Here is a list of critical components for your actions, including sample resources, graphics, and tactics; tips for media and social media; do’s and don’ts for photo/video documentation; talking points; and what to be sure to do after your action is over!
There are new things being added to this checklist daily. Check back for updates!
Design your Action – There are lots of great possibilities, including (but not limited to):
Many of the stunts and presentations about the Boycott Puma campaign can take place inside or outside a Puma store, Sports Retailer, Puma office, or just on a busy street.
Ask a sports retailer to de-shelve Puma sports shoes and clothes (click to download the letter from over 200 Palestinian sports teams to hand in to the store manager requesting a meeting).
For the purposes of Social Media, Flash-Mob style actions inside the shop are more likely to get much more publicity and reach, although this is a discussion for your respective group.
Actions outside are more likely to get public participation. For both options photographing and recording the action and getting it published on social media and sent off to local media is a crucial part of the action. The action is worth planning for social media as you may not get a long time. Livestreaming is the best option for an action like this, so lots of videos can be immediately uploaded. For example, once up on social media, this action inside the Puma department of a major sports retailer in Manchester was then easily shared to other media, with Al Jazeera making a news report out of it. Live-streaming to a facebook page or event is simple to do and is good for outreach. Click the link here for advice on streaming live on facebook.
Ideas for actions at sports and Puma shops
- Large photos that exhibit the stories of footballers or sports men and women affected by Israel’s policies against the Palestinians.
- Display photos of the football stadiums bombed by Israel
- Displaying the sports shoes outside of Palestinian sports victims of Israeli attacks
- Tell them to only sell one shoe – photos of lines of just one shoe like Palestinian footballers who suffered amputations. Link it to all the footballers who have been deliberately maimed
- Play a football game outside wearing the shirts of Palestinian footballers
- Actions on crutches highlighting those injured by Israeli attacks
- Distribute leaflets to educate shoppers and passers by about Puma Campaign and the Israeli Football Association.
- Gather signatures (printable sheets here) for theinternational boycott Puma petition (also a good way to get new contacts for your own local organizing
- Get creative and make your ownSigns, resources, stickers, and more with these amazing boycott Puma graphics and the official campaign logo.
- Use placards and chanting with slogans such as Boycott Puma, Give Puma the Boot
Collaborating with Sporting Allies
Involve local sports associations, popular sports teams, fan clubs and anti-racist tournaments in your actions.
Outreach
RSVP the Week of Action Facebook event page, share it with your friends.
If you need further support for your action: email [email protected]
Turnout (if your action is public) Spread the word with email, social media, flyers, personal outreach (texts and phone calls make a big difference)
- Post information about your action on the international Facebook event page — to inform others and also build momentum/excitement.
Key roles at your action (this is not an exhaustive list)
- Greeters, outreach to new people (bring your own sign-in sheet or this petition form to get their contact info)
- Press spokesperson (see below)
- Photographer and/or videographer (see below)
- Live tweeters (see below)
- Police liaison and legal observer, if needed
Media Outreach
(Media pack will be available shortly)
- Check out this helpful advice on pitching to journalists with this sample press release available for you to customize.
- Choose a designated spokesperson and practice talking points (also pasted below).
Social Media
- Live Tweet and Facebook Live the action if you can.
- Post pictures and videos on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr using #BoycottPuma or #GivePumaTheBoot
- Tag @Puma on Twitter, facebook and Instagram.You can tag a photo if you need the extra characters for your tweet.
- Tag coalition partners too if you want a retweet on Twitter (@US_Campaign, @BDSmovement) and a repost Instagram (@uscpr).
- Check out what hashtags are trending and post some Tweets and Instagram posts using them: e.g. #BlackFriday on 11/25, #HPEDiscover, #PalestineDay on 11/29.
- Don’t use more than 2 hashtags in the same tweet.
- Here are some sample tweets for your actions. Make sure to insert your city name where appropriate and attach pictures and videos! You can also include links to the Week of Action hub and petition. These also make good Instagram captions!
