How to Survive a Protest
Original image by Jakayla Toney on Unsplash.
1. Dress appropriately.
Wear comfortable shoes and loose-fitting clothing. Carry or wear a hat and put on sunscreen in hot weather. Wear a mask to protect yourself from both Coronavirus and potentially tear gas. Dress in muted tones—bright colors and unusual attire may draw the eye and make you a target. Wear supportive shoes that cover your toes and are good for quick action, if needed.
2. Stay hydrated and bring snacks.
Carry a backpack with water bottles or a water reservoir to keep your hands free. Bring foods appropriate for camping, such as energy/granola bars, dried fruits and nuts, and cured meat that do not require refrigeration.
3. Stay connected.
If possible, go with at least one friend or a group of others with whom you are connected. Make certain that someone knows you are attending the protest and when you expect to return. Live streaming or regularly posting on social media will spread your message and let others know you are OK (or not). Identify or establish twitter hashtags for easy group activation and communication.
4. Write the phone number and name of an emergency contact on your body in permanent marker.
Write it on your arm, bicep, or stomach, just in case you are detained or hurt and do not have your own cell phone to look up the number, or if you are unable to call yourself.
5. Attempt to keep social distance.
Large gatherings are tough when it comes to social distancing, so be mindful and calm about it. Keep your mask on, don’t touch your face, use hand sanitizer frequently. March on the perimeter.
6. When practical, stay on the outer edges of the crowd or march to access escape routes should the protest turn ugly.
Note, however, that in this location you may also be the target of direct taunts or threats from counterprotestors, as well as organizers and marshals who are working to keep the protest peaceful and safe, so give them priority.
7. Keep children you have brought to the protest close at hand.
Small children should always march in front of you, not behind.
8. Chant, don’t scream.
Screaming loudly will only make you hoarse, and eventually cause you to lose your voice. Rest your vocal chords for 15 minutes each hour. Drink honey dissolved in warm water if your throat feels dry, or warm water and lemon if you’re phlegmy.
9. Scan the crowd and always identify openings and exits.
Try to plot where you want to be located three to four seconds in the future if an escape is needed, allowing you to act rather than react in the moment. Look for gaps or holes in the mob that are in the general direction of exits and escape routes—as long as they are not at the center of the rioting.
10. Do not run unless you are in imminent danger.
Walk quickly away from danger, do not run. The human eye can quickly sight someone running.
11. If you are in danger of being crushed by a crowd, cross your arms in front of your body.
Protect your rib cage—the main cause of death or injury during crushes is an inability to expand the lungs due to pressure from the crowd. Instruct children to do the same, or better yet, pick them up and place them on your shoulders.
12. Move away from violent activity or mobs—and avoid bottlenecks and funnels.
Stampedes of people running toward narrow exits (gates, doorways, alleys) may result in mass casualties as rioters are trampled. However, moving against the crowd is just as dangerous. To escape, move with the crowd’s general direction of travel, but at an angle that will bring you to the edge of the mob and toward an exit.