Without going into too much detail I’ll be participating in a strike action tomorrow related to the college encampments from the past month. While I’m excited to be a part of on the ground action, my anxiety over confrontation is flaring up quite a bit. Especially with there being such a big Zionist presence in my city, I’m worried about not just the police, but reactionaries coming to pick a fight. And while organizers say the likelihood of this is low, it’s something that will always be on the back of my mind. Is there any advice for overcoming these fears and making the most out of tomorrow?
Hey, look - not everyone is suited to be a warrior, nor should they be. That's not something to be ashamed of. If you get to a point where you feel you can go out and be on the front line please do, but if that doesn't feel right consider other roles you can take - providing transport, staffing off-site locations providing medical aid or supplies, helping to make banners or whatever before the event. If you can get in touch with an organizer explain that you're not comfortable with direct confrontation, they may be able to direct you to rear area roles doing logistics or something. Every revolution needs someone to watch children, make food, deliver supplies. It's not all front line fighters throwing down with fascists.
If you're like me and manage anxiety by preparing equipment, try getting your protest kit together - water! At least a few liters for summer protests. And snacks to maintain energy and electrolyte balance, something with sugar and salt. You can also make up the WHO oral rehydration formula. I don't have the recipe on hand but it's a mix of salt and sugar that you add to a dose of water to re-hydrate people. Works great to stay hydrated on hot, sweaty days. Pack some hard candies for anyone with diabetes, some pads and toilet paper bc periods happen at the worst time. Wrap ten feet of duct tape around itself so you have a small duct tape bundle, it's always handy. If you have some pack safety goggles and a respirator. Pack some n95s if you have any. Pack some sharpie markers, they're always useful for something. Basically - think of what you'd want on a slightly spicy day hike.
Snacks to share can be a nice way to meet people. If you've got any small board games, especially ones that are all cards, they can be nice to have if you're in one place not doing much for a while.
I agree that not everyone is suited to be a warrior, but you should still train like one. Everyone should know how to defend themselves and patch themselves up medically at the very least. You don’t need to be a tacticiool operator with John wick reflexes for this.
But more importantly, that medical training is essential and more likely to be needed than weaponry. But next to that, people resisting against inhumane crimes against humanity should still feel dangerous. By that, I mean you’re already a political threat to the system. To truly make them sweat and be efficient, you have to be a physical threat as well, and simply being heathy, active, quick, and physically strong will achieve that. And “physically strong” means becoming stronger than you are right now, whether it’s lifting an extra 5 pounds or 100 pounds.
Love this comment, thank you for the motivation/inspiration.
Also, it might be a good idea to bring your own pepper spray or other less-than-lethal self-defense tool.