It was a beautiful day for a protest

Well, well, well. We did it. The big Little Bigs protest we’ve been hyping happened today, and we are stoked.

The air was crisp, the sun was out, and Black Sheep hit the streets with our signs in our hands and our mission in our hearts. We walked straight up to Little Bigs at 11:30 (to beat the crowd), set up camp and let the mushroom slider we miss so much guide the way.

We were met with friends, followers and media (thank you, EVERYONE), but when Bryan Caswell, the chef and brainchild behind Little Bigs appeared on that patio, we knew we had won. He admitted, in so many words, that he too longed for that ooey gooey mushroom slider, and in an effort to appease the masses, he

would bring the Portobello back on a limited basis.

We’re calling it a victory.

So, how did we manage to pull this off? It wasn’t easy (okay, it wasn’t really hard either). It took a clever angle, a lot of support and some really awesome Sharpies.

If you’re planning a protest, here are some things to keep in mind.

TALK IT UP. We were fortunate enough to have some gracious writers from local outlets get excited about our cause and write a few words about it. We got people talking and engaging – and whether they had good or bad things to say, the point is they paid attention.

WEATHER. Again, we were fortunate that the storm allegedly hitting Houston tomorrow didn’t decide to get a head start. If you’re planning such a dramatic event, make sure the weather is bearable for the people coming and those passing by. Oh, and wind. It makes sign holding and positioning kind of difficult, so if you can find a protected area, use it.

GET YOUR STORY STRAIGHT. Whether you’re holding signs with funny phrases or dropping sound bites for the press, it’s a good idea to know what you want to say and how you want to say. The protest today resulted in a lot of questions from strangers, Little Bigs patrons and reporters, and if you follow in our footsteps, you’ll have a similar experience too.

LET THEM EAT. It is highly recommended that you feed your fellow protesters. Emaciated participants can quickly lose energy and spirit if they’re deprived of nourishment, plus, it’s a good incentive to get people involved. Who wouldn’t hold a sign in exchange for a delicious lunch? Not us.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON. Maybe you didn’t have as many people show up – even we were expecting more. Maybe your signs were stolen by a homeless person. Maybe your crazy protesting caused a traffic accident on a major thoroughfare. The point is, when it comes to protest, you can’t let the little things get you down. As with any event, things will happen, so roll with the punches and have a good time.

Our protest today was filled with a range of protesters, some protest professionals and some riot rookies. What about you? Do you protest? Will you? Share your experience with us in the comments below!