45 Examples of Non-Compliance for Ordinary Folks *

Choosing not to engage with regime-aligned media (e.g., Fox News, CBS). Unsubscribing, blocking, or avoiding sharing content from these outlets and supporting independent journalism.
Refusing to call the police for nonviolent issues. Using community mediation, mutual aid networks, or restorative justice practices instead of involving law enforcement. (Example: Black Panthers’ community patrols and mutual aid programs, which provided alternatives to police intervention in Black neighborhoods)
Organizing resistance among colleagues. A book club or group chat can go a long way towards building solidarity in the workplace and help lay the foundation for future actions like work stoppages, strikes, or resignations.
Refusing to self-censor under threat or pressure, especially people in positions of privilege, authority, or leadership.
Refusing to comply in advance (as Timothy Snyder recommends)
Refusing to use euphemisms or dog whistles that mask injustice (here’s how!)
Hosting spaces where the truth of what is happening is verified, shared, and discussed.
Writing fiction or poetry that critiques authoritarianism. This moment will need its own George Orwells, Margaret Atwoods, and Kurt Vonneguts.
Refusing to participate in surveillance or data collection. Questioning what data is being gathered and why. Opting out.
Protecting academic freedom by resisting ideological mandates. Pushing back against curriculum changes that erase marginalized voices or promote propaganda.
Providing shelter or aid to targeted individuals. Offering housing, legal aid, or transportation to those facing deportation, surveillance, or violence.
Reporting ICE activity through apps like ICEBlock, a local rapid response group, or Reddit.
Sharing fact-checked news from independent sources, like FactCheck.org (also on Substack!)
Organizing neighborhood defense or safety networks. Forming local groups to monitor threats, share resources, and support vulnerable neighbors.
Delaying or obstructing harmful initiatives within institutions. Use bureaucratic tools such as slow paperwork, raise procedural concerns, or demand reviews, to stall unjust policies.
Reading and sharing the Simple Sabotage Field Manual from the Strategic Services (declassified in 2008, and available from Project Gutenberg)
Creating anonymous or pseudonymous accounts for activism.
Not sharing information with ICE, not allowing entry without a warrant, and educating others on their rights.
Investing in cooperatives or community-owned alternatives. Shifting spending to worker-owned businesses and local food co-ops.
Using encrypted messaging apps to avoid surveillance and protect privacy.
Creating community libraries, back-ups, or archives of materials that document the truth, collect stories, and make copies of valuable research.
Reading and sharing banned books, like the books on this list of 381 books banned from the Naval Academy.
Including marginalized histories in public discourse. Integrate Indigenous, Black, queer, disabled, and immigrant histories into lesson plans, syllabi, and public talks.
Refusing to participate in state-sponsored events (e.g., Trump’s military parade, the White House’s corporate-sponsored Easter Egg Roll).
Archiving threatened, deleted, censored, or removed government content, like the National Park Save Our Signs ProjectLearning skills focused on resistance, such as participating in the One Million Rising training from Indivisible.
Archiving government websites before they’re altered or disappear by capturing them on the Wayback Machine
Refusing to comply with unjust laws and practicing civil disobedience. America was built on civil disobedience from the Boston Tea Party to Rosa Parks, to the disability activists who were arrested while protesting the Reconciliation Bill. Engage in nonviolent resistance—sit-ins, blockades, or symbolic defiance— while being clear about demands, outcomes, and goals.
Supporting striking workers by donating to strike funds, amplifying their demands, and refusing to cross picket lines.
Leaking unethical practices (safely and legally). Use secure platforms or contact investigative journalists. Knowing whistleblower protections and legal risks.
Organizing or participating in a strike. Coordinating with unions or grassroots groups, publicizing demands, and building community support.
Archiving deleted, censored, or removed federal data (like the Data Rescue Project)
Avoid businesses and companies that support Trump and Project 2025 (here’s a big list!)
Correcting misinformation when it’s heard (here’s how!)
Refusing to share personal data unnecessarily. Opting out of surveys, loyalty programs, and invasive workplace monitoring. Using privacy tools and educating others.
Declining to participate in loyalty pledges or oaths. Refusing symbolic gestures of allegiance that support authoritarianism and documenting refusals to build solidarity and courage.
Divesting from institutions that support authoritarianism. Moving money from big banks to credit unions, avoiding investing in companies that fund authoritarian policies, and supporting divestment campaigns.
Refuse to hide your views. Wear symbols of solidarity and your values (e.g., pins, shirts).
Boycott propaganda social media platforms (e.g., X, Truth Social). Deactivating or avoiding using platforms that spread disinformation or amplify authoritarian voices and encouraging others to do the same.
Believe and protect whistleblowers, victims, and those most affected.
Refusing to enforce discriminatory policies at work. Pushing back against unjust directives, documenting incidents, and supporting affected colleagues (using whistleblower protections if needed).
Starting a Substack, blog, zine, or podcast that challenges regime narratives and further amplifies the truth.
Declining to engage in performative patriotism. Sitting or kneeling during the national anthem or refusing to recite pledges.
Amplifying speakers who challenge regime narratives. Hosting public talks, panels, or webinars featuring activists, scholars, or journalists who offer critical perspectives.
Refusing to repeat or spread propaganda. Fact-checking before sharing, calling out misleading language, and avoiding echoing regime talking points– even to critique them.
Documenting our realities for evidence, to tell our stories, and for history.

from the Substack How to Resist at this link