- Activists call on consumers to #BoycottPuma in (Insert city name) due to its complicity in Israel’s oppression of Palestinians!
- Puma Sponsors Israeli apartheid. Join us in (Insert city name) to #BoycottPuma!
- We are taking action in (Insert city name) to convince @Puma to pull the plug on Israeli apartheid. #BoycottPuma! #GivePumatheBoot
- X actions in Y cities to #BoycottPuma for sponsoring Israel’s abuse of Palestinian sports and sporting Athletes. (Insert city name) proud to take part!
- On Facebook, you can post a few sentences summarizing your action on the Puma event Facebook Page
- Important note: if you are not savvy with social media, this is your opportunity to try it out. The only way to get better at social media is to practice!
Documentation! Documentation! Documentation!
- This is important . Designate at least one person responsible for photos and video. Aim to get FIVE (no more than ten) good/great photos.
- PHOTOS
- Wide shots: Get a variety of wide shots from different angles of any actions. Think of these wide shots as setting the scene.
- Close ups: Get close-ups of people’s faces when possible.
- Placards/Visual Aids: If signs/placards etc., get as many of those individually and also together in a group.
- Resolution: Make sure photos are high resolution, at least 200 ppi.
- VIDEOS
- When filming using your iPhone / smartphone, it is very important to format the phone in LANDSCAPE, not PORTRAIT. If shot in portrait, it can not be reformatted in editing.
- Hold shots: Hold still shot of actions for 7-10 seconds. This is particularly useful for wide shots, so the viewer gets a solid overview of the scene. Good to get from several different angles and distances of the crowd. If it’s a small group, get close in on people to help it look larger.
- Capture expressions/people: In crowd scenes, try and capture individual faces and expressions, when and where possible.
- Avoid zooming/panning: Avoid a lot of movement, including quick panning and zooming (unless you are just changing the shot). If you do pan a scene, do so very slowly and always hold the shot still for 5-10 seconds at the start and the end of the pan. Good to avoid zooming all together.
- Shorter clips of 1-2 minutes of inspirational stuff are better than longer videos.
IMPORTANT: After the Action
- Upload your best 5 or so photos in your city’s folder here. If your city does not already have a folder, please create one and then upload your photos into it. If you have trouble uploading photos, please email them to [email protected] with your the action’s date and location.
- Also upload any video clips you took.
- Post photos and videos to the Facebook event page
- Post pictures and videos on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr using the social media tips above re: hash tags and tagging.
- Send a reportback of what happened and any media you received to [email protected]
- If you have a longer-term Puma campaign, contact [email protected] to connect with the International Boycott HP Network.
Talking points – These can help with messaging with both media and passersby:
The call by over 200 Sports Teams and Associations includes details on the 6 Illegal Settlement Teams incorporated by the Israeli Football Association
Mahmoud Sarsak – was a star of the Palestinian national soccer team, was arrested on 22 July 2009 at the Erez crossing on his way to join the Balata soccer club team in Nablus. He was tortured, held for over 3 years without charge and eventually released after he went on hunger strike for 95 days
Jawhar Nasser Jawhar, 19, and Adam Abd al-Raouf Halabiya, 17 were two Palestinian youth football players shot repeatedly in the legs and badly wounded near a check point in the Palestinian West Bank on January 31, 2014, ending their careers.
Ayman Alkurd, Wajeh Moshtahe and Shadi Sbakhe, all Palestinian international footballers, were killed during Israel’s 3-week bombing of Gaza during operation Cast Lead in 2008/9
Mohammed Khalil, a Palestinian football player for Al-Salah FC in Gaza, filmed himself being shot in the knee by an Israeli sniper while he was protesting peacefully during the Great Return March on March 30th 2018, ending his career
The Palestine Stadium and Paralympic Headquarters in Gaza were bombed and destroyed on 19th November 2012 during the Israeli assault Pillar of Cloud.