42 Roles for Effective Political Resistance
Not only do effective social movements build broad support across societies, but they also find optimal ways to utilize the unique skills and abilities of every participant. Often individuals take on one or more specific roles where they can be most effective, these may shift over time according to circumstance and need. Others may be able to leverage the power of institutions they are a part of such as unions to aid in the struggle. Below is a non-comprehensive list of roles and institutions which may be useful in resistance efforts.
42 Roles of Resistance
Artist
Creates art, memes, and other content to engage the public and inspire the resistance. Some content may be spread online while other kinds such as floats, costumes, and street performances can be utilized in protest environments.
Musician
Creates inspiring music to popularize the movement and mock its opposition. May perform music live at protests to boost morale.
Writer
Writes articles and other content to help spread the message of the resistance, inspire its members, and inform their strategy.
Communications Operator
Help to run internal communications channels on platforms like Signal, Telegram, or Matrix, performing activities such as pinning posts, banning trolls, and keeping discussion on topic.
Social Media Influencer
Use conventional and unconventional tactics to spread resistance content across social media platforms. Utilize tools such as post schedulers to maximize efficiency. Perfect for those adept at social media.
Educators and Trainers
Conduct trainings and workshops to pass on vital skills to movement participants. Trainings may take place on college campuses, occupations, during meetings, or anywhere else. A great role for educators.
Protest Participant
A protest attendee without a more specific role. May perform a broad range of actions depending on the nature of the event. Having high numbers on the ground is important for many kinds of actions.
Defender
Uses umbrellas and simple shields to provide allies standing behind them with protection from projectiles and melee attacks. Uses leaf blowers to blow away tear gas and tools such as gloves, traffic cones, and water bottles to neutralize tear gas canisters. May be heavily armored or more agile.
Trickster
Uses noise makers, smoke bombs, flashing lights, and even their own bodies to confuse, divert, or distract hostile security forces in order to protect allies. High agility is beneficial for this role when acting as a diversion.
Scout
Moves strategically around protest environments on bike or on foot to gather information on the movements of hostile security forces, ally regroup locations, tear gas deployment, and other useful information. May be a part of protest crowds or circle protest environments in plain clothes.
Drone Scout
Flies drones over protest environments to gather and relay massive amounts of information on the movements of hostile security forces, as well as other useful information. Often operates from a van or nearby building.
Infiltrator
Infiltrates opposition protest crowds to gather information or cause disruption. May also infiltrate opposition organizations, gathering a deeper level of intelligence and causing disruption continuously, often by creating infighting or spreading fear.
Community Relations
Interface with non-protest participants in areas where political actions are taking place. Communicates with community members and helps them understand why actions are taking place, helping to preserve public perception and gain movement participants.
Street Medic
Non-medical professionals with knowledge of first aid and the unique hazards of protest environments who provide medical care to those on the ground. May wear more armor in higher intensity protest environments or operate a medical support van.
Support Clinician
Medical professionals who may function as street medics or provide a higher level of care at occupations, intentional communities, or medical support facilities established by the resistance.
Emotional Support Provider
Non-mental health professionals who provide emotional support to movement participants, as well as encourage community care and self care. May spread useful information on mental health in organizing environments.
Therapy Provider
A licensed mental health professional providing free counseling services to movement participants. This role is ideal for mental health professionals interested in getting involved, it can even be performed remotely over secure communication apps like Signal.
Legal Aid
A legal expert who can provide those planning and participating in direct actions with guidance on the legal risk level of certain actions. May also act as a legal observer, documenting abuses by security forces to later be used in court for the benefit of the movement.
Lawyer
Helps to defend movement participants in legal cases which may be brought against them, and launches lawsuits against governments taking unlawful actions in response to direct actions. Also provides guidance to those planning actions.
Support Services Facilitator
Help movement members get connected with available material, psychological, medical, and legal support services. Those working in human services and related fields will be especially skilled in this role.
Support Logistics Strategist
Develop support systems to help sustain the movement by understanding its needs at the local or national level. A background in logistics will be helpful for this.
Driver
Transport material donations from donors to their end destinations, provide protest participants with transportation to and from direct actions, and move supplies between locations. Professional drivers will likely be especially well suited to this role, especially picking participants up from protests which can create a high stress environment to drive in.
Supply Management
Sort incoming supplies and maintain organized supply depots at resistance facilities, occupations, and intentional communities. Warehouse workers will likely prove especially adept at this.
