How to host a Peace Mob

If you do nothing else: pick a public spot, post a time, and hold 23 minutes of silence. Everything else is texture.

What a Peace Mob actually is

A Peace Mob is people practicing peace in public — together, in a place a stranger could walk into. Every gathering opens with 23 minutes of silence. After that, it's up to you and whoever came: tea, music, conversation, a walk, food, gentle movement, or nothing at all.

Three things never change:

It's free. No tickets. No required donations to attend.
It's in public. A park, plaza, transit station, university quad — anywhere a passerby can encounter and join. Never a private home, a members-only space, or a ticketed venue. That's not a preference; the format only works in public.
It opens with 23 minutes of silence. Not 20, not 30. Long enough to register as a presence to people walking by; short enough that a first-timer can do it.

You're the host, which means you convene — you don't program. During the silence you don't pick a practice for the group. Each person chooses their own: sitting, slow walking, silent tea, mindful movement, silent prayer — anything compatible with shared silence. Some will sit, some will walk. All of it is the Peace Mob.

The seven steps

Pick a public spot. Somewhere publicly accessible, reasonably calm, with room to sit or stand. Parks, plazas, library lawns, quads. Check posted hours and rules. For a small gathering, you usually need no permit — see the permit guidance.
Pick a time and post it. Create the gathering with the location, date, and time. Recurring beats one-off — a steady "every Sunday 10am" builds a local rhythm people can count on.
Spread the word. Use the event flyer Peace Mob generates. Post it where your community already is — local boards, community groups, a few words to friends. A real invitation from you does more than any flyer.
Arrive early and set the space. Get there about 15 minutes ahead. Pick the spot where the group will gather. If you brought something for after (tea, a blanket, snacks), set it aside for later — the silence comes first.
Open, and hold the silence. Welcome people in a sentence or two: "Welcome. We'll sit in silence together for 23 minutes — however you like to. I'll signal when it's time to come back." Then start a 23-minute timer and join in. Hold the space calmly; if someone's confused, a quiet gesture is enough.
The gathering after. When the timer ends, gently signal the close. Now the local culture comes out — whatever you and others brought. This is where a Tokyo mob has green tea, a Mexico City mob has pan dulce, a Reykjavík mob does a cold-water dip. No agenda, no program. Just people, together, after stillness.
Wrap up and leave it better. Pack out everything you brought in. Leave the space cleaner than you found it. Thank people. If it's a recurring spot, mention the next one.

What to bring

A phone or watch for the 23-minute timer.
Yourself — you don't need to be a teacher or a meditator. You're the convener.
Optional, for after: tea or water, a blanket or two, simple snacks (label allergens; skip anything that needs refrigeration unless you can keep it safe).
Optional: a small printed sign so passersby know what's happening and that they're welcome to join.

Roles (only if the group is big enough)

Roles are standard across Peace Mobs, so a regular from one can show up to another and immediately be useful. Don't force them on a small gathering.

Under 10 people → roles optional; you can do it all.
10–25 → it helps to have a Greeter (welcomes arrivals) and a Closer (signals the end of the silence).
25+ → consider all five: Greeter, Closer, Welcomer (looks after first-timers), Cleaner-Upper, and Media Doc (a few photos, with care).

The lines you don't cross

From the Peace Mob Guidelines — these are on you as host:

No commercial activity, no recruitment, no political or religious agenda. If it creates conflict or sells something, it's not a Peace Mob.
No alcohol or substances. No synthetic fragrances (many people are sensitive).
Public space only. Never a private home.
Treat attendees and passersby with care. You're responsible for the safety, accessibility, and cleanup of the space.

If something goes sideways

Police approach you? See if police approach your gathering — short version: stay calm and polite, explain it's a free, silent, peaceful public gathering, cooperate, and don't escalate.
Someone's disruptive or unsafe? You can ask them to leave. Afterward, report it through our contact form.
Way more people show up than you expected? Don't try to cram a viral crowd into one spot — that breaks the format and the venue. Tell us; the right answer is more gatherings, not one overwhelmed one.

More for hosts

Do I need a permit? — the short playbook.
If police approach your gathering — a calm, repeatable script.
Peace Mob Guidelines — the rules every Peace Mob follows.

Ready to go? Post a gathering.