Title reads 'Sit-ins'. A row of people sitting crossed legged on the ground. At the top in a half circle it reads 'Tactic'.

Tactic: Sit-Ins

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Introduction

What are sit-ins? Here is a curated collection of resources collated by the Commons librarians about what they are, how to do a sit-in, and examples from around the world.

What is a Sit-In and What can it Achieve?

A sit-in involves occupying an indoor space and holding it for a period. Typically such spaces include offices and buildings belonging to politicians, government departments, universities and private corporations. They can also include factories, shareholder events, disused properties, and sites of consumption such as retail outlets and restaurants.

Like other forms of occupations a sit-in can draw attention to an issue and generate publicity via activist, social and traditional media. They can also allow activists to bear witness to an injustice, display commitment to a cause, and operate as a dilemma demonstration. Depending on the specific means involved and how long the space is held for they can also disrupt work, impose financial costs on opponents and authorities, promote a boycott, and show solidarity with another protest action.

Note that while the term ‘sit-in’ has historically often referred to a particular type of nonviolent action, typically involving a short term protest in which people physically sitting down are arrested and dragged away, we have used the term here more broadly to cover any form of indoor occupation.

Many of the dynamics involved in a sit-in are similar to protest camps and blockades but there are logistical and framing differences that can come into play.

Tips for Planning a Sit-in, @Resistance_reads

In a sit-in, demonstrators do just that: occupy a space in a government office, a street, a particular building, a park, etc. and sit down. Sometimes, a sit-in is accompanied by speeches or other activities; sometimes it is silent. It may involve trespassing, and thus be illegal, it may simply be a statement of people’s right to be in a particular place, or it may be meant as a moral statement. – Community Toolbox

How To

Planning the Sit-in

  • Security Measures
    Discuss security measures, what information needs to be shared with whom, and how open you want and need initial planning to be. Some activists will emphasize the need for secrecy in order to surprise opponents while others will want a greater degree of openness to allow for more people to be involved in planning.
  • Target and Goals
    Decide on the target and what goals will be achieved by occupying it. Discuss how these will facilitate winning specific and broader demands. Use of the Tactic Star tool and similar resources can help with discussions and decisions regarding strategy, key messages, tone, timing, audiences, allies, resources and targets.
  • Framing
    How will the occupation be framed- as a protest, as support for a boycott, as a ‘takeover’ by workers, marginalised or oppressed groups through which they are putting the space to more social ends, etc?
  • Numbers
    Discuss how many people may be involved in the sit-in and how many may be willing to risk arrest. Will the action be open to anyone or carried out by a specific group of people?
  • Mobilisation
    How will you communicate to raise awareness and encourage participation?
  • Time
    Work out how long you hope the site, and which parts of it, will be held for (eg- a lobby during lunch hour vs taking over a building for weeks).
  • Site Specific Information / Scouting
    Scout the site to work out entry points, floor plans, whether there are security guards present, how accessible different areas are, etc.
  • Assign Roles
    What role will people play? These will vary depending on the length and size of the sit-in but may include scouts, spokespeople, legal observers, police and security liaison, a media team, corporate/government/campus liaison, media team, people to support others with differing needs, conflict resolution team, cooking group, welcome crew, quick decision team, and supporters to picket outside and assist with logistics.
  • Decision making
    Work out how the sit-in will be organised before and during the action and how decisions will be made.
  • Prepare for Responses
    Discuss likely responses from opponents, by-passers, police and others and how these might be managed.
  • Risks
    Research potential risks and charges so that these can be outlined to occupiers. These will typically include arrest or removal on the basis of trespass but in some cases authorities and opponents may respond with violence or with charges related to ‘intimidation’, ‘hostage taking’, ‘harassment’, etc.
  • Training
    Will you provide training?

Although planning will serve any action well, sometimes a sit-in will spontaneously arise out of a protest or picket. If this is the case, then many of the areas above can still be worked out in the initial period of occupation.

What to Bring

  • Food and water
  • Banners to hang from windows, walls, etc
  • Props
  • Loudhailers and amplification
  • Sleeping bags and camping mattresses
  • Musical instruments, games and other means of group entertainment
  • Whatever else you think is required to maintain home comforts

During the Action

Things to consider include:

  • Announcing the Sit-in
    How will the occupation be announced and explained to non-participants once you are inside the site? By leaflet, loudhailer, one on one discussion, etc? 
  • Site Access
    Will the site remain open to the public or be locked-down via barricades, lock-ons or other means? If it is to be shut down then how will people already inside the building, as well as occupiers, be able to leave?
  • How will protesters respond to requests to leave the site?
    Comply, resist or stall for time (for instance by insisting that the request has to be collectively discussed and decided upon)?
  • Responding to Removal
    If some or all of the occupiers decide not to comply then how will they respond to attempts to remove them? Will they allow police to escort them from the building once they have been formally arrested or will they passively resist by sitting, lying down, linking arms, etc while police drag them away? Or will they use lock-on devices and other means to more actively resist?
  • Will the sit-in have an end point other than eviction?
    This might be determined by numbers and energy, certain demands being met, or other circumstances. Sometimes it will be necessary to outlast the opposition by ‘one day longer’ and sometimes it will be deemed favourable to quit while you’re ahead.
  • Resources
    Will the sit-in make use of the resources inside the site or cordon off certain areas?
  • What do you need to keep the sit-in going?
    Often opponents and authorities will deplore the action but decide to wait things out in the hope that occupiers run out of energy and supplies, succumb to in-fighting, etc. Discuss what the occupation requires to be maintained logistically, practically and emotionally and organise matters accordingly.
  • Group Morale
    What kind of activities can be held to make use of the space and maintain morale? These might include workshops, caucuses, artivism and other forms of cultural expression.
  • Community Support
    Is there an outside community that can support protestors with food and other resources?
  • Documentation
    Will you document the sit-in? Photos, videos, interviews…

Examples and Case Studies of Sit-ins

Here are some examples of sit-ins in chronological order.

In Depth Examples and Case Studies

Explore Further

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  • Author:
  • Organisation: Commons Library
  • Location: Australia
  • Release Date: 2025

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