Signs of Fascism

Right now, with concerns about social media polarization, misinformation, and democratic participation, sign brigades represent an old-fashioned but powerful way for ordinary citizens to make their voices heard in public space—reminding people that democracy happens in communities, not just online.

They’re particularly important to democracy because they:

  • Enable direct participation – Anyone can join, regardless of financial resources, making political activism accessible
  • Build community and momentum – They create solidarity among supporters and can energize campaigns through collective action
  • Increase visibility – In an era dominated by digital echo chambers, they put political messages directly in front of diverse audiences who might not see them online
  • Humanize politics – Seeing neighbors advocate in person makes political engagement feel more real and local than algorithmic feeds

Signs of Fascism was developed by Port Townsend (WA) Indivisible. WDDP plans to bring this initiative to Wisconsin.

Objectives

  • Raise awareness of the signs of fascism in our country
  • Build a perception that friends, neighbors, and community members are aware of and are also alarmed by the signs of fascism in our country
  • Inspire action to protect democracy (“social proof“)

Goal

Host at least 10 Signs of Fascism events in 2026

Steps to Success

  1. Recruit Signs of Fascism Co-Captains.
  2. Develop a list of signs of fascim (building off of existing list and files from Indivisible Port Townsend).
  3. Print 20 durable signs to be used at Signs of Fascism events.
  4. Create a spreadsheet of ideal times and locations for Signs of Fascism events.
  5. Create a calendar for upcoming Signs of Fascism events.
  6. Recruit at least two WDDP members to host each event.
  7. Use Mobilize and social media platforms to publicize Signs of Fascism events.
  8. Revisit initiative and refine as necessary.

Measures of Success

  1. An average of 20 sign ups for each event on Mobilize.
  2. An average of 10 attendees at events.
  3. Conversion of non-WDDP attendees to WDDP members (counted as a newsletter sign-up).
  4. Recruitment of passerbys to a Signs of Fascim event or a different WDDP event.

Roles

  • Initiative co-captain
  • Initiative team member – location and time research
  • Initiative team member – design and print
  • Initiative team member – attendees