Securing a good protest site

A good Protest site can make all the difference in the success of your Protest. In this section you’ll find all the help you need to select and secure an optimal location for your Defund Planned Parenthood Protest.

• What makes a good Protest site?
• Informing the authorities and obtaining permits if necessary
• Problems securing your site? Contact the Defund Planned Parenthood team

What makes a good Protest site?

Because we’re protesting for the defunding of Planned Parenthood, a Planned Parenthood facility is the ideal location for your Protest. But if there are no Planned Parenthood facilities near you, feel free to choose another location.

Other good locations could include a government building like a state capitol, courthouse or city hall, or a public park or square. Whatever location you choose, be sure it’s got a lot of visibility to the public. The point of these protests is to be seen!

Be sure to find out where parking is available nearby, too, so you can inform your protest attendees where to park.

Once you’ve chosen your site, contact the Defund Planned Parenthood team so it can be listed on the website. Please include both the name of the site, and the full address.

Do I need permission for my Protest?

In almost all circumstances related to this protest effort, no. Your right “to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” is robustly protected by the First Amendment and over two centuries of court rulings.

For that reason, you should not need to inform any authorities of your plans or acquire permits, especially since we have less than a month to plan this event and most permit processes require filing more than a month out.

Keep your protest on public property. Public property can be distinguished by the presence of things like sidewalks and utility poles. See the page Learn to distinguish public and private property on the Pro-Life Action League website to make sure you stay on public land.

If you are told by police that you are not allowed to protest on public land, they are incorrect, but your best bet in that situation is to comply with their orders and immediately alert our attorneys at the Thomas More Society for help.

Of course, if you’re holding your Protest on private property—like the grounds of a church—you will need permission from those responsible. Secure that permission as soon as you can.

Problems? Contact Protest Headquarters

Contact the Defund Planned Parenthood team if you encounter any problems selecting or securing your protest site. Our attorneys at the Thomas More Society have tremendous expertise quickly solving such problems.