May Day ‘Rise Up’ student handbook teaches activists to ‘pick villains,’

By SUZANNE DOWNING

April 28, 2026 – A student organizing handbook widely circulating ahead of Friday’s May Day protests is explicitly instructing young activists to identify and “villainize” individuals, companies, and political leaders as part of a broader strategy to mobilize demonstrations.

The guide, tied to the nationwide “Workers Over Billionaires” movement previously reported by The Alaska Story, lays out a detailed playbook for organizing student-led actions on May 1. But beyond logistics, one section stands out for its emphasis on framing political conflicts in stark, adversarial terms.

May Day protests planned across Alaska, tied to national ‘Workers Over Billionaires’ movement

Organizers are told that every campaign must define three core elements: a demand, a target, and a “villain.” The handbook advises students to clearly assign blame for perceived problems, naming examples such as “Trump, ICE, and the billionaires who rigged the system.”

The repeated use of the term “villain” is not incidental. In multiple campaign scenarios, students are guided to portray corporations, wealthy individuals, and government entities as morally culpable actors. For example, in campus-based campaigns, students are encouraged to frame Immigration and Customs Enforcement and affiliated companies as entities that “terrorize communities” or deny workers dignity.

Copy of Students Rise Up Guidebook

The handbook provides sample campaign language that goes further, encouraging students to demand their schools sever ties with businesses labeled as “ICE enablers,” including companies in the hospitality and transportation sectors. These campaigns are designed to apply reputational pressure on targeted organizations.

The strategy extends beyond messaging into escalation. Students are told that their targets are unlikely to comply voluntarily and that organizers must “apply increasing levels of pressure” until those targets “choose to side with us instead of siding with the villain.”

It’s a good-versus-evil narrative that encourages students to adopt a confrontational mindset.

The handbook also outlines how to expand participation by recruiting classmates, building coalitions with national activist groups, and capitalizing on emotionally charged “trigger moments” to bring new people into the movement.

But it is the emphasis on identifying villains that may prove most controversial, especially as the guide is aimed at students, including those still in high school.

With May Day demonstrations approaching in Alaska and across the country, the handbook offers a revealing look at how national organizers are shaping the actions of young activists.