Protests, civil unrest, and terrorism

Protests and civil unrest can come up at different times depending on economic, political, or security stresses occurring at your destination, and while terrorism is uncommon, it remains a concern in certain regions. Learn more about these risks, and recommendations on how to prepare and stay safe during your trip. 

Important UTD guidelines for travel abroad  

• Obtain Travel Authorization: Obtain authorization prior to departure. 
• Know Your Insurance: Review your coverage benefits. 
• Enroll in the U.S. Department of State’s STEP program to get alerts for your destination. 
• Register Your Trip: Register your trip prior to departure. 
• Save the On Call contact to your phone. Call 24/7 for travel and emergency assistance. 

Before Your Trip 

• Assess destination risks:  Carefully review official sources to understand risks and recommendations on risk mitigation measures. 
• Create an emergency communications plan to help you manage emergencies while abroad. 

About Protests and Civil Unrest 

• Economic, political, security, or social issues in the region can lead to increased tension and unrest. 
• Unrest often occurs around major event anniversaries or events, especially politically or socially charged ones, such as election days.  
• Protests can turn violent at any moment, even if they started as a peaceful protest. 
• Crowd control by authorities can sometimes include water cannons, rubber bullets, and teargas.  

About Terrorism

• Terrorist acts are uncommon, but they remain a concern in certain regions. 
• Terrorists may time their attacks during periods of security or financial crises, or around significant dates and events to maximize impact and media coverage. 
• Terrorism can present itself in different ways, such as attacks with knives, firearms, vehicles, or explosives.  
• Terrorists often target public spaces, transportation infrastructure, government buildings, and places of worship. They may also target crowded places such as markets, tourist attractions, and entertainment venues.  

During Your Trip  

• Stay informed: Monitor local news and updates on the situation in your area.  
• Avoid large gatherings: Steer clear of protests and demonstrations which can escalate quickly.  
• Be aware of your surroundings: Stay vigilant and remove yourself from areas of concern.  
• If Protest or Civil Unrest happens:
  • Change your travel plans to avoid protests, marches or other hot spots of civil unrest. 
  • If caught in a protest and is not safe to leave, shelter in a safe place. 
  • When possible, go to a safe location. Avoid embassies or other government buildings. 
  • Don’t stop to watch, take photos, or videos. Protests can turn violent at any moment. 
  • Get assistance as needed.  
  • Let your emergency contacts know of your status. 
• If there is a terrorist attack:
  • Leave the area as soon as it’s safe while avoiding nearby mass transportation hubs. 
  • If the attack isn’t near you, avoid the area where it happened. 
  • Assume the threat still exists until local authorities confirm it’s over.  
  • Monitor the situation. Check the news and official social media channels for any developments.  
  • Get assistance as needed.  
  • Let your emergency contacts know of your status. 
• Emergency Services and Travel Assistance – Have a list of emergency contacts and local medical facilities for your destination. UT Dallas travelers can get travel and emergency assistance by calling On Call International 24/7 at +1 (978) 651-9722. 

After your trip  

• Schedule a follow-up appointment with your doctors to address any health issues that came up during or after your trip. 

Sources 

1. U.S. Department of State (DOS) – travel.state.gov – Check the latest safety levels, local laws, and health risks for your destination.
2. CDC Traveller’s Health – CDC.gov – U.S. guidance on health risks, vaccination recommendations, and preventive measures for travelers.
3. International Risk and Safety website.
4. Traveler Toolkit.
5. Protest and Demonstrations.

• Informative pages from other governments. Please note that not all the advice in these pages will apply to U.S. travelers. 
• Reduce risk from terrorism – gov.uk – How to minimize your risk, and what to do if there’s a terrorist attack. 
• Protests and civil unrest – smartraveller.gov.au – advice for travellers about staying safe during protests and civil unrest. 
• Terrorism – smartraveller.gov.au – advice for travellers overseas about the risk of terrorism. 
• Mass gatherings – travel.gc.ca – risks to keep in mind while attending large-scale events 

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