What to do at a mass protest

Somewhere in surfing the web, I came across this article called How to Make a March/ Spectacle. It was posted on the Indymedia page from Portugal.

Here are some of the ideas that I found very entertaining - and useful:

1.Masses of flowers –a visual spectacle– especially concentraded in the front lines. Can be used to set up barricades, to present to Hell’s Angels, police, and press and spectators whenever needed or at the parade’s end. Masses of marchers can be asked to bring their own flowers. Front lines should be organized and provided with flowers in advance.

2.Front lines should be the psychologically less vulnerable groups. The Women for Peace or any other respectable organization, perhaps a line of poets and artists, mothers, families, professors. This should also be announced (publicized in advance).

3.Marchers should bring crosses, to held up in front in case of violence ; like in the movies dealing with Dracula. (This for those who use crosses or Jewish stars.)

4.Marchers who use American flags should bring those; at least one front row of American flags and myriad in the spectacle.

5.Marchers should bring harmónicas, flutes, recorders, guitars, banjos and violins. (Those who don’t use crosses or flags.) Bongos and tambourines.

6.Marchers should bring certain children’s toys (not firecrackers or baloons wich cause noise hysteria) wich can be used for distracting attackers: such as sparklers, toy rubber swords, specially the little whirling carbon Wheels wich make red-white-blue sparkles, toy soldiers.

7.In case of heavy anxiety, confusion or struggle in isolated spots marchers could be led in:
Sit Down
Mass Cleisthenics

In case of threat of attack:
marchers could intone en masse the following mantras - The lord’s Prayer, Three Blind Mice (sung), OM (AUM) long breath in unison, Star Spangled Banner, Mary Had a Little Lamb (spoken in unison)

8.More intersting Zen/ Spectacle SIGNS
As in Oakland So in Vietnam
Everybody’s Made of Meat
Nobody Wants To Get Hurt – Us Or
Them
Everybody’s Wrong Including U.S.
Hell’s Angels Vietcong Birch Society
DON’T FLIP
We Love You Too

9.Candy bars carried by marchers to offer Hell’s Angels and police.

10.Marchers encouraged to carry copies of Constitution if they have them; or can buy them.

11.Little paper halos to offer Angels , police and spectators and patriots.

12.A row of marchers with white flags and many white flags im mass.

13.Those who have movie cameras bring them and take pictures of spectacle or any action. (To combine for documentary film wich could be used in court in case of legal hassles later, and also to circulate for propaganda and profits.) Monitors who can should have cameras.

I rather like the idea of singing Three Blind Mice - but not the Star Spangled Banner. That national song of the US is very war like. Imagine singing Three Blind Mice to the police or for today's thugs at the public protests - the Gathering of Eagles (GOE). The GOE took the place of Hell's Angels, I guess. I was at a protest march in Tennessee where people thought the GOE was part of our demonstration. Carrying candy bars probably would not work with me. I would just go ahead and eat them. I don't care for the little halos either, but there are plenty of good ideas here, and more at the original source.

And here is a link to 198 methods of Nonviolent Action.