unrelated to last post but topical: as the child of lawyers, I got one thing drilled into me from age 10: don’t fucken talk to cops. never talk to cops.
Don’t talk to cops about insignificant things, it’s a trick to get you into a talking-mode to gradually work to more sensitive questions.
Don’t talk to workers inside a police station (medics, cleaners, people bringing bitter cold coffee), assume they’re all cops.
If you absolutely must talk to a medic, deliver your essential medical information to them in one sentence and go back to ‘no comment’ after that. Do not get in a conversation.
Don’t accept a lawyer offered by the cops or a lawyer you don’t know. ONLY take the lawyer provided by the activist organization you’re part of and ask to see their ID. Do not believe people who claim they represent the same firm. If in doubt, keep your mouth shut.
I've been detained. I've been arrested. I know the instinct when you're around other human beings is to try to relate to them on a human level. I get it, being detained is scary, you're in cuffs, maybe you're in the back of a squad car, or in a van in the event of mass arrest. The first thing you're going to want to do is just... Talk to someone. Anyone. To remember that we're all human here, or to try to win them over.
Don't. Cops aren't people. They aren't your friends, and they aren't there to protect you. They're the bloodhounds of the state. Every comment is a hint, every question has ulterior motives, and they are just trying to pump your for information.
The coffee is a trick, your one call is monitored, they are not your fucking friends. You're an enemy combatant and every single interaction you have with them is a component of an interrogation. Close your mouth, ask for legal counsel, and always remember, cops aren't just allowed to lie to you, it's one of their favorite things to do.
you cannot win a cop over. you cannot befriend a cop. a cop does not see you as a person, they see you as a perpetrator - you should view them the same.
Also be careful about anyone in the same arrest van / cell as you because - cops are known to put undercovers in cells to interrogate the arrested - everything is monitored all the time
Comfort and support your comrades, but do not share personal details or discuss anything that could be used against you.
