Some ideas on tactics during a less than peacefull protest

[freakazoid]

So like I was saying in the DNC thread here, http://www.revleft.com/vb/dnc-2008-come-t85414/index.html?p=1227599#post1227599 I thought it would be interesting to make a thread on different tactics during a protest. These are pretty much going to deal with when things get less than peaceful and a more direct action route is needed.
So, what I had said in the other thread:

If comrades end up getting sent to the cages then we should mount an offensive to get them free. We should never let a comrade be taken by a pig. Do everything you can to help you fallen comrade away from the pigs clutches.

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site36/2008/0825/20080825__20080826_P12_CD26CCDNCPROTARREST%7Ep3.JP G

That is a lot of pepper spray. Gas masks are cheep people! And pepper spray in kind is also cheap, :) Or simply toss a bucket of paint and blind there visors, :ninja: Also it looks like some of them are wearing short sleeves, or simply rolling there sleeves up, some tasers are cheap too. mwuahahahahaha

Yeah. People could set up as artillery units with those big slingshots, one person on each side holding an end with one person controlling the thing being thrown, behind the main units up front who help hold and/or push the pig lines, launching paint filled water balloons or simply a bucket of paint where the bucket is attached to the sling and the paint gets launched out overhead. The units up front could even be splashing paint or use spray paint to cover there visors.
The paint would cover there visors and they would be useless causing them to have to pull back and try to get the paint off.

What is the problem with the picture I posted from the DNC protest? The protesters are using nothing to protect themselves. Even if it is nothing but cardboard, metal trashcan lids would be better, it is still better than nothing to help protect yourself from there spray, batons, and rubber bullets. And grab any from them that you can, :)

:ninja:

Discuss and share your ideas.

edit - Forgot to add. There also needs to be a clear long term strategy, as this will help in figuring out what kind and how far to go with different strategies. Like are you simply trying to disrupt something or is there a much bigger picture. Having clear long term goals will help in creating a revolutionary setting. Are you going to just pack your bags and go home once the protest is over or are you going to help in creating a change in the area or abroad? You don't have a protest just to have a protest, there must be long term goals. You don't want to go, ok we've beaten back the pigs and disrupted this meeting... now what? If that is all you do then you haven't really changed much.

Disclaimer: Things said in here are for educational purposes and is in no way endorsing anything that might be illegal in your area.
:D

[Scourge]

You make it sound like the mission briefing before blowing up the Death Star. Unless you can meet them on the same scale, what's the point in trying to combat them?
Wouldn't petty throws of household items worsen the situation?

[freakazoid]

You make it sound like the mission briefing before blowing up the Death Star. Its a trap! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDLx08Oar3Q :D lol. Nope, just a way for different people to put up ways to protest. Ways to push back the pigs from an area, ways to hold an area, ways to simply be an annoyance, etc.


Unless you can meet them on the same scale, what's the point in trying to combat them?So we should just let them steam roll over us? Once they show up we should just give up and let them run us off?


Wouldn't petty throws of household items worsen the situation?Depends on the situation, different tactics for different situations.

edit - added an edit to the first post.

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

Slingshots can be perched cheaply and good amo costs about two quid for a bag of good ones.

Gas masks

Medikit <- learn how to use

Scaffolding poles = longer then trounchons

Get cop hat = win

[Scourge]

So we should just let them steam roll over us? Once they show up we should just give up and let them run us off?

I think so, unless you're up for something really serious in mind, in which case you better make sure you can escape. Like you said, different situations call for different actions. Do we protest to throw things at police?

[The Feral Underclass]

Please be aware that the state monitors sites that it considers to harbour extremist thought. We do not know if this website is one of them but you must be careful when openly discussing illegal activity, especially violence against the police.

[apathy maybe]

The original mirror appears to be down. However, I have found this one:
http://www.recreate68.com/shieldbook.pdf
I also know about this mirror:
http://ids.org.au/envirocollective/shieldbook.pdf

This may also be relevant.
http://www.revleft.com/vb/materials-rnc-protests-t24288/index.html?t=24288&highlight=shieldbook

[RaiseYourVoice]

If you are preparing any of the above, get to know the local laws first. In Germany for example any protection from the police and any concealing of your identity is forbidden. Thus you usually get arrested instantly if carrying and kind of shield, mask, helmet etc. Instantly meaning mostly before you even get to the other protestors.

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

Edit: posted in wrong fourm (site)b

[freakazoid]

Please be aware that the state monitors sites that it considers to harbour extremist thought. We do not know if this website is one of them but you must be careful when openly discussing illegal activity, especially violence against the police.

Good point. I don't doubt that this site is monitored, if not for the simple fact of how many leftist members there are. But luckily as long as no one says who they are, or what they are going to do when and how they are going to dress, then there shouldn't be a problem. Oh and perhaps this would be useful; Disclaimer: Things said in here are for educational purposes and is in no way endorsing anything that might be illegal in your area.
:D


The original mirror appears...

Dude, awesome info, :thumbup: SAVING, PRINTING


If you are preparing any of the above, get to know the local laws first. In Germany for example any protection from the police and any concealing of your identity is forbidden. Thus you usually get arrested instantly if carrying and kind of shield, mask, helmet etc. Instantly meaning mostly before you even get to the other protestors.

Dang, thats crazy. Luckily here in the US there isn't that problem.


Edit: posted in wrong fourm (site)b

:( Have you thought about posting in here, :)

[Forward Union]

Sorry.
But tactics depend on an objective.

What is the objective?

