Demonstrations Committee
The Demonstrations Committee won the Bay Guardian award in 1998 for "Best Folks to Call if you're Arrested for Civil Disobedience Award." We provide legal support and trainings to progressive groups organizing demonstrations or direct actions; offer legal observer trainings to law students, lawyers and activists; work to respond to police misconduct and protect the right to dissent.
Criminal and civil lawyers, law students, legal workers and activists are all welcome and needed! Students can get involved as legal observers, volunteers at the chapter office, assisting with criminal and civil cases (including appearing in court with an attorney), and attending committee meetings. Meetings typically happen the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the Guild office.
To RSVP for a meeting or learn more about the committee, please contact Carlos at 415-285-1055 or carlos@nlgsf.org.
Know Your Rights Wallet Cards for Protestors!
To learn about the rights you have while protesting download our new
Demonstrations Know Your Rights Wallet Card
Spanish Language Demonstrations Know Your Rights Wallet Card
Planning an Action and Need Legal Support?
The Demonstrations Committee works with organizations and affinity groups to provide legal support for protests and demonstrations in the Bay Area. Any time activists engage in civil disobediance legal support needs to be considered in the planning of the action. We urge all organizers prepare for legal support as throughly as possible and if you would like legal support, please fill out our request form as far ahead of the action as possible.
Want to Get Trained as a Legal Observer?
The Demonstrations Committee hosts monthly legal observer trainings. The details of the next training will be on our events page. To attend please RSVP to Carlos at 415-285-5067 or carlos@nlgsf.org.
If you would like to be notified when we need legal observers for demonstrations, join our listserv here:
Subscribe to our legal observer action alerts