Road Raging: boosting numbers, campaign building - Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Boosting numbers and support
Before you take on the road
builders, your campaign must have a strong base. This means involving lots of
people, having an accessible campaign structure and being well rooted in your
local community. Your local community is obviously the right place to start
looking for your supporters. Do this before mobilising nationally. This
section describes essential methods that any campaign can use to build up its
support base. The strength of your support base may well determine whether you
win or lose.
Well-produced leaflets are
invaluable, as they are the first contact many will have with your campaign.
To grab attention above the daily bombardment of useless info, originality and
creativity are needed. Decide at the start what the main goal of the leaflet
is (eg. event publicity, background info, or to raise awareness or funds) and
build your design around that.
Tips for producing a good leaflet:
Next, find cheap printing or photocopying; using the photocopier at work
is free. However, printing works out cheaper than copying for large volumes,
and enhances quality, particularly for photographs. Be realistic about how
many copies you need. Then, distribute them. Put in friendly shops, cafes,
info centres; send originals for copying to action groups; hand out in town
centres, gigs, fairs etc; bribe newspaper-deliverers to pop them through
letterboxes.
Posters
Most of the points made for leaflets also apply to posters. In
addition, use as little text as you can to get the message across. Avoid a
cluttered layout - keep images striking and simple. Put "not for flyposting"
on the bottom of posters, to cover you when you flypost them! Flypost
tirelessly (plastic bags are less conspicuous than buckets for carrying
wallpaper paste).
Stickers
These can be very cheap, and can be stuck anywhere to get the
message out. Central Line tube trains used to be covered with "No M11 Link"
stickers! Use a simple design, and remember the campaign contact details, if
appropriate.
Petitions
Petitions are popular but we think they are over-rated.
Unless they are really huge (several 100,000), they are usually ignored - even
huge ones are often still ignored. Some people just sign petitions to salve
their consciences and won't do anything else as a result. Don't give them the
option. The only thing that petitions are good for is to wave at your
opponents when they mention local opinion on the road.
Postcards
Printed postcards are good for assisting people to register
their opposition. They can be pre- addressed to politicians, with space for
peoples' name and address, and to add comments. The Newbury Bypass was delayed
for 6 months in 1995, largely due to local people seriously "postcarding" for
2 months. They went round from door to door every evening, and in 2 months
collected over 2000 postcards from local people urging the Transport Secretary
to stop the road. Before you post off the postcards, always add the
supporter's details to your mailing list and keep a record of the number you
send. See Appendix for an example.
Beat The Bulldozer Pledges
Used in numerous campaigns - most famously
to help to stop the East London River Crossing through Oxleas Wood in 1993.
They are a form that people can fill in pledging to try and be there when the
bulldozers come. Pledges are useful for building up a mailing list (see
"mailing lists" in Chapter 3). It is good to include a space on the pledge for
people to indicate their skills and what they are interested in, eg. NVDA,
letter writing, phone tree, leafletting etc. This can help you target your
mailings in future. Ask people to print their name and address clearly.
Distribute them nationally. Keep a tally, so you can publicise the scale of
expected direct action. For examples of other campaigns' Beat the Bulldozer
Pledges see the Appendix.
This is an excellent, if
time consuming, way to increase your support base by getting postcards and
pledges signed. It is also useful for getting a feel for the extent of local
support and opposition to the road. The importance of talking to people face
to face cannot be over emphasised. Don't just moan in your group how nobody
realises how bad things will be; get out there and convince them. Door
knocking is also the best way to draw out silent supporters who otherwise
wouldn't come to you.
Remember that just because people want the road, they are not necessarily
manic nature- haters. Try to understand their often legitimate concerns; if
you know why people want the road then you can argue much more effectively
against it.
Decide which areas you will target first and divide them into manageable
chunks so that different people don't duplicate effort. A town map is useful
for this. Areas most affected by the development are good places to start. The
best times to door knock are weekday evenings after work, ideally before dark,
and all day Saturday. Always respect that you are intruding.
