I'm planning to attend the march in DC on January 13, and I need some advice both on what to expect and how to prepare.
I am not a stranger to protests. I attended a few during the George Floyd uprising, some of which were quite large, but I have a feeling this one will be more massive than any I've participated in before. With that in mind...
What are the most common threats protestors will face? What steps should I take to ensure the safety of myself and others? How do we defend ourselves from cops, counter-protesters and other aggressors? Are there essential supplies or tools I should bring to this end? Is there anything I should not bring under any circumstances?
Are there any environmental hazards I should be aware of? How do we avoid them?
Are there conventions and strategies employed in very large protests that I should be aware of, so as to more effectively coordinate my efforts with those around me?
What are the tactics and methods of disruption used by cops and others looking to disrupt the march? How do we counter them?
How do I identify plants, saboteurs, and other state operatives? What steps, if any, should I take to expose them?
Will my ability to reach the protest be hampered deliberately or incidentally if I need to drive several hours to the site of the protest? Are there any legal ramifications to moving out of state to join a march?
Is there anything I have failed to consider?
Thank you, comrades, for any advice you can muster.
Don't drive to the site. Use a bus instead. Cops will cerainly be writing down licence plates. You could drive somewhere further away from the site and go from there.
If anyone tries to argue for violence, they are probably a plant and you should isolate them.
Take scarfs and plenty of water in case of tear gas.
Do not wear an expensive watch and use a cheap alternate cellphone, because pigs will certainly rummage through it if arrested (and will probably be interrogating you for the lock screen combination).
Have an emergency contact and shelter in walking distance, so you can go there in case of pigs going berserk, until things blow over. It's better if you travel as part of a larger group for this purpose. Someone will know someone.
All advice here is great, study Crowd control also everyone loves to kick it in front of the cameras and pigs in instead of keeping a protest moving (just a personal take) but that's usually where you can see the pigs start to gradually multiply, and there's always a boiling point where they decide to attack &/or tear gas everyone. I always felt like keeping a moving marching crowd gave the pigs a harder time to mobilize because you know they plan on using force at some point it's just rhetorical.
You can easily see this Happen by the amount of pigs and the undercovers in the crowd, also paid people by the pigs to do something that justifies use if deadly force. These fuckers usually aim for the leftist to instigate you. Be careful.
There are also times where the undercovers posing as lib protestors will attempt to ID or event "tag" you by trying to take a picture with you very quickly and passive aggressively they might have you a shirt or a mask with som lib shit on it. And then quickly move in for a picture like a politician. Don't remove any of your masks, but know that they got their eye on you after something like that. It's how they mark you, in their Intel, it's like their undercover scouting report those fuckers know who they're charging at when the shit goes down.
There are also times where the undercovers posing as lib protestors will attempt to ID or event “tag” you
Who do they target? I don't see the point in it if they do this to random people.
They don’t care, they do it to random people to throw in the paddy wagon to get some quick easy charges and fines.
Why do they have to ID you to come at you when shit goes down then? Instead of arresting the first guy they can?
They’re trying to not catch their own, and they want big fish. Little catches are still nice, but they want leaders.
Crimethinc has a bunch of helpful articles on the topic (following links are ordered by how relevant I think they might be):
https://crimethinc.com/2014/08/14/staying-safe-in-the-streets
https://crimethinc.com/2017/10/16/the-femmes-guide-to-riot-fashion-this-seasons-hottest-looks-for-the-discerning-anarchist-femme
https://crimethinc.com/2003/11/20/blocs-black-and-otherwise
https://crimethinc.com/2008/10/11/fashion-tips-for-the-brave
https://crimethinc.com/2020/09/01/a-demonstrators-guide-to-helmets-everything-you-need-to-know
https://crimethinc.com/2020/12/15/a-demonstrators-guide-to-body-armor-protecting-yourself-against-blows-batons-bullets-and-more
https://crimethinc.com/2020/09/02/a-demonstrators-guide-to-gas-masks-and-goggles-everything-you-need-to-know-to-protect-your-eyes-and-lungs-from-gas-and-projectiles
https://crimethinc.com/2021/01/04/a-demonstrators-guide-to-understanding-riot-munitions-and-how-to-defend-against-them
https://crimethinc.com/2020/08/03/tools-and-tactics-in-the-portland-protests-from-leaf-blowers-and-umbrellas-to-lasers-bubbles-and-balloons
https://crimethinc.com/2020/06/08/protocols-for-common-injuries-from-police-weapons-for-street-medics-and-medical-professionals-treating-demonstrators
https://crimethinc.com/2020/09/24/a-demonstrators-guide-to-responding-to-gunshot-wounds-what-everyone-should-know
https://crimethinc.com/2020/12/15/a-demonstrators-guide-to-understanding-police-batons-and-how-to-protect-against-them
Rain coat, umbrella. In Korea we got hit with firehoses filled with pepper spray during a labor protest. Wish I woulda had those things. Goggles may help too.
Since this is Amerikkka, a stab proof vest could be justifiable since reactionaries often bring knives or will try to stab with flagpoles and shit like that.
No cell phone. If you need one, get a cheap one-time burner and keep it off until you need it.
Paint your face using counter-facial recognition techniques, with various colors in geometric shapes.
Goretex hiking boots. For the firehoses.
Waterproof pants. For the firehoses.
Might need some padding around the forearms for the cop dogs. They are trained to go for the forearms when doing a takedown.
Scout the site out in advance if possible. Plan escape routes. Have at least three.
Make sure to bring face/eye protection. Both piggies and anti-protestors have been out and about hitting people with pepper spray.
don't bring your phone, don't take pictures, do wear a mask (you should always be wearing a mask out though), do dress in normal clothes so you can blend into a crowd if you need to run.
Definitely good, but how serious are you about the pictures thing?
Every event I've ever been to I've wanted to amplify and the way to do that is through videos and posting pictures. Obviously your face and other people's faces should try to stay out of it, but just a span of the size of the crowd isn't hurting anyone.
I might be biased because I am honestly at the point of just saying fuck it with my identity being linked to communism. If the pigs want to find me, they already have plenty of evidence of me being involved with this and there's no shame in my game. They don't need a reason to do something to me, so I might as well amplify and document this shit.
I do agree about clothing and blending in.
i wouldn't personally post pictures. not because i'm concerned about my identity but bc others in the crowd didn't consent to having their identities compromised by me, you know?
i'm not very tech-inclined but i suppose if you could blur their faces/tattoos etc it could be fine? these are just a few baseline rules i adhere to. i'm also not very active on social media so there's not much benefit in me in sharing stuff like that.
Turn your phone's face/ Iris ID off. Attending a protest isn't illegal, but if you'd rather not be seen at the event, then mask up. Don't engage with weirdos who talk to you about guns/ engaging in violence. Walk tf away. The protest is expected to be the largest since Nov 4th, so dont bring a car unless you wanna park blocks down. Bring water!! Counter protestors are counting on you to engage with them, so you can get arrested. Dont engage with then if you don't have to.
Probably obvious but if you get arrested, demand a lawyer then keep your mouth shut.
