First Protest Tomorrow

[Mannimarco]

Going to first protest tomorrow. Will probably turn into a riot. Need advice. How to act, what to wear, how to react to police, etc.

[Blackscare]

Run headlong into the riot cops yelling "I HAVE A BOMB"

[Lyev]

How to act? Just march with a banner, placard, whatever, sell some newspapers, talk to some people. What to wear? Well, probably something warm, something that matches with your eyes, and doesn't clash with your hair. I hear some kinda boots are in fashion at the moment. Also, be polite to police, but usually people shout either, 'your job's next' or 'shame on you' -- basically what I'm trying to say is, don't be silly with police; you don't wanna get arrested; basically just act normal. It's not a big deal, I went to my first demo a few months ago and, until police get overly violent/agitating (and even whilst they are violent and agitated) the atmosphere is very friendly etc: you have nothing to worry about.

[gorillafuck]

Wear what you would usually wear in the weather. Act like you normally act.

Seems like a no-brainer answer to to me.

[Mannimarco]

Rephrase the original post.

Advice on acting civilly disobedient and acting under riot conditions?

[Property Is Robbery]

Black bloc if you're going to riot.

[Widerstand]

Here's what I do:

Mask up as good as your laws permit (in Germany, that usually involves scarves/bandanas over your nose, a baseball cap and sunglasses. though in other countries masks or even helmets may be legal).

get some very basic things you need (money, ID, transport tickets, cellphone, keys). leave unnecessary stuff at home (especially things that could, in case of an arrest, have consequences for you or others, eg calendars).

If it'll turn into a riot, I'd suggest you dress as comfortable as possible. Prepare for prolongued times outside - water is always good to keep with you, as well as backup clothes if it gets cold (backpack). Try to keep your clothing flexible and mobile.

Be as invisible as possible. Usually black, or "ordinary", not too bright or outstanding, clothing achieves this.

Don't get kettled. Don't go into choke spots (unless your protest march goes that way). Always keep an escape route open.

If you do get kettled, form chains with others and encourage others to do the same.

Physically attacking a cop in riot gear usually is a pretty shitty idea.

If the cops run for you, get the fuck off. BUT DON'T PANIC! Stay with others. Don't get crazed out.

It's best to go with people you know.

If you want to be useful, search for people distributing flyers and help them pass them around.

When an opportunity presents, smash shit up. Do this in the safety of a group. If not, gtfo asap.

If you're separated from others and not an an unsafe place (eg not at a crime scene), just walk normally and pretend you know nothing. Often this keeps passing by cops off your ass. Again, if they come running for you, gtfo (if they come running for some guy behind you it might be best not to run, keep an open eye).

Whatever happens, don't panic.

If you do get arrested, don't snitch. It likely won't help you anyway, no matter what they may promise you.

[Widerstand]

When an opportunity presents, smash shit up. Do this in the safety of a group. If not, gtfo asap.

Addendum: An opportunity usually is when you are in a large group (several hundred) and many people smash shit up, or when there are no cops nearby. There often are undercover cops at protests that encourage protesters to start rioting so the police can escalate the situation - as a rule of thumb, if someone tells you to do something (eg: "hey, throw a stone at that pig!") tell them to do it themselves.

Tip against Water Tanks: Don't look in the stream. Get the fuck away from the stream. Wear windbreakers or similar stuff.

[Q]

In addition to Widerstand's excellent post: If you expect there is a risk of arrests, tell your parents or friends where you are and who they could call for more information. If you have appointments for the next day, make sure your parents/friends know about them so they can cancel them. Never say a word to the police. Don't lie to the police, they're trained to get through to those like hot knives through butter.

This should be stickied :)

[gorillafuck]

If you're separated from others and not an an unsafe place (eg not at a crime scene), just walk normally and pretend you know nothing. Often this keeps passing by cops off your ass.
It won't if you're dressed in all black and have a bandanna and sunglasses.:laugh:

[Mannimarco]

It won't if you're dressed in all black and have a bandanna and sunglasses.:laugh:

And holding a petrol bomb in your hand.

[Widerstand]

It won't if you're dressed in all black and have a bandanna and sunglasses.:laugh:

No, of course. In any case, sunglasses and bandannas can be taken of (I usually do when moving outside of the bloc).

But even then, there of course is a risk if you wear certain type of clothes. For example, last week we had a couple of unannounced actions in the city, where police went as far as halting random passerbys just because they wore The Northface windbreakers (really popular in the German Autonomous scene).


In addition to Widerstand's excellent post: If you expect there is a risk of arrests, tell your parents or friends where you are and who they could call for more information. If you have appointments for the next day, make sure your parents/friends know about them so they can cancel them. Never say a word to the police. Don't lie to the police, they're trained to get through to those like hot knives through butter.

This should be stickied :)

Yeah. What's also useful is to keep a paper and pen with you, so you can write down things that cops did to you or others. These come in quite handy in case of a lawsuit, especially if you deliver them to a lawyer asap (it's best to write that stuff down after you've been released or when you are absolutely safe off arest).

