Flyering

From Non-Violent Uprising

Jump to: navigation, search

There are basic plans in place to start meeting up in small groups of 4 or 5 people and going to every college campus handing out flyers/propaganda and hitting up every coffee/bagel/other shop that has a board we can stick one on, on the weekends. There are a couple people trying to really get this organized. I am sure they will show up here with more information.

There's a new flyer available here. Check the Propaganda section for more.

Basic plans: List off college campuses we should hit. List of times and meeting places. Add yourself to the meeting places lists if you plan on going to that one. Or not. But something close to this needs to be worked out so we can really organize properly.

Contents

Updated Fliers!

  • NEW FLIERS AS OF May 18th!

Flyers, Signs, Cards, Stickers

Flyering and Scilon Contact

We have begun to learn from our flyering experiences, especially when flyering near Scilons (in situations like the Book-a-Thon, where the Scilons called the cops). Flyering must be done with extra care in this situation.

  1. Do not attempt to antagonize them: Don't do things like shout OT III or flyer contents at them. This doesn't help, it will only strengthen their resolve not to listen, and will make us look like raving lunatics to passers-by.
  2. Do not seek to engage the Scilons directly: (ie. Don't talk to them). They are skilled in bullbaiting and distraction. They might seem nice at one moment and aggressive at another. In a worst-case scenario they will try to bait you into physical contact, which is a very very bad situation. Even if this happened and they made first contact, this is a very very bad situation. If they start to talk to you, respond by trying to end the conversation as quickly and as possible ("I'm not in the mood for being bullbaited today./Thanks for the information./I prefer to learn about Scientology from freely available information online./Have a nice day.")
  3. Always bring a video camera: Document, document, document. One of the best defenses is to simply record them when they are trying to goad you, or when they are trying to be abusive.
  4. Maintain a perimeter around their tables: They get upset when you get too close to "their space" (yes, technically it's not theirs of course). Flyering can be done very effectively while staying 20-30 feet away from them. When in doubt flyer from an opposite corner or side of the street. Maintaining this perimeter does not apply to Scilons who break off from their table and mix into the crowd (usually giving away their propaganda DVDs). In this case, stand wherever you want and don't be intimidated when they follow you... it's a bonus because people will get the DVD and the flyer at the same time.
  5. If they call the cops: When the cops arrive, send over the most level-headed anon to chat in friendly tone with the cops. The BPD as a whole loves us, but many officers do not know what we're up to. Give them a "Why am I Wearing This Mask?" flyer and explain that we very regularly protest in Boston and that the BPD knows us well. Explain that we are peaceful protestors, and that we are happy the officers are there to protect our safety. The cops have a right to ask for your identification but they do not necessarily have a right to unmask you (especially in front of Scilons). If they insist on knowing who you are, be sure to identify yourself in such a way that the Scilons don't find out (eg: "I'm happy to identify myself, but as you see in that flyer it would be dangerous for me to do so in front of these people. Can we go somewhere else for me to do that?).
  6. What we are hearing from the Scilons/cops: The general storyline from the Scilons is "these crazy masked individuals show up everywhere we go and harass us." The cops line is generally "if you keep doing this, it's going to lead to a confrontation and someone is going to get assaulted." Our general line is "We are peaceful protestors, conducting legal free speech, and we are strongly against violence of any kind." Feel free to ask the cops for suggestions for how to avoid the confrontation they fear, and be generous in accommodating them. This is not the time to create a scene because you'd prefer to be flyering in one place and you think you have the right to do so. Of course you do. This is all about relationships, perception, and the long-term goals (not your emotions).
  7. Do not let any of these concerns stop you from our mission: The scilons win if they intimidate us into stopping. That being said, if a particular situation is getting heated and seems like it might escalate on any given day, get out of the situation and resume the mission after you've had some time to cool down.

