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Protest Safety

Protests can be unpredictable. Nothing can guarantee total safety, but these tips can help you and your comrades stay safe.   BUDDY UP! During the action, travel with a "buddy"—a trusted comrade that you're planning to stay with throughout the action. Before the action, plan to have another buddy who is not on the ground check in with you at a predetermined time—and make sure that they have your info in case anything happens to you (your legal name, birth date, emergency contact). If you do go alone and/or get separated, make sure you're aware of your surroundings, and that your offsite buddy knows where you're going. ​​​​​​ PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY: Do what you can to blend into the crowd! Cover conspicuous tattoos, dress in a way it's difficult to single you out in a crowd, wear closed toed shoes that are comfortable for extended standing and walking. Wear a mask—it's critical for COVID and doxxing safety. STAY SECURE: Don't make it easy for cops to access your phone or know where you've been. Turn off face and fingerprint ID locking and location tracking before you're headed to a protest. If you do write down any phone numbers (e.g., NLG) on your body, write them somewhere hidden. Only use cardboard tubes if you're mounting signs - wood/metal sticks are legally considered weapons in NYC. As a heads up: you will likely not get a phone call in the event of arrest.

BEING LOUD: Laws against sound amplification include any "apparatus," e.g. non-powered megaphones, but posters rolled into a cone can temporarily be used and then smoothed back out. Focus on proper breath support. Your lungs are like a bellows: use your belly to expel air and your chest cavity for resonance. Do not try to yell with your throat; it's not safe or effective.​​​​​​​ "HOT" TIP: Bring a squirt-top water bottle to flush out pepper spray from eyes. DEESCALATION: Righteous anger is the proper response to fascism, but we are more likely to make rash decisions or be baited into unwise action when we are emotionally activated, so always deescalate yourself first (deep breaths, stepping back, communicating your state to your buddy, etc). Ultimately, the only person you can truly deescalate is yourself. For deescalating others, always consider the time, temperature, and fuel of the situation—how can I buy more time? How can I cool things down? What fuel is exacerbating the conflict? Ask lots of questions to get an agitator's attention, then peel them away from the crowd once their attention is on you. Waste their time! Keep your buddy with you, always! USE SIGNAL! DON'T TALK TO COPS! FREE PALESTINE!