It helps to dress smartly and be polite, and is more enjoyable if done in
pairs or small groups. If you come across really enthusiastic people, discuss
pledges (see above) and suggest other ways of getting involved. Make a note of
their names and addresses, and add them to your mailing list. On the other
hand, don't waste your time on people who are absolutely for the road, move on
politely. Never get drawn into a doorstep row!
Door knocking only needs a small team to stick at it. Meet up after each
session in a pub or cafe to analyse patterns, and your methods.
Stalls
Stalls in your town are a key way to reach people. Choose a
prominent position so people notice you. Have all your local campaign info for
people to take away, with a big sign saying that the leaflets are free. Try to
rotate the stall staff - you are not terribly inspiring if you are knackered.
The first contact will probably determine whether or not people are inspired.
Ranty accounts of how bad things are will put new people off; so will
exaggerated and made-up stories. However, don't be afraid to show passion and
emotion.
Have an address list for people to sign - never lose a contact. Campaign
postcards, posters or T-shirts can also be sold. Always have an obvious
collecting tin for any donations. You may need permission from the local
authority or the police to have a stall and you'll definitely need permission
to collect money. If you are refused - do it anyway! The worst that can happen
is that you'll be asked to move on.
Route Walks
These help everyone build up a relationship with the land that they are
campaigning for, and show exactly where the road is going, especially before
work starts. Bill them as fairly neutral so that fence-sitters can find out
more and won't feel as if they are just political rallies. Once they see the
land they will know what side of the fence they are on! Publicise the meeting
time and place through local papers, posters around town, and leaflets. Lots
of cars arriving is hypocritical, so consider hiring a minibus to take people
to the start of the walk, or use public transport. The start should be a
well-known accessible place. Publicise the end point of the walk so that
people can make arrangements. Remember that you will finish miles away from
the start, so use the minibus to get everyone back again. Having a choice of
end points means that people can walk for a shorter distance if they wish.
Consider those with children, the elderly and others who can't walk far. Have
someone on the walk who knows the area and can give a commentary - experts on
archaeology, wildlife and local history are particularly good.
Public Meetings And Debates
These are excellent local rallying
opportunities and allow people who are undecided to be presented with the
facts. They will pull people in if well publicised. If you're feeling really
confident, invite representatives of any pro-road group on the platform with
you for a debate. Hold the meeting in a central place like a school hall in
town, which is easy to find. Give it a snappy name for your press releases and
posters. Good speakers from your side should inspire, inform and consolidate
support. Create displays for people to wander around with beautiful blown-up
pictures of what would be destroyed by the road. After your speakers, always
leave lots of time for an open discussion so that everyone can have their say.
You will need a good Chairperson for this! Plant people in the audience with
things to say as your opponents will do the same. Other groups such as Women's
Institutes, Chambers of Commerce, schools and wildlife groups will hold their
own meetings. Contact them and ask if you can do a presentation, or at least
take part in a debate.
Social Events
These are really good for bringing everyone together so
you feel stronger - and can be combined with fund-raising. Have as many as
possible with everyone bringing food to share. Get to know each other as
friends. The most interesting campaign discussions will often take place in
the pub! Games and sports are good too, although don't make them too macho.
Newsletters allow you to put
your case clearly, in an ordered manner. You can argue through the real points
at issue, creating a different media instead of relying on the mainstream.
When replying to enquiries, you can just pop one in the post. They are
important for networking to people whom you can't meet face to face.
Think of your target audience, for example: regulars who want to hear the
latest, other active groups who can spread your news, or new people who have
just picked up a copy off a bus seat.
Offensive language, in-jokes and slang may alienate people who will either
think you're mad, cliquey or elitist. Ideally, whatever you write should be
clear to anyone. It is quite important to assume your reader has little prior
knowledge of the issue.
Only write newsletters when there is news to tell. Check out newsletters
from other groups, look at how they are put together and what they contain.
