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After I posted my memoirs from the Copenhagen youth house riots in the milhist thread, two posters have contacted me asking for advice on how to conduct first aid, make protection and organize for protests turning violent. Would there be interest in a longer effort post about protective gear, organizing affinity groups and other tactics for street protest? I won't bother if no one's going to read it 
Tias fucked around with this message at 17:43 on Jan 31, 2017 |
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Jan 31, 2017 17:40
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Oh, cool  It'll be up tomorrow, euro time. And to be clear, it's going to focus on reacting to police agression and sensible pre-protest planning and protection, not 'bashing' anybody - even though I won't condemn people for using it to stay safe near nazis and cops, natch.
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Jan 31, 2017 18:02
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In by popular demand: Tias little Black Book of Protest Tips Sometimes, well, most times, populations find that they don't agree with their ruling class. The democratic process is supposed to alleviate this, but in fact is most often a lie reproduced by capitalist propaganda to keep you exploited and 1% of the population living in opulent luxury. This leads to the conscious proletariat considering other options than the ballot.  Pictured: A breakdown in communication In order to participate in a protest gone sour effectively, the most important thing you can do is be prepared, decide your level of involvement, and getting organized. Preparation No one can prepare for every eventuality, but after being involved in social movements for a while, you tend to get a nose for which protests are going to turn violent, either through long-nurtured desperation on the part of protestors or( much more often) police escalation and targeted provocation on political orders. These are the events you need to prepare for  On a macro-scale, your movement should have efficient support networks. There's a science to organizing effective protests and social movements, which I'm not going to go into here as it is its own  - but for the purpose of conflict with cops and security, whoever organizes the protest should think of CONTACTS and MEDICS.CONTACTS are police liaison contacts. They are specifically training for and responsible for communication between protest organizers and the police. In nations with a long history of social unrest the police usually plays ball and tells the contacts if they are going to arrest someone and for what, or if they want to decide to allow a protest to continue down the planned path - and are willing to negotiate in order to keep a protest looking good and orderly. This can be used to your advantage, if your target is a specific location you want to invade, squat or sabotage you can 'give and take', following some directions from the task force captains in order to confuse them on others. Being a competent liaison for the police is an art form, and usually your city labor or student organization has a pool of skilled or at least willing people to take this one. This page has some good general pointers on communicating with police at protests if you're completely clueless: http://www.activistrights.org.au/handbook/ch03s03.php MEDICS are street medics. Their only job is keeping triage, getting injured people out of the line of police violence and treating CS gas/pepper spray cases. Ideally, they are not going to treat more complex injuries, as much as providing psychological first aid and keeping areas clear so paramedics can get to the seriously injured. All protestors should ideally help confronting the cops and un-arresting injured( and uninjured!) protestors, but having a corps of skilled medics on hand is simple priceless during a riot, and no responsible protest organizers should go without. Really good medics can even pull off tricks like removing tear gas in seconds using mineral oil, or rally fleeing protestors by throwing back burning gas grenades - never leave home without 'em! There are several nifty resources on the internet, I've never been a street medic, but this one looks good: http://www.paperrevolution.org/street-medic-guide/ Ideally, you shouldn't have to think of these things( more on this in Getting Organized), but you should definitely get your own affairs in order before heading out. I guess this needs a section on preparing for actions as well, but I'm running out of time. One essential piece of advice is to leave your phones and other wireless devices at home whenever you meet to plan anything. Bugging is ubiquitous, even back in the day of Nokia bricks cops would install listening devices in them whenever protestors were arrested - and it's a thousand times worse today. Personal Gear Dressed for battle? A lot of people who want to fit in against an adversarial police presence dress alike. I'll touch on black bloc tactics further below, but for know it's good to realize the benefits of dressing in featureless, face-concealing clothing of a colour that matches protestors around you. Often a protest will mean people use shirst or scarves of the same colour, and at least here in Denmark we have used it as a coordinating metric for various kinds of tactics: Purple bloc tries to jump fences and flank police, green bloc forms chains and push back the police, red block break open doors, and so on.. To each their own. The point is that you want to conceal your face, and don't show hair, piercings/tattoos or other things that can be used to identify you on police or scab surveillance. Carry a