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Title: The Black Flag Catalyst Revolt Guide Author: Black Flag Catalyst Date: 9-18-20 Language: en Topics: Revolt, Protest, Uprising, Organizing, Councils, Street Medicine, Guide Source: Retrieved on 9-20-20 from https://cryptpad.fr/pad/#/2/pad/view/Qp0Jh2U1ppNtosT393fKDe3bIsY8gOMum1uHn9CDN0I/embed/
The following resource is intended to be a guide for those who wish to
carry out concerted political action and includes tactics for both
militant and pacifistic direct action, organizing, creating assemblies,
and even some introductory aspects of being a street medic. The goal of
this guide is to compile the knowledge from the various insurrections
across the planet and turn them into a single resource which can be
given to anyone and to inform that person on their place in the broader
schema.
For this reason, we will include both peaceful and non-peaceful tactics
within this guide. If we are to learn from the successful movements of
the past, we can see that all successful pressure has been the collusion
of the peaceful and non-peaceful aspects of the movement, such that the
peaceful party can lobby the state to concede, saying to them ânow see?
Wouldnât you rather deal with me than them? Sit down and make some
concessions to those suffering people.â Meanwhile, the non-peaceful
protesters escalate the aggression of their actions such as to put a
clock on the state. Direct action should therefore not be seen as a
chaotic by-product to be avoided. It should instead be seen as a
necessity to extract outcomes for the movement. Ultimately, if the
demands of the protests are not met, revolution should be the threat. In
this way, we are to transform the state to our whims, not vice versa.
And if it does not concede, we will have built the bodies of
prefiguration that will be prepared to replace it.
Firstly, before we get started, what should you bring to a protest? This
will vary depending on what your role is, obviously, but there are a few
things that will serve you well no matter what role you are filling. The
items listed below are recommended for everyone, if they are able to get
access.
tattoos
by IAF
Survival: 2
What to bring
Do NOT bring
It is recommended that you not bring your phone to the protest or turn
off your phone unless you have taken proper precautions. Police can use
all data transfers as a way to permanently track your movements. For
this reason, it can be a good idea to use a burner phone. Do not
activate it at your home, or its history will begin there and defeat the
purpose. Activate it somewhere public or close to the protest.
It is highly recommended that you develop trust networks before and
during the protests. This includes not only protest buddies who will be
with you at all times and with whom you should try not to split up, but
also groups of trusted individuals. In order to form trust networks with
new allies, communicate feelings of trust or doubt about other
protesters only within groups you can control, reach an agreement on
their trustworthiness, and only then communicate that agreement outside
the group. Do not diminish trust with others just because they are using
different tactics than you.
Protest buddies should be used to make sure you are safe. A good model
for coordination, especially if you have quite a few people in your
larger party, is to separate them into groups based on their willingness
to escalate. Those who want only pacifist protest go in one group, those
who would clash with the police in another, those who would engage in
property destruction or graffiti in another. This is so that the tactics
of the groups do not conflict with one another and so that those who
would be willing to escalate do not get the others in trouble with their
actions.
Broader coordination is also highly recommended. A person who is offsite
of the protest who is monitoring the protests, coordinating legal
resources, communicating messages between groups, and so on... can be
invaluable. In order to minimize the need for protesters in each group
to constantly be monitoring and coordinating, it can also be a good idea
to choose one representative for each of the groups, sometimes called a
spoke, to communicate with the offsite asset and with the other groups.
The next level of the organization beyond the individual is the affinity
group. Affinity groups are small, with 2 or more people, but not so
large that it is difficult for individuals to form relationships of
trust with other members of the group. For instance, your group of
friends that attends protests together is an affinity group, and the
protest is made up of many affinity groups coordinating together
autonomously. Affinity groups often operate in a non-hierachical manner
and use informal consensus methods. The success of these groups
coordinating well relies on the fact that the group has strong trust in
one another. There is not necessarily a need to agree on ideological
details to operate as an effective affinity group, but there must be a
level of respect and shared accountability.
