INTERACTING WITH COPS/MILITARY
3 FINGER SALUTING/KNEELING COPS
One rumor going around is that cops will kneel with protestors to lure them in to mace them. I don’t have solid evidence of this tbh, but it’s certainly not impossible, especially with all the unnecessary macing already happening.
DO NOT PROVOKE/TAUNT COPS
Seriously. Don’t do this for your stupid aesthetic photo op, and no, you’re not a white savior sacrificing yourself so the cops are distracted from POC. You’re only making the cops even angrier and more likely to lash out at POC since POC are who they associate with the protests.
NATIONAL ANTHEM MYTH
Theres is myth going around that police or military members MUST stand and salute if the national anthem starts playing and this is a myth
KETTLING
This is the tactic of directions protestors into a small area and shrinking the area smaller and smaller by closing in.
Before going to a protest, always be prepared to be stuck there for a while. Kettling is meant to deter protestors from wanting to come under the assumption they aren’t prepared to stay for an extended period of time.
Scatter as much as possible, try to have people split up into groups and go different routes. This makes it harder for police to gather all the protestors in one place to be trapped. The more separate groups there are, the thinner the police barriers will be.
Communication through social media can help ensure groups stay separate and don’t end up trapped together.
SPITTING ON DETAINEES
You’ve probably also seen videos of cops spitting on protestors. DURING A PANDEMIC, THIS IS CONSIDERED BIOLOGICAL WARFARE. DO remind them of this, but honestly, try to get video first. Anyone caught spitting on anyone else can be treated as a terrorist.
Even outside of a pandemic, it can be charged as criminal assault and battery
IN A VEHICLE
Don’t lower window more than necessary for license/registration. Cops have been forcibly unlocking cars if their hands are able to get through
IF YOU ARE ARRESTED/DETAINED
Ask if you are free to leave. If you are, leave.
Ask if you’re being detained or arrested if you cannot leave.
If you end up in a cop car, it’s pee time. It puts the car out of use for a day or so, isn’t illegal, and will tick the cops off. If everyone peed in cop cars, it’d be harder and harder to have them to arrest people. It’s a natural response to being scared, of course, especially if you may already have needed to go but couldn’t since you’re being detained.
