How to organise a circus protest

	Try to find out as much about the circus as you can.
	Try to obtain some of the free give-away tickets.
	One week beforehand send out press releases.
	On the day prior to the protest, contact the press.
	On the day itself, you will have to organise the protest.
	If you need help contact CAPS.
	Start a campaign to ban circuses
	Fly posting

Probably the first you will know of a circus on its way to your region will be their posters. Circuses tend not to advertise very far in advance, so it really is a matter of looking out for posters or adverts in your local press. You will need to find out what animals are to be used, the venue - whether the circus will be on private or public land - and the dates and times of performances.

Try to find out as much about the circus as you can, as this may lend a particular edge to the protest. For example, Bobby Roberts circus has Anne the elephant, and the 'Not so' Great British circus have elephants, lions, tigers and the infamous Martin Lacey (owner and ringmaster). CAPS can also supply information on individual animal circuses. This will include details of what animals they have, previous complaints and other problems created by the circus in the past.

Get a few people together - if you don’t know of a local animal protection/animal rights group, contact CAPS and we will try and put you in touch with one. If there is no group, ask a few friends or relatives to help you. The more people the better.

We can supply leaflets - if you give us enough notice! Make banners and placards or see if your local animal rights group already has some. If you want to make your protest really visual why not hire an animal costume or make animal masks?

Try to obtain some of the free give-away tickets, and attend the first performance. This way the circus can't say that you don't know what you're talking about, and you can tell the press what you have seen.

One week beforehand send out press releases to all local press, TV and radio, if you need help please contact CAPS for your local press details. Press releases must contain details of the protest date, place and time - remember to assemble at least 60 minutes before the performance. Try to hire animal costumes, and make banners and placards to attract attention. Inform the local police of your intention to hold a protest. Their presence helps diffuse potential problems.

You can also write a letter to your local paper. This is a great opportunity to let people in your area know about the plight of performing animals and to encourage them to boycott circuses with animal acts.

On the day prior to the protest, contact the press - make sure that photographers have been booked - and contact the police again. Using the press and media well can get your message across to a far greater number of people.

On the day itself, you will have to liaise with the press and organise the protest.

Circuses will normally visit a venue for one week, starting on Wednesday or Thursday and ending Sunday, and have one or two performances each day.

Protests outside animal circuses are entirely legal as long as they are on public property (ie the pavement, not on private land), do not cause an obstruction and that no one is intimidated. CAPS can provide advice.

Give out to circus visitors concerned about animal welfare our ‘public complaint form’.

Also whilst the circus is in town - If safe to do so try and take pictures or video footage of the animals. If you see any problems with the animals call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 and also please report it to us here at CAPS.

If you need help and advice then contact CAPS. We can supply leaflets - if you give us enough notice! If you regularly leaflet outside circuses, don't leave it until the last moment. Order your leaflets now!

Start a campaign to ban circuses and other traveling exhibits in your town or county. This has already happened in a number of towns, and it can happen in yours! Contact CAPS for all the information you need to get started!

The CAPS campaign strategy is working and we need your help to continue to be effective. Only by exposing suffering can we help the animals. Please contact us with questions and information.

Fly posting - Before a circus comes to town they send out their ‘advance billing’ team to advertise the circus. They mostly persuade shopkeepers to put up posters, but fly posting is also very likely. Fly posting is illegal under various legislation, including the Town and Country Planning Act, Highways Act and the Anti-Social Behaviour Act.

If you see any circus posters that you think have been illegally fly posted - on lampposts, telegraph posts, empty shops, boarding etc, you should:

• Either take a photo of the fly posting, or just make a note of where the posters are
• Contact the Enforcement Officer, Street Environment Manager or other relevant person at the local council and tell them about the illegal fly posting Encourage them to take action. If you have photos let them know
• If the posters are on telegraph posts, let British Telecom (BT) know

Often, the circus puts large advertising boards on council property (particularly on street railings and high up on lampposts) without permission from the council.

Councils are now taking firmer action against fly posting However, because circuses are often only in the area for a week and may take some of their bigger advertising boards away with them, Enforcement Officers are sometimes reluctant to take action. If this is the case, ask them if they will give you permission to remove the advertising boards. If they do give permission they may require you to take the boards to the council office so that the circus can get them back if they want (although the circus may then be open to costs or prosecution by the council!)

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