Try to communicate safe areas and regrouping zones with protesters in
your trust networks. This will allow, if your protest is split or
diffused, for everyone you know to return to a particular area where you
can all regroup and decide how to move forward. Be smart in choosing
these areas. You want them to be close enough to the planned protest
that they can be accessed by your allies, but not so close that they are
likely to be consumed by the protest, and in a place that is just
private enough that it serves as a means of escape and cover when
fleeing from state enforcement.
In the following section, we will lay out a variety of roles that are
needed in successful protests and explain several of them in
considerable depth. Different people will be better and worse at
different tasks and more or less inclined to carry them out. And this is
good! This diversity of tactics is what gives our movement strength.
Below you can see some of the names that the Hong Kong protesters gave
to the typical roles that developed on the streets. We will cover
several of these, although perhaps not with these names, in the future
versions of this guide.
[]
As we begin, do not think that the presence of militant tactics is meant
to suggest to you that you are not useful to the movement if you only
choose pacifism. Mass pacifist tactics will always be useful and even
necessary to a successful insurrection and have always served as an
integral means of popular pressure. Let us discuss some of the most
important ways that civil disobedience plays a role in mass protest.
One of the most important jobs of the civil disobedient, is documenting
the protests and the treatment of protesters by the state. However, in
order for you to help more than harm, you must be careful not to
document the faces or other identifiable traits of protesters. Not only
does this allow police to document and identify who was at a protest and
thus press charges at a later date, it also may serve as a means of
doxing protestersâ identities to white supremacists or other violent
fascists. Thus, if you want to document the protests, please be aware of
the importance of your safeguarding the identity of everyone present. If
you are going to film video which will have protestersâ faces in them,
download apps that obscure them before posting pictures or video to
social media.
Quite the opposite of this tip, in terms of filming, is to film the
agents of the state; whether police, military, or otherwise, as much as
conceivably possible. For the same reasons that we should not want our
protestersâ identities recorded, we should want the faces and actions of
the state documented as much as conceivably possible. This way we will
be able to pressure them and call them to task at a later date as well
as create outrage in the public.
If you are not filming, once again, consider leaving your mobile phone
at home or at least turn it off. There is now technology which can use
your phone as a means to track you and the protest broadly. In this way,
your decision to record can backfire if you are not properly prepared.
Pacifistic protesters can also be very useful in amplifying the voices
of others. This technique is often called the human megaphone and it
utilizes callbacks. The first person will shout âMIC CHECK!â and the
people will decide to amplify the message or not based on whether they
shout back âMIC CHECKâ in unison. There may be a few rounds of âMIC
CHECKâ going back and forth to make certain that everyone is in unison
together. After this has been achieved, the person who originally mic
checkâd will speak in short, easy to repeat statements âTHESE ARE!â
(âTHESE ARE!!!â) âOUR STREETS!â (âOUR STREETS!!!â) âMOVE BACK!â (âMOVE
BACK!!!â) The more protesters are present, the louder these mic checks
can become.
Another reason why pacifist protesters are helpful is because they
provide numbers. Even those who might flee when the clashes begin, only
to rejoin shortly after, are helpful. Having large numbers of people
turns crowds into intimidating things and requires a proportionate
ability to suppress by the state. In this way, because it is more and
more difficult for the state to dominate the protests, the larger they
become, the very presence of human beings decreases the tendency that
clashes should take place to begin with, turning the tables in favor of
the masses as they choose to act.
The usage of human bodies to blockade or otherwise control areas, is a
major part of what any protest is comprised of. For this reason, it is
important that, when numbers are present, they have a good idea of how
to act, how to place themselves where they are needed, and how their
movement and presence affects the reactions by officers of the state.
Ideally, for optimum ability to exert pressure, crowds should stay a
little more than shoulder width apart. This can allow the crowd to act
in a more even and concerted fashion on the front and also allows some
usage of diversive tactics.
However, this can be a very stressful environment for protesters and
will therefore often not take place. By default, protesters will have a
tendency to spread out somewhat, when space permits. This has the effect
of controlling more space and therefore extending the size and presence
of protests. But it can leave them very vulnerable to being split or
suppressed easily by small numbers of police.