bunch of half-litre bottles of water, plastics only. Depending on local ordinances, this may get you out of 'carrying object with intent to harm' charges, though masking yourself during a protest is illegal nearly everywhere( here in Denmark, even having a handkerchief in your pocket within a mile of a protest can be subject to a fine  ), so try to stay a stone's throw away from cops at all times unless you have some business closer to them!Snacks are good, I don't know much about nutrition but I found that fruit, nuts and candy bars gave me that sugar rush I needed on occasion! Going to get gassed? Always assume it's going to happen. The level of protection necessary depends on the concentration of CS used, really. The first warning stuff never really affected me, though unpleasant you can power through it. The heavy stuff will burn your eyes, nose and lungs something fierce, and you should really try not to get it in you. A genuine gas mask is a good investment, though police often take a dim view of people wearing them. ALWAYS inspect the filter properly, having an experienced protestor taking a look at it if in doubt. You'd much rather be safe than sorry. For engagements that don't last too long, I recommend swimmer's glasses and a scarf in front of the nose and mouth, or a simple pollution mask - that should work against both CS and pepper spray. Allegedly it's now in vogue to cut a large water tank bottle in two,and strap one half to your face. I have no experience doing this, but I'd fear gas could get stuck behind it. For the same reason, never wear contacts near gas, it can get stuck in their and burn your cornea. If you're seriously affected, ditch your out layer of clothing, as some of you may know it's actually a crystallized dispersation rather than gas, and it stays on you for a long time. When you get home, wash gas-affected clothing separately, airing it out if you have to. If you have a particular objective, you may want to carry tools to that end, but carrying a crowbar or ladder around cops may provoke them. Stay safe, keep your buddies around and organize distractions( see below). Decide Your Level of Involvement Assuming some of you are completely new to protesting, how do you participate in a way that you're comfortable with, and that will keep you safe? Knowing how far you want to go is essential. If your local struggle has reached a point where you need to show the cops you mean business, that's well and good, but are you prepared to fight another human being? Self-defense classes, workshops that prepare you for detainment and arrest and some soul searching are all good ideas before you actually throw a brick at anyone. Once you know what you want to do, you can easier find out how to organize with like-minded protestors, and how to equip yourself for the job at hand. The real gem I have to impart here is: Don't go at it alone. Talk to others who have protested before, listen to their experiences, and see if they can coach you on what is right for you to do. Going out of your personal depth can lead to traumatic experiences, burnout and depression. Don't neglect this step. Organization There are already thousands upon thousands of organizations with experience resisting the state. Seek them out, and soak up all the help you can from them. Labor and student organizations are traditionally where the bulk of protest experience resides, but even smaller regions may have legal, logistic and training organizations you can draw upon for help - these movements will likely already have a wealth of people experienced as protest organizers, press activists, medics and other essential roles, and you can learn the specific roles that interest you that way. This bit is really important: I can offer my own experiences all day long, but nothing gets you prepared for street level activism faster than getting organized with other students or workers and listening well. No one will turn you away if you show willingness and persistence, and from there you can quickly start getting experience yourself under the watchful eye of those who have gone before. I'm going to present you with two of the most common organizational methods I've encountered in my years as a protestor, but don't discount others. From the teacher's union turned riot brigade to the traditional miner and dock worker shock batallions, it takes all sorts. THE AFFINITY GROUP The affinity group is the smallest unit of organization on the radical scene: Between 2 and 20( usually) people who share bonds of ideology, views on tactics and/or personal friendship, who band together. I'm including it because the complete newbie can organize one with their friends, in the event that there are literally no group sympathetic to your cause and/or willing to take action near you! The beauty of the affinity group during street protest in particular, is the level of trust shared. A good affinity group is formed between friends who are equally committed to breaking the law, creating a better world and not snitching on the other members! With this level of loyalty, spectacular actions can be planned in secrecy, and most of the groups getting up to a lot of illegal poo poo( ALF, Earth First etc.) are organized in this matter for the same reason. Affinity groups are autonomous by nature, but you can either organize events together with sympathetic groups, or organize a larger affinity group that can divide into smaller segments for multi-stage actions. This is important both if a plan needs more moving parts( one group drops a banner from a roof-top, another hands out flyers, a third watches for the cops) or if you need to keep up pressure on an area( one group fights the cops for a while, then withdraw