Two significant local events are scheduled in the next few days:
The Stand With Ukraine gathering in Railroad Park
https://fb.me/e/6gazFHnhl
The Interfaith Call to Prayer for Ukraine on Monday, Feb. 28
https://www.facebook.com/events/1144531722981351
If this is your first time attending a demonstration as a journalist, here are a few tips.
1) Say their names.
Always get the first name and last name of speakers you want to quote. If they have a clear affiliation with an organization or company, get their title too. Other good info to get: their age, their hometown.
2) Say yours too.
Identify yourself as a journalist. This can be simple. Just say, "I'm a student journalist from Birmingham-Southern and I'm working on a story about this event. Can I ask you a question?" Or "I'm writing a story about this event for a journalism class at BSC. Will you talk to me for a few minutes?"
In addition to the basic info mentioned above, I think the best question you can ask at either of these events is, Why are you here?
As highfalutin as it sounds, any event like this is the First Amendment in action, which makes it thrilling to witness, whatever your opinion on the subject. Pay attention to who is there — estimate the number of people; consider the racial, ethnic, gender, and age composition of the crowd. Pay attention to where the demonstration is taking place — these two events are happening in a city park and a place of worship. What meaning, if any, do these locations have as settings?
These events will be different from the demonstrations against police brutality that have occurred so often in the last two years. Still, you can benefit from reading these Poynter guidelines for safely covering protests.