The former Midnight Special Law Collective created this workshop for facilitators about how to teach activists to be legal observers at protests, rallies and other actions.
This workshop is set to last about an hour, allowing for discussion and questions. Legal observers are essential in protests when things could get messy and people could be arrested. They act as witnesses and record events accurately. For more information on what you need to be a good legal observer, check out this guide they also made.
Another tool legal observers can use are arrest sheets, which observers can print and fill out at a protest or in advance if they suspect folks have a high risk of being arrested. The Activist’s Legal Guide has created this simple guide to being a legal observer – for a more detailed run down, check out the guide from the National Lawyers Guild.
This workshop covers:
Definitions
Reasons to be a legal observer
A variety of scenarios that groups record and discuss
Gear to bring
Evaluation