to shower, eat and recoup while a fresh group gets stuck in). THE BLACK BLOC The Black Bloc are the guys usually associated with the frightening anarchist rioters: Dressing identically, they avoid identification by surveillance and take on a uniform appearance that can confuse police and promote a sense of solidarity, as well as protect the face against spray and gas. The black bloc ideally holds workshops among interested members to train for confrontation with the police, but far more often is just a disorganized force that unites because of agreement on the need to wreck corporate-owned or enviromentally unconscious properties and fight the police. Since this tactic will get you stuck in with riot police, armoured gloves are good idea, as are arm braces: A simple recipe is just cutting a traffic cone in two, painting it black and strapping it to your arm - some padding is advisable, though! Motorcycle helmets are also really good to ward off truncheon blows, and steel street signs can be converted to shields. When organized, this form of organization is really versatile! Popular black bloc tactics involve making huge plastic shields that lock together, breaking police lines with wedge-shaped charges! In Denmark blocs trained getting out of zip-lock cuff lines by pushing up the person in front of you by pushing their butt up till they stood upright, while others threw bicycle chains into power lines to blackout entire parts of the city. Be creative, talk to others, be prepared. On Violence I'm really loath to offer my own experience on violent tactics in the struggles here in Copenhagen, mostly because I fear it won't be applicable to the States. If I said that a petrol bomb or flagstone usually would drive off a policeman it's all well and good, but if that leads to said policeman drawing a gun and killing you, I'd really rather not it was because of something I said. I'll be happy to answer any and all of your questions, but on the question of violence our societies are -very- different. Use your common sense, and don't be afraid to run away to fight another day - it's a lot more fun than lock-up or a broken neck. Tias fucked around with this message at 14:55 on Feb 1, 2017 |
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Feb 1, 2017 14:35
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RiotGearEpsilon posted:I don't know what protests you guys are going to that that sort of thing is necessary, but yikes. The sort of protest the police decides it needs tabs on, basically. I participated in the 2006-09 squatter riots in Copenhagen, and being the most visible challenge to the police and politician power monopoly, we were targeted. It is very likely that an organization with the reach and means of the US police will attempt to jam and tap phones in anti-Trump protests. Jamming phone and internet at protests where the police wants 'order'( ie. media blackout) is more or less the norm in developed countries now. As late as the Standing Rock protests, military signals were called on, using both fake masts and DRTBX-type jammers to destroy phone power and hack phones respectively( I.. think? Not sure what the Dirtbox does). Also, this is excellent advice: Dr. Fishopolis posted:Don't go without a cellphone. Go to Walmart and get a $20 prepaid android phone. Use Signal and WhatsApp. Install a VOIP app so you can make wifi calls when the cell network goes down. Tias fucked around with this message at 11:51 on Feb 2, 2017 |
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Feb 2, 2017 11:48
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Nothing wrong with a glass of wine, but I will heartily recommend against partying out of it. At least where I live, substance abuse is rampant in leftist circles, and too many good young people burn out because they commit all their days to activism and all their nights to partying hard. Try to work out what makes sense to you. Humans are social animals, we need friends and lovers and places to relax with others.
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Feb 6, 2017 09:53
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Rated PG-34 posted:Props on your red title Yeah, a bunch of colossal spergs in the Standing Rock not accepting that corporate property shouldn't have human rights I guess v  v
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Feb 6, 2017 22:25
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Dr. Fishopolis posted:I would unironically put that red text of yours on a T-shirt. Aw, you guys are the best 
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Feb 6, 2017 23:05
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Is she aware that her father would not have accomplished squat if there wasn't a militant black power movement wrecking poo poo so he could appear the reasonable choice?
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Feb 8, 2017 18:14
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Sure, I was being facetious. It pisses me off that they can't just argue non-violence instead of arguing against violence, though.
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Feb 8, 2017 18:21
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OwlFancier posted:It is rather difficult to advocate for one thing without ever saying that its opposite might be counterproductive. Without EVER, sure, but not criticising allied struggle is actually an extremely sound strategy that has served the radical left well for many years, now. Playing into politicians need to categorize protesters and social movements as either 'good' or 'bad'( implying legitimacy for those who do not threaten state and corporate interests only), doesn't really get us anywhere.
