down, and officially start the decade of the GND in Biden’s first 100 days. Let’s do this—we’ll see you in the streets!

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Guidelines for sharing this content: All resources in this guide are created for Sunrise Movement. If you are sharing these resources with partners, please credit Sunrise Movement. If you want to repurpose these resources or have questions about this guide, reach out to Nina (nina@sunrisemovement.org, @Nina Eichner on Slack).