[]
[]
Be careful that the direction you are moving does not start the crowd
down the wrong path. As best as possible stay as one cohesive group and
resist being split. Be aware of how your movements will send a message
to other protesters. When the time comes that there are clashes with the
police, if you are just behind the frontlines, do not push your allies
into police lines, but cushion them from being pushed back as they
resist. Further, if they are hurt or they need to move back, be ready to
recover them and fill the line. This is why only those who are ready to
confront the state oppressors should be close to the front line. If you
wish to stay peaceful, stay considerably back from the layers of people
who stand face to face with the police.
The state is NOT YOUR ALLY. Never trust orders from police or military.
Any agreement made with them should be treated as false until it is
demonstrated otherwise. Never plan around any agreement made with
police, except to give them room to demonstrate adherence. If police
choose to defy agreements, ignore previous agreements immediately and
return to previous tactics.
There is a very good chance, if you clash with the police, that they
will then use ânon-lethalâ techniques such as rubber bullets, pepper
spray, tear gas, and pepper spray balls to suppress or defray the crowd.
All of these techniques can be lethal in certain scenarios and none
should be taken lightly. You can withstand serious wounds from rubber
bullets even if they do not hit you in the head, where they can do
life-threatening damage including disfiguration and permanent blinding.
There are ways, however, of staying safe. First, if there are those who
have made shields, be aware of their placement. Keeping those with
shields between you and the police is one of the best ways to avoid
being hit with rubber bullets or pepper spray.
If tear gas comes into your area, there are a few things you can do.
First, if you have a gas mask or other face covering, stay calm. You are
best oriented to act quickly and stop it from harming others. If you
have a bottle with a squirt top you can sometimes stop the tear gas by
spraying water on it. Better, if you see a traffic cone of almost any
size, it can serve as a means to suffocate the tear gas grenade and
allow you more time to spray it with water. If done successfully, it can
completely snuff out the canister. If you are not wearing a mask or
respirator do NOT inhale or stay in the midst of the tear gas for
extended time. While it is rare it will do serious, lasting damage, it
can put you out of commission quite quickly and extended exposure can
indeed lead to lung distress and even miscarriage.
Let us also discuss the tactics that can be used in the occasion that
police are using flashbangs. Firstly, although flashbangs are not meant
to cause physical damage, they can do serious physical harm and even
kill people as they launch shrapnel into the surrounding area. However,
their main purpose is to disorient and subdue protesters through sound
and light. In order to prevent this, close your eyes when you see
flashbangs being deployed and put your hands over your ears. If you only
have one hand, cover whichever is closer. It is recommended you do not
put your fingers in your ears, because this may be unsanitary. If you
have earplugs, put them in as soon as you see flashbangs are being
deployed. Lastly, open your mouth. There is a concussive wave that comes
along with flashbangs and this simple action can reduce the pressure
inside your head, keeping you oriented. Lastly, crouch low and watch
your balance. The combination of loud noise and bright light can easily
knock you from your feet and if you happen to fall, staying low will
keep you safe.
Sound devices such as the LRAD have been used by police forces to
disorient protesters. LRADs can cause permanent hearing damage and
possible neurological damage. If one is being used on you, it is time to
move.
You can also be a great help as a legal observer and in staying safe to
coordinate bail and legal resources for protesters. Documenting abuse
while not putting it on social media can be very helpful for those
trying to fight conviction. Further, giving people numbers for ACLU and
NLG attorneys, as well as other organizations who will coordinate bail,
could mean the difference between protesters spending large amounts of
time in jail or having their freedom.
Another aspect of being a civil disobedient is controlling the
narrative. This can be one of the most challenging things to do when
there are masses of people. Disapproval with tactics of fellow
protesters should never be communicated with journalists or outside
sources. All discussion of tactics (approval or disapproval) should be
kept inside protest groups. If asked about your approval or disapproval
of certain tactics with those outside the protests, only ever
communicate that their actions are valid responses to the events taking
place. When you spend your time criticizing fellow protesters, you only
validate the worries of people on the outside. Demonstrating solidarity
with the actions of your fellow disobedients is a way to control what is
reported and shows the seriousness of the issues at hand. Take a tip
from the radical Mexican feminist movement. They chant âWE ALL DID ITâ
in response to any and all acts of vandalism.