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Feb 8, 2017 18:29
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OwlFancier posted:I mean I think she's arguing that violent resistance is ineffective rather more significantly than that it's wrong, which Dr King also did. Okay, I agree. I guess I forgot for a moment that she was probably adressing black americans first and foremost, though I think there's ample evidence the state attempts to exterminate anyone resisting violently.
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Feb 8, 2017 18:50
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Other factors were at play. They were right-wing radicals, and as such not consciously attempting to challenge the actual ruling class. When it became clear to cops that they were a bunch of easily scared loudmouths making a retarded SovCit point, they could divert and trap then. Faced with people who complain about actual economic reality and won't compromise, you can bet your rear end they will use violence. The "Cop > everyone else" mindset is a lot stronger than the "white > black" one.
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Feb 8, 2017 20:26
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OwlFancier posted:In America, I'm not so sure. I live way across the ocean, so I won't pretend to be an expert. I do happen to know a lot of U.S. radical ex-pats who say that the fangs come out a lot faster if you participate in a social movement protest than if you do retarded 2nd amendment stuff, which seems to me like your cause is as important as your skin colour. Of course, these things intersect as well, I would guess.
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Feb 8, 2017 20:31
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Veyrall posted:We're not actually disagreeing. There's a certain segment of the population that is completely convinced that, as long as they have their guns, they can easily throw off any government they don't like. It doesn't matter that the government has access to things like artillery, drones, nukes, tanks, training, etc. As long as Joe down the street has his shiny revolver and Jed down the way has a tricked out AK with no ammo, your average Republican is certain that they can just shoo off any pesky tax collectors and minorities. Right on, I was explaining more why the police gloves tend to come off against protesting working class protesters instead of SovCit yahoos.
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Feb 9, 2017 10:27
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AARO posted:Sometimes it's necessary to point out how the opposite is wrong in order to show that your side is correct. Yes, well, the opposite isn't wrong. Dr. King had no chance of reforming US society if there wasn't ultra-violent black insurgent leaders willing to get their hands dirty. I feel as though we're repeating this argument in every other activist thread, though, so let's maybe not continue( or make a thread for it).
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Feb 9, 2017 11:24
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Keeshhound posted:People keep saying that, but I've never seen anyone prove it. I don't need to prove it, the fact that members of the non-ruling class can vote and have freedom of assembly, speech and press does that for me. I get not everyone has an interest in history, but seriously, it's exceedingly clear that the ruling class only gives up privileges when forced to by violence or the threat thereof.
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Feb 9, 2017 15:28
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Annual Prophet posted:people getting together to express their views on the manner in which they are governed Untimely demise to the forces of opression [urinating dog!!!]
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Feb 23, 2017 10:04
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Dr. Fishopolis posted:No it absolutely is not. Read the OP. Uh Shbobdb is really unstable and making GBS threads up the rest of D&D with a conspiracy gimmick that's wearing rather thin. Just ignore him, dude.
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Mar 3, 2017 12:38
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Effective Leftism: yelling at old boomer shits right there on their front stoops.
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Mar 8, 2017 09:24
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People being agreeable in a broad leftist forum  Where will it all end?!Seriously though, a diversity of tactics is not only really good and effective, it's also important because it lets people do the specific things they're good at and feel motivated to. As long as a given tactic does not actively hinder the broader aim of a socialist society( though that is its own ), we should not spend over much time criticizing it.
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Mar 9, 2017 15:38
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Jack Gladney posted:I'm sure there are some stupid things that some people are doing, but we don't have to pay attention to them. Exactly - and state and corporate media will spend staggering resources to try to make us criticize our own for the dumbest of reasons, we must not let them.