If it is only to break police lines. I suggest using firearms, once you're on the other side, you've completed your objective.

If it's to not get arrested, I suggest retreat.

If it's to be heard, I suggest trying to keep the demo peaceful.

If it's to create pointless disturbance, then shout and kick out and act like a idiot.

If you want to discuss long term strategy, things such as base unionism, community organising etc. Then do so. Riots are a terrible part of any strategy because they are an innefective means of combating the state. And an even worse means of building support.

[Celtic Leftist]

Looking at the Indymedia Ireland site on the Dublin riots gives some good ideas. During these riots the police were under-prepared because the demonstrations were not organised (the shinners had ordered all members to stay away). Now, I'm not suggesting a total lack of organisation, but keeping all details off messageboards and generally giving the impression that the protest will be small and insignificant will lead to less police. Now, during these riots, a seemingly spontaneous mass retreat and movement towards another area left the police flat-footed and allowed the protesters to move outwith the police restrictions and spread the demonstration. As an example, the Irish demonstrators moved from O'Connell street into the financial district by retreating and then proceeded to freely smash all the windows of every bank and other such actions without the police being able to prevent them.

So basically:
- inform people of the demonstration in secret and keep all predictions of turnout modest. Obviously flyers and posters will need to go up, but major organisations do not need to announce their presence.
- have a pre-determined signal that will change the direction of the protest towards a pre-determined secondary objective (completely unpublicised until the protesters assemble on the day.

As has been said above, the protest needs to have an objective and the tactics need to be tailored towards this, but these suggestions could help if a) a heavy police presence would be undesirable or b) the protest escalates/the police get heavy-handed and the protesters need an outlet.

thoughts?

[RaiseYourVoice]

Sorry.
But tactics depend on an objective.

What is the objective?

If it is only to break police lines. I suggest using firearms, once you're on the other side, you've completed your objective.

If it's to not get arrested, I suggest retreat.

If it's to be heard, I suggest trying to keep the demo peaceful.

If it's to create pointless disturbance, then shout and kick out and act like a idiot.

If you want to discuss long term strategy, things such as base unionism, community organising etc. Then do so. Riots are a terrible part of any strategy because they are an innefective means of combating the state. And an even worse means of building support.
I agree, with one exception... what if the police restrictions, police attacks get so strong that we cannot keep it peaceful? As I see it most of the above aren't means to attack the police but rather to protect yourself from them.

[Sendo]

as for the internet stuff, do be careful. I don't what me or my roommate did, but in my last house we had TimeWarner running our internet through something which gave out our IP as Spanish, which meant sites that detect where are you from would always think we were from Spain. Really weird. I called TimeWarner twice, and after getting the run around the help rep would actually get on their computer or ask a super, both times I simply got hung up on.

I thought I was crazy, but then I heard recently comcast was getting in trouble for the exact same thing and lost a lawsuit. For all the activism my roommate and I did there was never some specially paid spy on us or anything, and our white, Christian backgrounds and attendance at a pseudo-Ivy ripoff school "helped" too (not like we were Gitmo-bound Muslims). We weren't actively being watched, but we did something to trigger getting our internet screwy. Probably just getting run through some data bank somewhere to reference in case we ever did something...I don't know.

The more research I do on domestic and corporate spying the less I think I'm crazy. I mean, to have data banks on people's internet content and uploads and to have overwrite old data every month...incredibly easy. To have big data banks, oh yeah. I know someone who works for the NYS dept of health on the computers. The capacity that these giant computer have is staggering.

Do be careful and use good proxies when discussing any "unconventional" actions. I recommend the program Java Anon Proxy.

[Big Red]

Gas masks are cheep people! :D


if i'm not mistaken i believe gas masks are not legal at the conventions at least not the DNC could be wrong but i think it has to do with the whole "national security" thing

[ahab]

Unless you can meet them on the same scale, what's the point in trying to combat them?


the point is to fight them any way you can, show them your not afraid and are organized, make them see you wont just stand by

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back to the topic at hand, idea's on tactics...
-paint bombs
-gas masks
-clothing that will cover your arms and legs (preferablly black) if your in an affinity group or cell or organization sport your colors or symbols to give credit for the intended intimidation
-a knife or scissors (for zip tie handcuffs)
-a small explosive or fire work if you know how to make em

use your imagination!

do some scouting on the area of the planned protest, either the day before or the morning of look for the police stagings areas and rally points, get a good idea of the areaand raise insurrection. If its a smaller protest the robopigs will be in a nearby staging point out of site suited up and ready to smash skulls. If the robopigs are already present they'll be rollin around in a big truck or van or they'll have a designated area for detainee's find out where that is and raise hell!

If you or someone in your group gets nabbed do everything you can to free them without getting caught yourself

show them you arent afraid and cause as much confusion as you can, more than likely they will have weak communications so act fast in whatever you do!

raise hell comrades!

[Dr Mindbender]

you dont need gas masks.

Plastic goggles and a gardening mask containing a tissue soaked in vinegar works a treat against tear gas. Did for me anyway in Genoa 01.

:D

[freakazoid]

Vinegar works? Can't smell to good lol. If so that could be better in the fact that it would be more concealable and bring less unwanted attention.

[Charles Xavier]

You guys are posting on the internet and this thread will not only criminalize you but the site owner. Discussions like this will get you in a shit load of trouble when the shit hits the fan.

I don't see the need to cause shit at protests only in self-defense.

[freakazoid]

How exactly can this "criminalize" any of us? What exactly is illigal?