If you are not prepared to talk on camera or you feel you may say
something you do not intend, please allow others to speak with
reporters. Journalists have long had a tendency to choose the clips
which cast protests in the worst light, especially focusing upon
interviews which use ableist biases to present protesters as irrational
or mentally ill.
Also attempt to avoid meaningless gestures. Ask yourself what impact
your actions will have. Only ever use symbolic gestures if they are
being filmed. Deny the state any opportunity to use symbolic gestures.
We have seen, for example, police taking a knee during the 2020 revolts
in order to show solidarity with the movement and being filmed as some
sort of inspirational story, just to turn around and launch tear gas
into the protesters moments later when cameras have been turned off.
Accept only meaningful concession, diffuse any attempt they make to
control the narrative.
Unfortunately, the stateâs direct tools are not our only enemy. Because
of the increase in fascist violence at protests, it has become necessary
that we outline the way to respond to active shooter situations.The
following is intended to prepare protesters for incidents of gun
violence. First: the best shooting is one which never occurs and itâs
always best to prevent a shooting from happening in the first place.
During a shooting, as explained below, itâs important to know your
surroundings. When you head out to a protest, take note of what kind of
area youâre heading to. Know where the roads lead, areas which seem
safe, or secluded, the nearest and most direct route to a hospital,
areas which result in large swaths of people, etc. If you know about
active risks, you are less likely to be caught off guard by an active
shooter. Below are a list of tips which may help you identify potential
threats:
posters, or any other medium. Comprehensive lists of hate symbols are
availible online after a quick search.
right-wing groups.
marginalized people(s)
Once youâve identified a potential shooter, let as many people as you
can know about their presence, without alerting that threat. Be sure to
report the threat to the person(s) you believe is best handled to engage
with that threat, be it a local militia, local organizers, etc. After
this, try your best to keep an eye on them with others. Hopefully, this
or these person(s) will be able to disarm and remove the potential
shooter from the area, as well as any associates of the shooter. If not,
hopefully an organizer or a speaker will be able to alert the crowd of
the presence of potential shooters, or of what to do during a potential
shooting.
If you lack the proper training to deal with a shooter, donât be a hero.
Attempt to remain as calm as possible and be aware of your surroundings
to the best of your ability. In addition, make plans for how you will
respond to a shooter in areas you or the movement frequents
(courthouses, justice centers, police departments, etc.) and try and
know where to go ahead of time. Above all, if you are a bystander, it is
recommended you follow the âRun, Hide, Fightâ mantra we explain below:
Run â If you can see a clear path to safety, take it. If you can see the
shooter, or have reliable information on where the shooter is, use that
information to determine if you have a safe route to get far away from
the scene of the shooting and then take that route.
Hide â If you cannot find any escape, or do not know where the shooter
is, find shelter. Stay away from windows, lock and barricade any doors
you can get behind by piling up furniture. Try to keep solid walls
between you and the shooter. Stay still and quiet. Most shootings last
no longer than fifteen minutes, donât move until then, or if it lasts
longer than that, until the shooting is definitively over.
Fight â In the worst case scenerio that you are unable to run or hide,
be prepared to fight with the intention of killing the shooter. If you
arenât carrying lethal weapons, search around you for an improvised
weapon. Look for heavy weapons you can swing around quickly, for
example, a fire extinguisher. If you cannot improvise a weapon, aim for
the face and eyes of the shooter with your fist, and the shooterâs
stomach or genitalia with your knees. If you can disarm the shooter,
grab the gun, and fire upon the attacker. The shooter may have more than
one gun, or there may be more shooters present.
When the shooting stops, if you have the ability, you should administer
medical aid to those who have been injured. In the interests of this and
in combination with prolific police brutality, we have compiled a
compressed guide to street medicine below.
As we begin, please remember this is only a short, condensed supplement
guide for the most introductory purposes. If you would like to become a
dedicated medic in your protests, it is highly recommended that you read
Riot Medicine (
) and consult the Street Medic Wiki (
https://medic.wikia.org/wiki/Main_Page
) to get a fuller understanding of the role of a trained street medic.