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Mar 9, 2017 16:06
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Euro politics wonk here: The Netherlands achieved a victory for the milquetoast racism-fellating center, and the virulent hardline racists went forward four mandates - so it's more or less a more racist status quo :/
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Mar 17, 2017 13:12
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I just saw David Rovics here in Copenhagen, going to see him again on the 1st of May. Definitely a must-hear if you're into socialist/indi folk. https://davidrovics.bandcamp.com/track/landlord https://davidrovics.bandcamp.com/track/if-clintons-a-progressive http://www.davidrovics.com/songbook/black-flag-flying-3/
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Apr 28, 2017 11:02
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IBroughttheFunk posted:Connecticutian here. I definitely want to get more involved, but I also have to admit that I've honestly been feeling a little bit at a loss for what else I can do to help make an impact living in a solidly blue region of the country. My senators and representative (Blumenthal, Murphy, and Himes) aren't the kind of people who need to be swayed with constituent pressure; always pretty outspoken against the administration and its policies, so when I do contact every now and then, all I can really do is provide words of support and encouragement on stances that they've usually already taken pretty vocally. I'm not in the US, but have you considered issue-specific groups? ACLU, Black Cross and other legal groups usually need people to welcome folks out of jail and set up meetings and stuff like that. Local antifa, food/homeless groups or copwatch are always good options, too.
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May 4, 2017 19:20
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Sign ideas off the top of my head: The most violent element in society is ignorance gently caress home to the nazi moon Everyone hates you Right to speech, not to action
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May 8, 2017 06:56
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One in favor of police control? I mean, democrats come in a lot of flavors, or so is my impression.
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Jun 17, 2017 20:14
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OwlFancier posted:It is difficult to understand an argument against unionization that is not also an argument against democracy. That's sort of rich, considering most of the laborers who originally unionized were for federated socialist democracy, which aims to empower a lot more people than any other system.
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Jul 16, 2017 19:20
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SSJ_naruto_2003 posted:Generally a anarchists believe in arming yourself. You go far enough left, and you get your guns back. Quoted for truth. A lot of early unionist created their own militias, which probably didn't do their image a lot of good, but did achieve to protect their class. OwlFancier posted:Well, yes, that's my point, what is more democratic than organizing together to pursue a goal beneficial to all? Oh, allright Well, the counterpoint is the same as always: Capitalist institutions have reproduced themselves so efficiently in both civil and political life that anyone defending it usually isn't self-aware.
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Jul 17, 2017 05:15
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wuggles posted:What's a good resource to learn about the distinctions between a capitalist, a socialist, and a communist? I'm not sure which I am and I don't want to be a capitalist in the DSA. Thanks! Other posters have provided good and covering answers, I'm going to offer some nuance. Note that my positions are anarchist communist, and so not necessarily something everyone here or anyone in the DSA agrees on. Since Marx, other thinkers have started talking about a 'ruling class' that also makes sense to distinguish, as they usually have more in common with( old type) capitalists than a worker. Say, the president of a country is paid a wage, and so by a strictly labour value analysis should be called a proletarian. But he/she is usually someone who eats dinners with the heads of industry and lobbying corporate sectors, sends their children to the same private schools, and has generally internalized a set of values that make them consider themselves something placed above a worker. Often this process is unconscious, like when one of the leaders of the socialist party in my country was asked how much a part of the elite she was from one to ten and said 'one', in spite of being the daughter of a lawyer, married into wealth and makes five times as much as a skilled labourer! The same can be said for CEOs, who are definitely much more a part of the ruling class through sheer influence and money, in spite of taking a salary. The people who propagate and reinforce capitalist ideology, like journos, 'debaters' and radio hosts, are in fact working against their own class interests and could be argued to belong to a ruling class rather than a working one. I like to think of a ruling class position as a set of poles, where the well-connected capitalist with a lot of cultural capital and bought political influence would at one end, and the rent-slave, wage-slave working poor soundly ignored by society and politicians would at the other, people can fall in between in a lot of ways.
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Aug 15, 2017 06:16
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Statistically speaking, civilian gun owners never really stop spree shooters. I think working on your own health, forming stable networks and helping other people in need is much better advice than getting a gun.
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Aug 29, 2017 06:06
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Sure, I was referring to Veyralls example of "nazi with gun starting a race war". I am not opposed to you guys having guns to draw on a couple of wannabe murderers, particularly those who want you dead for beng trans - I just don't think people without tactical training should send more lead flying during larger shootouts is all.
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Aug 29, 2017 06:28
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I can heartily recommend martial arts training. While it will also be handy against violent people off meds, it builds a lot of confidence that will help you in all endeavours.
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Aug 29, 2017 06:48
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| # ¿ May 16, 2024 13:46 |
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I've taken some police history, and FWIW Peels approach to policing( policing by consent) is considered rather unique in the world.
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Sep 7, 2017 15:24
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