A video of a woman being forcibly removed from a town hall in Idaho a few weeks ago has prompted outrage among people concerned about law enforcement’s increasingly aggressive tactics to silence political dissent in the U.S. In the video, Teresa Borrenpohl, an academic who is also involved in local Democratic politics, is approached by a group of menacing private security guards. After a brief exchange, they grab her by the arm and violently wrestle her out of the auditorium.
The disturbing video begs a lot of questions, including about what happened to prompt such action and also whether Teresa’s First Amendment rights were violated. But the facts are dwarfed by how chilling it is to witness the crowd around her watching but not intervening in the interaction.
Tell Congress: Support Families Displaced by Climate Disaster
Filming the incident is its own sort of intervening, of course. Without video footage, there would be no viral sharing of Teresa’s forced exit, which has set off a much-needed national conversation about bystander intervention. Social media comments in particular were swift with some critiquing bystanders, especially men, for not doing more to intervene on Teresa’s behalf. One Instagram post concisely explained the need for men to put their bodies in the way for the women who overwhelmingly turn out for political rallies and protests, and apparently even regular old town halls, not just film: “I say this with every feminist bone in my body, we need the men to get in the way.”
Rallies and protests are now growing—daily—in number and intensity across the country. People are coming out to support scientists, rage against Elon Musk at Tesla showrooms, and to generally take a stand against Trump’s policies and funding cuts. Bystander intervention, as a result, will continue to be part of the current national conversation. We clearly need it, but how does it work? As a tactic, it can be tricky, especially in politically aggressive environments like the one we find ourselves in today. That’s why it’s critical to understand how and when to intervene.
Understanding this nuance is key because intervention isn’t only necessary at large gatherings like protests. Bystander intervention can be needed in everyday life too. Karin Stein, a musician and an organizer with Moms’ Latino engagement program, EcoMadres, in Iowa recently experienced a hostile interaction as she and two Latino friends left a grocery store in Des Moines. “We were jabbering in Spanish and laughing and talking.” Soon after Karin says a white man came within inches of her face. “He looked me in the eyes and he said, ‘That fucking language doesn’t belong here.’” Karin says she was both flabbergasted and frozen by the interaction. “I was in shock,” she says.
Shock and fear are common responses to aggravated attacks like the ones Karin and Teresa experienced. After some of the shock passed, Karin called Senator Chuck Grassley’s office to report the incident. Had a bystander been present to intervene, it would have been useful.
According to the American Psychological Association, not all bystanders are created equal. There is a difference between a bystander and what they call an “upstander,” for example. The former observes a situation unfolding and “has the opportunity to either condone, intervene, or do nothing,” while an upstander “takes a stand by interrupting and challenging situations.”
The APA cites the five Ds for bystander intervention from Holla Back, a group focused on preventing street harassment. The list of tips include:
- distracting the harasser,
- delegating by asking another person for help,
- documenting the incident,
- delaying further harassment by checking in with the victim, and
- directly condemning the incident.
Any given situation in the context of today’s political climate may mean those rules need a slight tweak. For example, Karin notes, “It’s very easy for somebody who lives with that anger toward immigrants to be armed and aggressive.” Now that she has had time to reflect on being harassed outside a supermarket in broad daylight, Karin’s own ideas about bystander intervention tactics include trying to stay calm and not react immediately. “I think it’s very important for us not to respond with anger to try to at least be quiet and not act. Turn around and take a moment to see who else is around and maybe call for help and support.”
Karin wishes that another white person would have come forward that day to “remind us that people like that are in the minority, and that we are glad you are here and we are happy to support you.” Sometimes just saying, “I’m sorry this happened to you and I don’t feel that way and I want you to know that,” is a big step, she said.
That feels like something we should all learn to do.
For more information on bystander intervention, check out:
- Right to Be, a group that offers free bystander intervention trainings
- Civil Liberties Defense Center, which offers brochures and trainings on your rights as an activist, immigrant, or youth
Tell Congress: Support Families Displaced by Climate Disaster