If you would like to know what gear street medics should carry, read the
Black Cross Health Collectiveâs gear list (
https://www.blackcrosscollective.org/page12.html
) or the first section of the Indigenous Anarchist Federationâs Skills
for Revolutionary Survival
With these notes in place, we will now lay out several simple tips that
will allow you to begin carrying out basic medical practices. First,
when someone is injured, it is easy to become overwhelmed. But if you
follow the steps below, you will do well in assessing medical
emergencies even in high stress environments.
relax. Remain as calm as possible throughout.
victim. If a scene either is unsafe, or becomes unsafe, you will need to
leave or evacuate the victim into an area which is safe. You cannot
assist a victim if you become one yourself. You will only add to the
toll of the event and add further weight onto other medics shoulders.
Assessing the MOI can give you clues on the particular injury the victim
has, and how to treat them. Have the police been firing tear gas? Do
they appear to have been hit with munitions? Ask the victim. If the
victim is unresponsive, ask the people around them.
is most life-threatening, and whose injury is least life threatening.
The severity of a victimâs injury can often be determined by simply
looking at them, however, in instances where two or more victimsâ level
of injury cannot be simply determined, use triage to determine a
victimâs level of injury, and to treat people most efficiently. First,
ensure that people who can walk on their own head to a designated
treatment area. Have yourself or assistants guide anyone visually or
sonically impaired to the treatment area. Typically people who are
capable of walking are lower in priority.
using all of steps below this, as well as any other medical knowledge
they have. After each victimâs injury has been assessed, begin
treatment.
of measures taken to reduce or stop the transmission of disease. During
an uprising this mostly means wearing a pair of medical gloves whenever
touching a patient. You may want to pre-emptively equip a pair of
medical gloves if you suspect someone may be injured. In standoffs with
police or with white militias, for example.
surroundings: If you discover that the patient is alert then section A
of step 8 applies. If the victim is unconcious then section B of step 8
applies. Know them both.
bodily autonomy and freedom. Before you begin touching or treating a
patient, you must gain their consent to do so.
clearly asking for their consent to treat them. Clearly state your
qualifications, the person has a right to know the amount of training
their medic has recieved. For example:âHello, Iâm John. I have some
first aid training I learned from an online resource and I could treat
you. Would you like me to help you?âIf the person says yes, continue
treating them. If they say no, respect their wishes.
unresponsive, shout and repeat yourself. Tap them, but do not shake
them, as it could make a neck or spinal injury worse. If still they do
not respond, attempt to wake them through painful stimulus, be gentle
and precise with where you hurt them to ensure youâre not worsening any
injuries already inflicted. If still they do not wake, you have
permission to treat them through whatâs called implied consent. Implied
consent is the assumption that any unconscious person or person in an
altered mental state would want to receive aid in an emergency
situation.
The ABCs are a way to review the potential life-threats to a person
before moving on to focus on one particular problem. Always assess and
treat systems in alphabetical order.
A. Airway
If the person has the ability to speak to you normally, their airway is
open. If they canât or did not speak, put your face next to theirs and
look, listen, and feel for breathing for 15 seconds.
How to Manually Open the Airway:
if you suspect spinal injury, which can be understood with a quick
Google, or reading resources listed in this guide)
expel material with the Heimlich maneuver (which can be learned with a
quick Google search)
inhaler.
an epinephrine (Adrenaline) injection immediately. HELP THE VICTIM
administer their own Epi-Pen, if available.
precaution regarding the victimâs spine!)
B. Breathing
If they can speak to you normally, they are breathing. If they canât
speak and there seems to be no obstruction of breath, the problem might
lie with their breathing system.
How to Restart Their Breathing:
unusually deep and shallow breaths) try to keep them awake and breathing
on their own by pinching their shoulder or earlobe
you know how. Remember to observe BSI precautions.
extra precautions regarding spinal care.
C. Circulation
The circulatory system is contained within the heart and blood vessels.
If the person is breathing, their heart is beating. Donât waste time
taking their pulse unless you know how.
disguise blood loss. Blood loss may also be internal. Even if you find
one bleeding injury, keep lookingâthere may be other hidden injuries
that are more severe.
alert, assume victim may be going into shock.
