Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane
Event Request for PJALS Peacekeeper Team

Thank you for reaching out to the Peace & Justice Action League's Peacekeeper Team! We are excited to learn more about the event you are planning in our Spokane community to advance the movement towards social justice. We recommend all community actions utilize the PJALS Nonviolence Guidelines in planning and implementation. One of our greatest contributions to effective nonviolent action for peace and justice is our cadre of trained community peacekeepers.

Our Peacekeeper Team consists of trained demonstrators who use nonviolent de-escalation techniques to set the stage for successful demonstrations and accept responsibility for the flow and tone of a demonstration.

Please plan ahead! Request a Peacekeeper Team more than 7 days out. Because Peacekeepers are volunteers, it takes us multiple rounds of outreach to know whether we have a critical mass to deploy for the event. For safety, we won't send out a team that's not big enough.

To request the help of our Peacekeeper Team, please take a few moments to provide us with some additional information about the event you are planning.

? Take future action with a single click.
Log in or  Sign up for FastAction

Contact Information
Things to consider before you proceed
Peaceful demonstrations are effective forms of collective action that elevate the voices of impacted communities and draw attention to important issues. They also take a lot of planning! Here are a few things we suggest you think through before filling out this form:
  • Have you or your organization led a community action in Spokane before?
  • Have you reached out to other community organizations or groups to see if they will co-host or co-sponsor this event with you?
    • Our social justice community in Spokane is tightly knit and we try to support each other as much as possible. Adding additional partners to your event can amplify the voices of our community, increase participation, and increase overall engagement. Take a moment to look through the list of Community Partners on our website to find like-minded community leaders to support you in this event.
  • Have you started planning for the safety of your event?
    • When organizing collective actions, it is imperative that we make a plan to keep our community safe. This might include, but is not limited to, having:
      • A route - with possible alternate routes in case of unexpected closures, blockages, or safety concerns
        • NOTE: Marches on sidewalks do not need permits! They operate under pedestrian right of way laws as long as other non-participating pedestrians can still access the sidewalk during the demonstration.
      • A plan for poor or inclement weather (i.e. umbrellas, gloves/scarves, hand warmers, etc.)
      • Emergency medical support or a person who is responsible for contacting EMS in the event of a medical emergency
      • A Police Liaison (someone who is responsible for communicating directly with police during the event, in case police are present)
      • A plan for participant arrests
        • Unfortunately, this is always a possibility with public demonstrations. It is important to make sure participants are aware of the risks of your event, know their rights, and that you have a designated person/group that will be on the lookout for possible arrests who can collect information of those being detained. It is important to ask if they want you to contact anyone on their behalf and to follow up with them after the event.
      • "Go-kits" with Milk of Magnesia (counteracts pepper spray), bandages/bandaids, water, disinfectant, eye drops, pen and paper
  • Have you started advertising for your event and/or know how many participants you expect to attend?
    • This includes any speakers and media/news stations you wish to attend
Information About Your Event