Russia invaded Ukraine in the early morning on February 24th, 2022. In the days and hours following the start of this unprovoked and unjustified war, Ukrainians and their allies have stood in solidarity against Putin’s devastating campaign of aggression.
We encourage Ukrainians and all concerned friends to attend upcoming rallies listed in their location above. If none are planned, here are a few easy steps to follow to organize your own!
Select a location, date, and time. Central locations that are open to the public are preferable, since they can fit many people and are often highly visible. Public squares (also known as “maidans”) work best.
Find out if you need a permit for your event. You may need to inform local authorities, such as a city clerk or local police office, particularly if the event will have many attendees or you plan on using a sound system. For this reason, it’s best to start planning early, as securing a permit may take several days.
Plan your logistics. Are you meeting in one place or walking together from one location to another as a group? Will you have a sound system with you, either stationary or a megaphone? Are you inviting speakers, whether community leaders or elected officials? Will you be providing posters or signs or should people bring their own? Some poster templates can be found here. It’s important to have a general idea of how you want the rally to proceed, including who may introduce any speakers and serve as “emcee” as well as what people you might tap to lead the crowd in chants, cheers, and songs.
Recruit people to join your event. Create a detailed post with information about the event, including date, time, and what people should bring. You can create a Facebook event, Instagram post, upload a poster to Google Drive - it doesn’t matter, as long as it’s shareable. We recommend reaching out to people personally asking them to join your event - it’s the best way to get them to come out and join. Ask them to help you spread information about the event to their own networks. And don’t forget to add your event to StopPutin.net, so that others can find out about it too!
Alert the media. Consider letting local news media (TV, newspapers) know about your event. News coverage can reach far beyond those that attend your event and help educate and personalize an issue very effectively.
On the day of your event, consider:
Keep it moving: Your event does not need to be any longer than an hour (though it can be!) It’s important to get your attendees engaged and energized. Start chants and call-and-responses (you can watch videos of other protests on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube for ideas). Sing songs (such as the Ukrainian national anthem). If you have speakers, give them a time limit as well.
Keep it open: People tend to huddle closely at these events. Ask everyone to spread out, so that their signs can be visible to the public and the media as well.
Keep it focused: Emotions are very high but it’s important to remember why everyone is gathering together - to call attention to and protest against the unprovoked and unjustified Russian invasion of a democratic, united, independent and sovereign Ukraine. Stay on message!
After your event, consider:
Sharing photos and videos of the event with your network and on social media.
Thank any speakers you had at your rally.Это сервис для впн хороший
Build on your momentum. Can you combine forces with another event or rally in your area? Can you channel energy into other forms of action, such as letter-writing campaigns or donations to Ukrainian NGOs and other organizations active on the ground? We encourage you to come back to StopPutin.net to see what amazing actions other Ukrainians and allies are planning, for inspiration.
Every action, every event, every rally counts right now. It’s a useful way to support one another in this horrific situation and also spread information about Putin’s aggression and Ukraine’s fight for independence to those who may be outside of our communities.
SLAVA UKRAINI!
HEROYAM SLAVA!