This is advice I’ve shared in personal spaces a few times before, and for some unknown reason it never stops being relevant. Hmm, weird.
I suspect (and hope) that protest participation will skyrocket in the coming months, and especially for those who are new to it, I think it’s important to establish some etiquette.
The first thing is to listen to the protest organizers whenever possible. They are often going to be veterans of social justice movements, knowledgeable and cool-headed, and prepared for contingencies. The nice way to put it is: don’t reinvent the wheel. The less nice way to put it is put your ego away and defer to your elders. Take your pick.
The rest of this post will be very loosely in order of severity – simple stuff you should do even if you’re expecting an orderly gathering in a public park all the way to preparation and responses to police action or violence.
Here are some basics for protest safety:
- Avoid wearing loose or flowy clothing
- Avoid wearing jewelry, especially something loose like a necklace or bracelet
- Tie up your hair
- Bring earplugs, an N95 mask, and your ID card
- If you can, attend with a friend or a group and try to stick with them
- Tell someone where you’re going to be, especially if you’re attending alone
- In general, don’t post publicly about your involvement with protests
- Wear sunscreen! Stay hydrated! Bring Snacks! Wear sunglasses and a hat! Basic outdoor protection stuff
In addition to those basic safety guidelines, please keep these things in mind as well:
- You want pockets, either in cargo pants or a vest. Avoid wearing a shoulder bag/purse or a big bulky backpack that could get grabbed or caught in a crowd
- Never photograph or record other protest participants without their consent, and certainly don’t post those pictures
- DO photograph and record police at protests
- It is typically best to avoid wearing contacts, especially if you anticipate police intervention
- Rather than carry a wallet or credit cards, consider carrying around $40-$50 cash and/or a similar prepaid visa card.
- It is always good practice to leave your phone at home when attending protests. If you do plan to bring your phone, you should put it on airplane mode or turn it off before you leave for the protest, and don’t turn it back on/take it off until you’re back home unless there’s an emergency
- If you’re bringing your phone and you expect the protest to last a long time, you may want to bring a power bank with you as well
- People with breasts should probably wear a sports bra to make moving quickly more comfortable
- If you have medical equipment or medication that you will need, please be sure to have it with you and accessible. Things like an inhaler, epipen, or insulin.
- If you have any concern that you may be arrested at the protest, be sure that medications are in their original bottle with your name on them or the cops will throw them away.
- If you intend to bloc up, be sure to have an extra set of normal clothes with you to debloc
Okay, now let’s talk about some of the things you should keep in mind if you are worried the protest will not remain civil. This advice is for the “average” person. There are plenty of ways to scale this gear up both in terms of protection/utility and in terms of cost. For those who are considering showing up in riot gear, just be aware that makes you a target.
Here are some supplies you may consider carrying with you at the protest:
- First aid kit – You don’t have to be the medic, but you should be able to address basics like scrapes, heatstroke, or a twisted ankle.
- Supplies for handling tear gas
- Goggles
- Bottle(s) of water – also good for staying hydrated!
- Heat resistant gloves for handling canisters
- Respirator
- Safety-toe boots (steel or composite)
Occasionally protesters experience violence from opposition like punches and kicks, or more sever police action. Some other PPE that you should consider, based on your own personal threat assessment:
- hard hat or helmet (avoid bright colors, or spray paint it)
- knee pads
- groin cup
- shin/wrist guards
- body armor, anywhere from a motorcycle jacket to a stab vest (and beyond!)
I hope this goes without saying, but do not be the cause of escalation. You aren’t (or shouldn’t) be at a protest to hurt anyone. Defend yourself and those around you if you have to, and otherwise keep it civil. Escalating a protest is only ever going to be bad for the people doing the protesting.
The more prepared you are, the better your experience at the protest is likely to be. Use your brain, be aware of your surroundings, and you’ll be fine. Take care of yourselves, and take care of each other.
~Inchoate Clay
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