Also, quite often there are teams of lawyers designated to the demo, that you can call in case of arrests. In Germany those are called "EA", but I'm sure they exist in other countries, too. Or there may be leftist law support organizations. Try to keep an ear for numbers should they be announced or passed around during the protest, or research beforehand. Write them down on your forearm, cause usually you won't be allowed to call from your cellphone. If you witness any arrests, ask the arrested for their name and birthday, and forward those to the law support organizations.

[Admiral Swagmeister G-Funk]

Either go by your natural instincts, as in how you behave. Not what you know is 'right or wrong', as those things change as society changes.

Or, take a gun and shoot every mother fucker with a badge that crosses you!

[Manic Impressive]

Either go by your natural instincts, as in how you behave.

Yes Manni do this!! troll the mutha fuckers :laugh:

[not your usual suspect]

If it's your first protest, stay the fuck away from the cops. Don't damage property or similar. Make sure to take a good friend who can and will watch your back. And you watch their back as well. Take lots of water, and be prepared to share. Don't get into trouble. Don't go near the cops, don't break shit. This is your first protest, the best thing to do is be prepared to get the fuck out of their, and be sure to take your friend. Once you've been to a few more of these things you can gauge how things work. But if you're inexperienced with general protesting, you really don't want to get into a riot. Oh, and there is a strong possibility that you will be arrested. Leave your cell phone at home (cops can go through the address book or similar). Make sure to write the number of the legal aid group on multiple places of your body. Don't talk to the cops. I'm not sure of the laws in Ireland, but the most you should have to tell them is your name and address. Don't say anything more. Don't tell them why you were at the protest. Don't tell them your age. Don't tell them your mother's maiden name. Don't tell them if you have any tattoos. Don't let them get your eye color. You may have to give them a DNA sample, otherwise don't. Talk to your lawyer (legal group) before hand and confirm all the legal advice I've just given you. And once again, be prepared to run away, taking your friend. You don't want to be in a riot if this is your first protest.

[Q]

Yes Manni do this!! troll the mutha fuckers :laugh:

I guess you're refering to:



There will never be unity by mutual agreement. We Stalinists must cut down every last Trotskyist and anarchist.. Then we will have unity.


I'm not trolling. There's a deep emotion and historical rift between Trotskyists and Stalinists, Anarchists and Communists, that will only be solved by violent. Our views clash far too heavily for permanent unity. Particular in the extremely reactionary reviews of the trotskyists.

My post may be trollish, but I meant it.


Trotsky won the fight against Stalin in 1953, when Stalin died and trotskyist scum Khrushchev took over.

It was a pyrric victory on Trotsky's part. Both he and Stalin were dead at that point, really, Stalin managed to hold off the revisionist and counterrevolutionary influence of Trotskyism until his death, which I think is the true victory.

Making such remarks to a cop isn't the wisest thing to do indeed...

[Widerstand]

I guess you're refering to:








Making such remarks to a cop isn't the wisest thing to do indeed...

Making such remarks to people in the protest is a surefire way to get beat up. Stalinoids are an endangered species in real life.

[bailey_187]

dont wear easily recognisable clothes e.g. stripes or bright colours, if you planning on smashing stuff up etc

one boy who was on the police van on wednesday at the student protest got arrested later on after by police when they recognise him

[bricolage]

Don't dress like a ninja, there is no point.
But that being said in order to keep yourself safe from journos/coppers it might well be necessary to mask up. My advice is to take a plain black t shirt, you can turn it into a mask really easy, it stays on tight and if for some reason you get searched on the way it is less suspicious than carrying a bandanna.

[Fawkes]

Just remember that cops aren't these invincible super-riot robots that the media makes em out to be, they're people and they feel physical pain/fear just like anyone else, so don't be afraid to give it to em.

[Aloysius]

If it does turn into a riot, and the pigs start throwing tear gas and shit, wear gloves, really thick gloves, if you intend to throw them back. Those bastards get hot.

[revolution inaction]

If it does turn into a riot, and the pigs start throwing tear gas and shit, wear gloves, really thick gloves, if you intend to throw them back. Those bastards get hot.

and be sure they are cotton or wool not synthetic, you dont want them melting on to your hands.

[Mannimarco]

I guess you're refering to:








Making such remarks to a cop isn't the wisest thing to do indeed...

Are you seriously implying that a large portion of the irish police force consists of hardcore trotskyists?

[Mannimarco]

Making such remarks to people in the protest is a surefire way to get beat up. Stalinoids are an endangered species in real life.

One stalinist with a trusty ice pick can take down ten or more trotskyists.

[Magón]

Have a creative sign to hold up. Such as these good slogans: "FUCK THE POLICE!", "Mmm, I SMELL BACON!", "TURN ON YOUR BOSSES!"

