zlacker

> While the US has a rich history of large scale demonstrations, especially in the past few years, they have largely been premeditated and by activist organizations that collaborate with local governments well in advanced.

Do you have a source for this? I'm not aware of any widespread protests that are coordinated by activists AND the government.

>>milkyt+(OP)
Much of that component of protest planning is typically relegated to private planning groups and chats. If you get a whiff of it as an outside observer, it's usually a mayor making a public statement affirming protestor's right to express themselves. This makes sense, because acknowledging that you're collaborating the the local government and police makes your protest work seem much less subversive.

A good example of how this is somewhat standardized among more professional organizers is the March For Our Lives planning Toolkit, wherein they propose having dedicated liasons to serve as intermediaries between the organizers, city, and police. [0]

The collaboration needn't necessarily be initiated by the organizers, however. It's just as, if not more likely that local government reaches out to event planners in order to assess any potential security needs.

Women's march: >_A spokeswoman for the city told Philadelphia magazine that officials had discussed security measures with the march’s organizers “prior to and during planning for the march, and organizers understood the public safety concerns and our responsibilities in ensuring a safe event” but confirmed that “permitting was not contingent on agreeing to these measures.”_[1]

More Recently:

>_"We do not tolerate these acts of protest. We celebrate these acts of protest," Hogsett said. "And just as with yesterday we will continue to work with event organizers to ensure they have a venue to deliver their nonviolent message without interference."_[2]

[0]https://everytown.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/March-For-O...

[1]https://www.phillymag.com/news/2018/01/19/womens-march-phila...

[2]https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2020/...