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March Planning Training

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March Planning Training

Possible aims of your march

Route considerations

Police

Planning a route

Documenting the route

On the march day itself

Structure of a March

March pacing

XR Support teams

Banners

Roundabout

Going against the traffic flow

March Examples

Quiz

Questions

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Possible aims of your march

  • Move rebels swiftly from one action site to another
  • Give rebels something to do between action sites
  • The march is the main event - display strength of numbers / creativity / Outreach
  • A Decoy

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  • What else?

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Route Considerations

  • Large empty area to muster in, ideally:
    • Not lockable / open access
    • Near transport connections
    • A known unambiguous landmark
  • Step free route
  • Avoid ‘distractions’ along the route
    • Speeches
    • Puppet displays
  • Minimise disruption
    • Depending on numbers just use one lane
    • Avoid wrong way on one-way streets
  • Large empty area as a destination
    • Give people a reason to be there
    • Plans for dispersal

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Planning a route

  • Google Streetview is your friend
    • Don’t rely 100% but a good view of alternatives
    • Helpful to build a walkthrough of the route for others
  • Plan some alternative routes
  • Consider sun direction / Landmarks for Photos
  • Physically walk the route
    • Same day of week, same time of day
    • Stewards often live nearby* and can to provide recce assistance
    • Photos of junctions, landmarks etc.

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Documenting the route

  • Document the route so others can provide input
    • Google MyMaps or other tools
    • Create from a team account to avoid personal accountability
    • View only and Editor links
    • Add symbols for toilets, charging, transport etc.
    • Layers for options, detail etc.
    • Simple base map to reduce clutter
    • Publicise as early as possible.

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Police

  • Technically need to give 6 days' notice of a march
  • This is not requesting permission, just notification
  • Keep the email receipt as proof
  • Need to name an organiser (XR Protest Liaison happy to be this contact)

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  • Pre-Liaised marches:
    • Tend to attract lower police numbers
    • More attractive to ‘family friendly’
    • Don’t have to release all the details

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On the march day

  • Get there early, walk the route (again)
    • Roadworks can popup overnight
  • Designate the march leader (at the front walking backwards)
    • Stewards happy to cover this
    • Need contact with an action planner nearby
    • Useful to have a comms support
    • Useful to have art direction support
    • Useful to have security support if notables present
  • Control media and photographers
    • Clear box in front
    • Avoid livestreamers stopping in front to do interviews
    • Consider pauses for ‘money shots’

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Structure of a March –

  • Front March Leader / Point Steward (backwards)
  • Comms support for March Leader
  • Empty space (photographers)
  • Main Banner
  • Slowest marchers (if not at rear)
  • Body of march
  • Drummers
  • Body of march
  • Drummers
  • Tail of March

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  • Side Banners
  • Road-taking Teams

End fossil fuels

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STEWARD (pink)

For: reporting directly observed risks or opportunities on any site or action

Providing Access Support to rebels who need it.

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FIRST AID (green)

For: medical issues

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DE-ESCALATOR (white)

For: diffusing tense situations, angry people, bringing some fun if things have got a bit too passive

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LEGAL OBSERVER (orange)

For: witnessing arrests / police action against rebels�NB these people are independent and not part of XR. They are often quite thin on the ground

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PROTEST LIAISON (Burgundy)

For: negotiating with the police, private security or other parties

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WELLBEING (dark blue)

For: support for rebels’ emotional and physical needs e.g- water, lock-on support, emotional support etc

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OUTREACH (light purple)

For: talking to the public

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XR TEAMS ON THE GROUND

Light

Roadtaking (Yellow)

For: managing roads during marches

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LEAD STEWARD (pink/yellow)

Coordinates a small team of�Stewards

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SPECIAL STEWARD (pink/bellow)

Special task at an event

(e.g. Radio Operator)

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BSL Interpreter (Red)

For interpreteing for deaf rebels

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March pacing

  • Need to move at speed of slowest marchers:
    • Red Rebels
    • Rhythms (whilst playing)
    • Low mobility rebels / Families
    • Some creative assets
  • Avoid the ‘Chris Packham sprint’
    • Brief front banner holders
  • Gaps will occur
    • Don’t panic
    • Communicate
    • Runners
    • Slow down vs stop
  • Consider ‘choke points’
    • Any narrow section or complex junction will cause part of march to elongate – need to slow afterwards to allow march to catch-up and reform

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Banners

  • Check route to work out how many banners for complex junctions.
  • Place banners where traffic naturally stops
  • Roadtake team usually have some ‘spare’ banners

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  • Front banner, Rear Banner, Side Banners also need arranging

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Roundabout

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Narrow Street, Against Traffic Flow

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March Examples

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Quiz

  • Type your answers in the chat

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What sequence would you arrange these groups

  • A) Back banner
  • B) Rhythms
  • C) Children
  • D) Red Rebels
  • E) Front banner
  • F) Celebrity
  • H) General Rebels

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A possible sequence

  • E) Front banner
  • F) Celebrity
  • B) Rhythms
  • C) Children
  • H) General Rebels
  • A) Back banner

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Not in march

  • D) Red Rebels

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Quiz 4 – Trafalgar Sq to Parliament Sq

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Trafalgar Sq Banners

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Whitehall March route

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Whitehall Banners

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Further Information

  • Rebel Toolkit search for March
    • https://rebeltoolkit.extinctionrebellion.uk/books/action-support/page/planning-stewarding-a-march

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  • To contact the Stewards team
    • stewarding@extinctionrebellion.uk

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