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

Prepare a 50/50 mix of malox and water in a bottle that's easy to squeeze a steady stream out of (ie not super-hard plastic). If you, or someone in yr crew, get peppersprayed, this shit will make all the difference in the world.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, THOUGH:

ROLL WITH A TIGHT CREW.
USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM.

Know ahead of time what you and yr crew are willing to do - attack property? Get arrested? Know folks limits, and figure out how to work within them. Talk alot (carefully, outdoors, in a space where you won't be watched) beforehand.

Train together - know who can throw, who can throw a punch, how fast everyone can run, how long folk can run without getting winded, etc. All of this is essential for making decisions on the fly - and no matter how good yr planning has been, and how many posibilities you've discussed (which should be a lot) - you will need to make split decisions.

[Big Red]

all really good advice so far, listen to all these people and you should be alright, one thing though...


If it does turn into a riot, and the pigs start throwing tear gas and shit, wear gloves, really thick gloves, if you intend to throw them back. Those bastards get hot.

if gloves aren't available for whatever reasons you can always kick canisters, just make sure you wait for it to start shooting tear gas for a couple reasons
1. if it is kicked before releasing the pressure could cause it to explode
2. it may not actually be tear gas, could be a concussion grenade in which case it would really blow to be holding it at the time, pun intended.

the most important thing is to STAY CALM, don't let the police's main weapon of fear get to you. Do whatever you feel comfortable doing and be aware of your surroundings, might wanna stay more towards the middle of the group if it's your first time (that's another thing, stick together, cops frequently go after the stragglers/anyone who leaves the group. if you start to panic or anything remember what your fighting for, and under what kind of shit conditions people all over the world fight in. after that a protest with basically no risk of actual death seems a lot less frightening. aside from that just keep a cool head, you'll be alright
-even more importantly, Good luck! have fun, and stay safe!

[Jalapeno Enema]

. . .this should be obvious, but in case you get arrested, know who to call.

When I got arrested a couple months ago I had just moved, didn't have my or anybody else's number memorized, and I didn't have my cellphone with me (I was not engaged in any activity that warranted an arrest.)

I ended up having to call my ex (the only number I could remember) to get me out of jail.

Oh, and when you're being processed, if/when they ask you "are you a homosexual", don't respond: "thanks, but you're not my type". (I'll probably just refuse to answer the question if/when I got arrested again.)

[ellipsis]

get some very basic things you need (money, ID, transport tickets, cellphone, keys).

No ID means that it take cops ALOT longer to process protesters if mass arrests are made, so its a pain in the ass for them if you refuse to identify yourself.

No cellphone if you are planning on doing illegal direct actions. Police WILL use your cellphone records to associate you with a geographic area and specific time to incriminate you.

[La Comédie Noire]

I don't know about where you are, but in the states if you are arrested don't give a fake name, it is illegal. Sometimes people will want to all name themselves "Spartacus" as a joke, but you're better off either saying nothing at all or only giving your first and last name.

EDIT:

Almost forgot, this is a common newbie mistake, but be careful what you ask people or say to them. Especially if it's really specific, it can make people really paranoid.


Also, have fun! :)

[Widerstand]

No ID means that it take cops ALOT longer to process protesters if mass arrests are made, so its a pain in the ass for them if you refuse to identify yourself.

No cellphone if you are planning on doing illegal direct actions. Police WILL use your cellphone records to associate you with a geographic area and specific time to incriminate you.

No ID also means they have a pretense to keep you in jail far longer.

Turn your cellphone off, take the battery out. Do this during protests if you're doing illegal shit and during all meetings that you don't want leaked. Audio-based observation software and hardware are quite hard to identify and quite easy to get infected with.

I thought this was common sense, sorry. I've been indoctrinated by the uber-paranoid German security culture ^^

[Big Red]

I don't know about where you are, but in the states if you are arrested don't give a fake name, it is illegal. Sometimes people will want to all name themselves "Spartacus" as a joke, but you're better off either saying nothing at all or only giving your first and last name.



- from what I've heard it's only illegal to say "I'm spartacus" or or something like "my name is spartacus" apparently it's legal to say "they call me..." since it's not lying its just giving them an alias but i'm going to double check that

[Partizani]

Reversible clothing. Perhaps the best thing to wear to events if you plan on taking action. I bought a jumper/jacket thats black on one side and blue with sport stripe things on other side. Riot with black side, mask etc. Once you have done what you feel relevant, disappear back into crowd, get below the head line and change to other colour/removing mask etc. This is from my experiences in the UK from overhearing fed radios. But UK Feds kettle and then let you out through a bottleneck as to identify anyone they thought was violent.

[Lunatic Concept]

Is there another London one tomorrow? I went to the last few and havent heard about any more recently :glare:

[Ninel]

How was it man, I wanted to go, but 1. Was in fear of arrest and 2. Our school lied to us that it was illegal, yet human rights include the right to protest and the right to public assembly -.-