Quality is more important than quantity; long newsletters are expensive to
produce and post, and may bore people. Newsletters can be typed, or
hand-written if you don't have a computer. Think about clarity.
A newsletter can include:
The final product should be readable, interesting and useful. Avoid
waffle and make it punchy and enthusiastic.
It is worth asking people to edit and proof-read it, before spending time
and money on printing. Good spelling and grammar aid clarity. Form an
editorial group including people with different perspectives. The group should
work to a tight schedule and stick to deadlines, aiming to get it out quickly.
Find the cheapest printer you can and order a realistic number of newsletters.
Prepare envelopes and address labels whilst the newsletter is being
printed.
Mailing Lists
Mailing lists can be compiled over time, as people make
contact. Try to get contact details for everyone who expresses an interest. If
people phone in asking for updates, or offering skills or equipment, record
their contact details. Ask if they want further information sent and then add
them to your mailing list. If they hear from you again quickly they will pick
up on the urgency. Add radical groups from around the country from existing
lists, eg The Book and EF! Action Update (See Chapter 17).
Computer databases are the easiest way of storing mailing lists. It is easy
to copy the necessary software. Whatever format you choose to use for your
mailing list, ensure that it can be easily added to and separated regionally
for targetted mailouts. Keep it secure and have back-up copies in safe
places.
There are security implications of having large numbers of activists' names
and addresses on lists. It was from mainstream animal welfare organisations'
mailing lists that the British secret services developed ARNI (Animal Rights
National Index), a database of British animal rights sympathisers. Consider
using encryption software to make the database unintelligible if it is seized
(see "the internet" in Chapter 4).
Computer stored databases in the UK are supposed to be registered with
(i.e. a copy sent to) the Data Protection Registry. This is a really easy way
for the State to get a copy of your mailing list. Don't give it to them.
However the Registry are currently threatening at least one environment group
with legal action for failure to register. It may be possible to register
without using your real database.
Banners And Flags
Banners and flags are essential in any
campaign and have a long and proud history. They are good for rallying people,
getting messages across and adding colour to demos and actions. You can also
mark out the route near a road, footpath or railway line. They are fun to
make. If you are feeling fed up, rather than sitting around moaning, get into
a bit of banner making! Have a good stock of banners throughout your campaign;
well made ones will be better looked after and will last longer. Messy,
mis-spelt banners are not worth the sheets they are written on.
Flags look fantastic and are good rallying symbols. Avoid anything
nationalistic or militaristic. If you make them from light material they will
fly in the wind and look great. Use bright colours.
To produce a banner with a slogan on, first measure out the letters and
draw them on in pencil to ensure they all fit. Keep the message simple and
clear. Instead of slogans, why not use imagery or symbols? Banners including
the campaign phone number are good for the media.
Always leave a big margin around the edge for banner hanging. Work out how
the banner will be displayed before you start. If it is carried then you will
need to sew two sleeves up the vertical sides to insert poles. If you are
hanging the banner, you will need ropes attached to the top corners and
weights sewn into the bottom corners or a pole in a sleeve along the bottom,
to stop it blowing in the wind. Small holes in large banners can stop them
billowing.
You may not want to paint the banner but use fabric for letters. You can
also stick or sew fabric letters onto a net background so that it looks like
your words are literally hanging in the air!
If doing a Street Party (see chapter 11), banners strung across the road
between lamp posts look very good and define your autonomous zone! See
Appendix for how to climb the post.) Take a good look at the width of the road
when designing your banners.
Put out the message that the campaign needs artists and banner makers as
well as materials and ask local art colleges. Find a space for banner making
where materials can be stored - an empty garage is good. Hospital laundries,
charity shops and jumble sales usually sell cheap old sheets.
This book is now out of print. You might be able to get a copy from a UK
library by ordering on the inter-library loans scheme.
Road Alert!
EMAIL: info@roadalert.org.uk
