Dissent is a core part of the democracy we have collectively been imagining, gradually building toward more inclusive communities where we can all participate. Protests calling for women’s suffrage led to the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote in 1919. The boycotts, sit-ins, and marches of the Civil Rights Movement advanced passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965. The Stonewall Uprising in 1969 laid the groundwork for more recent cultural and legal changes, such as marriage equality. For all these movements toward greater inclusion, more work remains, but dissent and protest have been critical to expanding rights and freedoms.
Piper Fund convenes the Protect Dissent Network (PDN), made up of grassroots groups throughout the country and national organizations that support their work, all committed to protecting the right to protest to advance a more inclusive, multiracial democracy. The PDN came together in a hybrid gathering in Washington, D.C. and online August 13-14, 2024, with the goal of continuing to build relationships, connections, and collaboration in service of protecting the ability to dissent. We were joined by 50 partners in-person and another 20 online, representing over 40 organizations and eight states. I felt fortunate to get to spend time learning from this powerful group of partners over two days.
Photos courtesy of KeN-K Media
The convening began with a grounding in racial justice and Black liberation, led by PDN partners Dawn Blagrove of Emancipate NC and Camille Bennett of Project Say Something. The conversation offered a deeper perspective on the impact of the growing criminalization of protest on Black communities, the role of white co-conspirators, and how partners can center the safety and well-being of those most directly impacted. The room, both in-person and online, leaned into the conversation, listening intently, recognizing the work of addressing anti-Black racism is for all of us to hold.
An afternoon panel moderated by Nick Robinson of the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) focused on trends in anti-protest legislation and strategies for protecting protest. ICNL’s US Protest Law Tracker is a valuable resource to PDN partners, allowing us to see the trends and patterns across states, which supports efforts to defeat anti-protest bills. Since 2017, almost 50 bills have been enacted that restrict the right to protest. These have been in response to protest movements that call for racial justice, police accountability, climate justice, and Palestinian solidarity.
The convening turned to other threats to protest, such as political prosecutions, police violence, surveillance, and the plans laid out in Project 2025. Breakout sessions allowed time for participants to strategize together on how to prepare for, mitigate, and push back on these attacks.
PDN communications partners Resonance shared how messaging strategies can push back against anti-protest efforts and frame a positive, pro-democracy message about protests. The session was followed by a virtual PDN meeting in September that shared findings from message testing, including themes and recommendations for countering harmful narratives about protest and protestors.
An evening reception featured an inspiring conversation between PDN partner Sue Udry of Defending Rights and Dissent and Washington, D.C. activist and movement leader Luci Murphy. She not only told powerful stories of her social justice work in her community, but also led the group in song as the evening came to a close. We were moved by the energy and power of singing together, which we also recognized as a practice of protest movements everywhere.
Day two of the convening focused on safety and security for progressive movements, including organizations participating in or defending protest. Presenters included Equality Labs sharing concrete tools for organizational and individual digital safety and security and Vision Change Win sharing best practices for developing safety and security infrastructure for groups engaged in protest.
The group participated in interactive breakout sessions to begin articulating how PDN members are building networks of resilience, leaning into each other’s expertise, resources, and support as we collectively build towards protecting protest and dissent, and ultimately advancing an inclusive, multiracial democracy. I left the conversation knowing that for all the challenges we face, this group holds many of the answers and our work together is to organize from this abundance, while clearly naming the gaps we need to fill. These conversations and strategies are continuing post-convening.
Many PDN partners reflected on the value of the convening and of the ongoing connections developed through the network. They described feeling recharged, affirmed, brave, supported, and connected following the convening. Our partners at ICNL report that the collaboration is continuing, sharing that they have already collaborated with a group they met at the August convening to help them better respond to a politicized investigation related to their work.
The rise in political polarization is putting our communities further at risk of experiencing violent authoritarianism. These conditions can make folks feel fearful, isolated and demoralized. Attending the Protect Dissent Network provided an antidote to those negative emotions by creating community, sharing best practices, and opening up opportunities for collaboration across movement silos. Our team walked away feeling more prepared, hopeful and connected with the allies who attended.
Our Piper Fund team is grateful for the partnership, wisdom, and creativity of our PDN colleagues. Even as we struggle through multiple threats to the fundamental democratic right to dissent, we see hope in the powerful work of these partners.
Convening Key Takeaways
The continued criminalization of protest within Black communities impacts everyone who seeks to protect this right, and thus, work specifically addressing anti-Black racism should be shared by all.
Attacks on constitutionally protected Palestinian/Gaza protest erode core democratic values, and feeds more widespread suppression of free spe...
The continued criminalization of protest within Black communities impacts everyone who seeks to protect this right, and thus, work specifically addressing anti-Black racism should be shared by all.
Attacks on constitutionally protected Palestinian/Gaza protest erode core democratic values, and feeds more widespread suppression of free speech and the right to protest.
Identifying trends and patterns across states in the responses to protest movements that call for racial justice, police accountability, climate justice, and Palestinian solidarity, and other pressing issues, supports more coordinated efforts to defeat anti-protest bills.
Threats to safety and security continue to be a significant concern for progressive organizations, emphasizing the ongoing need for developing safety and security infrastructure for groups engaged in protest.
Messaging strategies that frame a positive, pro-democracy narrative about protest and dissent are an important tool in pushing back against anti-protest efforts.
A network of trusted partners as a place to strategize, coordinate, and share learnings and challenges, is key to strengthening and protecting the right to protest and dissent.