Cautionary Tales and Stories of Success

  • Scilons are Desperate: "...but today things seem to have been getting worse. Hot coffee and even grabbing, real threats being launched... Observe all safety protocols and be paranoid. I know I will." and "if worst comes to worse, move away and regroup. Call the police if they're not there. Most importantly, though, don't run away. Giving up is not the same as taking a time-out."
  • Dawn (Glosslip) says things are heating up: in the replies: "To all anon doing flash raids - be careful of Scilons trying to film you! The danger of flash raids is the short, hasty nature, and anon may forget they still need to wear their masks on their way back, at the train station, on the train - everywhere."
  • Copenhagen Assault: "The scientologist tried to take his picture, but the member did not want his picture taken, and shielded himself with his fliers. The Scientologist, spokesperson for the Church of Scientology Denmark Annette Refstrup, in an effort to remove the offending arm, physically assaulted our member." "NOTE: This happened while our member was alone, waiting for /b/ackup. DO NOT FUCKING PROTEST ALONE!"
  • Edinburgh Report: "The police confirmed that our signs were fine, took our personal details, and then went to talk to the head Scilons in the Org. Later they came back out and tell us that we can't use signs with the word "cult" on them, because the Scilons are claiming it's religious discrimination. We're going to arrange a discussion with our police liason about this point. Also, they asked us to move to avoid confrontation, and we went back to £stretchers to comply."

Pro Tips for Flyering

  • Be friendly

Start off by saying "How you doing this afternoon" or "Hi, could I interest you..." People are a lot more likely to stop and listen to what you have to say if you are happy to see them, verses someone wearing a Guy Fawkes mask yelling at them about a dangerous cult. They tend to think you to be as crazy as the cult you are trying to warn them about. It is better to draw people's attention with formality and afterwards tell them about what we are doing than straight out telling them what we are protesting.

  • Choose your mask wisely

Masks can work well or poorly, it depends on the person that we are approaching. A lot of younger people (16-30ish) are curious why we wear masks and recognize us as "that person from V for Vendeta" and their attention is drawn. For more middle aged people they see us and want nothing to do with us (not all middle aged people, but a fair amount). This aversion to people in masks can be overcome by paying attention to the first point.

Masks are hard to talk through. People often say "I can't understand a word they're saying" and it can be difficult to make the words sound right. Choosing to wear a ski mask or bandanna will cost you the 'image' of anonymous but it will allow you to communicate with people much easier.

  • Make a connection

Talk to people one on one. If you take the time to stop and talk, they are more likely to read and care about the flier you hand them. Having a conversation also offers you the opportunity to really convey what we are doing and why, including information that is not on the flier. If you care enough to stop and talk, they might care enough to actually come.

  • Smaller groups work better

People seem to be intimidated by 10 people marching at them in Fawkes masks. Heading up a busy road (like Newbury St) it could be beneficial to split into smaller groups and cover both sides of the road at once. This allows not only for both sidewalks to be covered but, but also allows Anons to take the time and talk to people one on one.

These are just a summation of the successful methods I've seen in my short flyering career. Obviously, environmental factors will play in, but I've found the above tips to be the best in successfully handing out our propaganda. Raid on /b/rothers.

Next Flyering Events

  • July 4 - Flyering of the esplanade

Campuses

Some good choices:

  • Umass Boston
  • Umass Amherst
  • Umass Lowell
  • Harvard
  • MIT
  • WPI
  • Northeastern
  • MassArt
  • Wentworth
  • Smith
  • Simmons
  • Emerson
  • Emmanuel
  • Berklee College of Music
  • Bunker Hill Community College
  • Wheelock College
  • Fisher College
  • Bridgewater State College
  • Massassoit Community College
  • Brandeis University
  • Boston University
  • North Shore Community College
    • Has campuses in Danvers and Lynn
  • Salem State College
  • Framingham State College
  • Georgia Institute of Technology

Commercial Places To Post Flyers At

Any place of business that has a community bulletin board is a good place to post a flyer. Some such places include:

  • Supermarkets
  • Newbury Comics Stores
  • Most music stores in general
  • Libraries
  • Laundromats (People tend to have free time there with little to do. Give them something to read)
Retrieved from "http://non.violentuprising.com/index.php/Flyering"
Personal tools