If you are planning to do civil disobedience, it is a good idea to either form an affinity group or join an already existing one. Affinity groups serve as a source of support and solidarity for their members. Feelings of being isolated or alienated from the movement, the crowd, or the world in general can be alleviated through the familiarity and trust which develops when an affinity group works and acts together. By generating this familiarity, the affinity group structure reduces the possibility of infiltration by outside provocateurs. However, participants in an action should be prepared to be separated from their affinity group.
Affinity groups form the basic decision-making bodies of mass actions.
As long as they remain within the nonviolence guidelines, affinity groups are generally encouraged to develop any form of participation they choose. Every affinity group must decide for itself how it will make decisions and what it wants to do. This process starts when an affinity group forms. Some groups ask that all members share a commitment to feminism, for example, or to nonviolence as a way of life. Others, which have specifically formed to do a particular action, might have less sweeping agreements.