Cook
Prepare food for movement participants in environments such as occupations, intentional communities, and public kitchens. Good food not only meets the nutritional needs of a movement but also raises morale.
Custodian
Help keep environments such as meeting spaces, intentional communities, and occupations clean and safe. Professional sanitation experts are ideal for this role, though it is often practical for it to be a shared responsibility.
Constructor
Raise temporary strategic fortifications in protest environments and assemble long term structures for occupations and intentional communities. Carpenters and construction workers are an especially good fit for this role.
Engineer
Establish vital utilities such as waste management systems and electrical networks at occupations and intentional communities. Professionals such as licensed electricians and plumbers are ideal for this role.
Tech Aid
Assist with the utilization of technologies within movements and the establishment of wifi networks, charging stations, and computer labs in occupation environments and intentional communities.
Tech Developer
Develop technologies for the movement such as communication platforms, live interactive maps of protest environments, and social media influence systems.
Cyber Security Specialist
Advise coalition members on cyber security risks in their communications systems and other aspects of organizing with security to accessibility balance mind.
Fundraiser
Use online fundraising, events, and other methods to gather funding and material donations from the public. Finance specialists, as well as those with marketing and sales experience will make especially good fundraisers.
Donor
Help sustain the fight for American democracy by donating money or supplies to resistance efforts. This is a good option for people who have money to spare but not enough time to do work directly.
Canvasser
Hold meaningful conversations with Americans at their doors and in densely populated areas about the crisis we now face. Canvassing can be used for spreading awareness, fundraising, or both.
Interviewer
Conduct interviews with news media during protests and outside of this environment. Rehearse talking points in advance to spread the message of the movement as efficiently as possible.
Press Relations
Reach out to journalists and develop connections with them for more positive coverage through a better ability to leverage news media.
Direct Action Strategist
Plan and coordinate direct action protests, organizing these events around objectives such as applying economic pressure, diverting opposition forces, coalition building, raising morale, or other objectives.
Lobbyist
Work behind the scenes to help influence local governments to support resistance efforts. Involves working with various community organizations and making persuasive cases for the cause.
Campaigner
Plans and coordinates campaigns with specific goals such as influencing local government or recruiting more movement participants.
Meeting Facilitator
Facilitates small meetings and larger general assemblies. Tasked with keeping discussion productive, making sure everyone's voice is heard, and similar duties.
Conflict Mediator
Mediates conflicts between individuals and groups within the movement, using restorative justice and harm prevention to resolve problems in an optimal fashion.
Coalition Builder
Focused on recruiting new people to the movement through a wide variety of methods. May even start their own local branch of the resistance.
Influential Figure
A face of the movement who uses their generally pre-existing following and influence to bring large numbers of new people into the movement or shift public opinion in its favor.
10 Institutions for Resistance Support
Being a part of certain institutions puts you in a position to support resistance efforts in substantial ways. Below are the primary ones.
Colleges
May serve as core organizing grounds for the movement, hosting trainings and providing a broad range of resources including technology, access to various useful facilities, and spaces for campaign activities.
Religious Organizations
Can mobilize dedicated communities around taking action for democracy as well as provide meeting spaces and other resources.
Political Organizations
Provide the pro-democracy resistance access to networks of experienced activists, links to politically engaged communities, and other benefits.
The Democratic Party
Can help spread the message that the coup government is illegitimate, pushing for beneficial local and state level legislation. Can also provide access to community, meeting spaces, and help the movement in other ways.
Local and State Government
Acknowledge the coup government as illegitimate, and pass policies designed to undermine their power while aiding the pro-democracy resistance. Can also pass policies to protect their people from creeping Republican authoritarianism.
News Media
Accurately frame the coup government as illegitimate in reporting, and cover pro-democracy resistance efforts extensively.
Trade Unions
Organize worker strikes and in some cases provide information to help resistance members plan direct actions.
Businesses
Donate funding and material resources to resistance efforts, as well as help spread its message of democracy. Certain businesses may be able to help out in other ways too.
Law Enforcement
Choose to support the pro-democracy resistance by refusing to interfere with its members' efforts. Refuse orders to attack them if given such orders or intentionally work inefficiently to oppose them.
The Military
Begin actively discussing the undemocratic actions of Republicans and spreading word of the American pro-Democracy movement among military personnel. Can make a vow not to obey potential unconstitutional orders to attack American citizens and encourage others to do the same.
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