“Organizing locally with 2-6 friends is actually an ideal tactic for things like banner drops, flash-protests, & other kinds of activities (gardening, mutual aid, de-paving, &c.).
“Here are five reasons why small-group tactics can be more worthwhile:
1. You've known & can trust your friends already. There's none of the risk associated with recruiting strangers.
2. People need to see these demonstrations in their daily lives, no matter how small. You might think, “Sure, me & two friends can do a banner drop, but so what, big deal?” Actually seeing a banner in person is much more effective than seeing a protest on-screen from somewhere else because you can de-spell the meme that “nothing like that could happen here.” You *make* it “happen here.”
3. You can begin to build a local reputation, which will serve you more in times of trouble than all the internet friends in the world. Your friends are your true underground network. The internet can augment that, but any insurgent will tell you that local support makes outside occupation costly at best, really all but impossible.
4. You can put pressure on the small, local supporters of the right-wing, like problematic businesses right there in your own town or neighborhood. Amazon sucks but unless you rub elbows in certain social circles, Bezos is an abstract target. However, *you* can make the Nazis at Johnny's Bar afraid to come out for a drink. All resources are ultimately localized resources.
5. You & your friends have a creativity & flexibility that cannot be found in online echo-chambers. You know the terrain & you can think outside the box together.”
“Here are five reasons why joining or waiting for others to choose a large group is a tactical mistake for activists:
1. Small groups can have huge effects. Light & nimble, it is easier for them to be in the right place at the right time.
2. Small groups can federate with each other or larger ones for events. It's easier to get many small groups into conversation than it is to try to rebuild a large group from scratch every time something new comes up.
3. Big groups have to start somewhere. Even if a big group might be useful, they do not appear overnight. Most of them need a core group anyway.
4. It is demoralizing to think that, because there's no group right in front of you, then there's nothing “worth” doing. If you wait for large groups to appear, you miss out on the smaller goals all around you.
5. Big groups are bigger targets for co-opting tactics from the oligarchs: they're often bought out & toothless. Small groups don't need grant money, staff, & webpages, so they do not need to chase validation from people with money.”
Source: In the interest of exploring “what is to be done” for folks who might be new to activism or feeling hopeless (or overly dependent on electoralism, RIP), I will be using this thread to hint at the strategies & tactics used in a rather small midwest town (5,000-10,000 people).
It's not my town, my activity, or my strategies. *Obviously.*