Interventions to Help the Heart and Stop Bleeding:
to employ CPR. Be certain someone has called 911.
help them take their own pills.
clean cloth, clothing, or even your gloved hand if necessary. If the
person is able, they should be able to put pressure on their own injury.
Elevate the injured area above the level of the heart unless you suspect
spinal injury.
could dislodge the blood clot and re-start the bleeding
15 minutes or if they are spurting blood (usually meaning an arteryâs
been cut).
their feet. Keep them warm
D. Disability
Someone with the inability to think, move, or take care of oneself as
they normally doâor any person with a potential spinal injuryâis
disabled. Stay with these people until help arrives.
Interventions to Help:
words and holding the head still until help arrives. Be certain someone
has called 911.
sugar or orange juice, only if the victim is fully able to drink, eat,
or swallow.
help them breathe; but be realistic about the limits of your care.
Instead, you should be able to direct them towards someone better
equipped and more specialized in handling this issue.
careful not to antagonize a potentially intoxicated person.
recovery position (Remember to take spinal precautions)
Call 911 if:
to the victim seemed to improve the their condition. You cannot fix a
diabetic problem with sugar. Sugar simply may keep the situation from
getting worse until help arrives.
E. Expose and Examine injuries
Check for bleeding. If the patient has a suspected head or spinal
injury, do not move, shift, or roll the patient during this process.
Check underneath clothing for traces of blood. Move your hands under the
patientâs arms, legs, and torso and look for traces of blood on your
gloves as an indication of bleeding. If you find hemorrhaging, this
needs to be managed immediately, including before beginning CPR or
artificial ventilation.
Typically, an initial assessment is followed by more in depth analysis
of the situation, if you wish to learn about this, and be able to treat
people in other situations, we reccomend you read through Riot Medicine,
linked at the beginning of this section.
We will now move on to tips on how to treat open wounds. It is always
reccomended that you only treat people as an unexperienced medic, if
youâre the only option. Assuming there are more trained medics in the
area able to treat the victim, please allow them to treat the wound(s)
instead. This is only for circumstances where youâre the only option to
treat someone. Furthermore, please keep in mind these are notes only on
open wounds, which is only one type of potential injury.
Preparations for Treating Open Wounds:
victims of particular wounds often wonât even realize theyâre wounded
until later. You should utilize this initial shock to get the victim to
lie down, as it reduces the chance of potential injury from falls and
stabilizes the patient. Of course, there are exceptions to this, such as
if a victim has a wound on their back, or if lying down obstructs their
breathing.
wounds with blood gushing, so itâs important to ensure that you know
where a victimâs wounds are. Wounds will also often be obscured by
clothing, so you may need to remove clothing in order to find the wound.
In order to easily and quickly remove a victims clothing, itâs
reccomended you carry a pair of scissors, though a knife or any other
sharp object can also work.
life threatening, always call an ambulance.
though not always life threatening.
its own. Scrapes and shallow cuts. Typically not severe.
debris.
jagged, or straight. It also may be deep or superficial
always a possibility. Caused by poking weapons such as sharpened sticks,
or bullets.
skin to a near amputation.
instruments and itâs assumed if you own them, you know how to operate
them.
below in the âlife-saving techniquesâ section
or the wound is impaled with any objects, pad around the wound and apply
indirect pressure, also as explained below.
Not all wounds are the same and the above guide is only intended to be a
standardized, simplified list of steps to take when treating open
wounds. Below are special considerations to take when dealing with
gunshot wounds, or shrapnel wounds.
Shrapnel Wounds
Do not remove the shrapnel. If the shrapnel is still hot, do not touch
it. Irrigate the site.
Shrapnel almost certainly results in infection. Irrigate and cool the
wound immediately to the best of your ability and get the patient to
advanced care even if the wound is not immediately life-threatening.
Donât use direct pressure on shrapnel wounds. Most shrapnel wounds wonât
bleed all that much. So loose, sterile dressing, and indirect pressure
is the recommended method.
In the event that Emergency Care cannot be given and removal is needed,
follow these steps:
the entry although not always on the other side.
sides if needed.
on a stretcher to a safe zone.
A gunshot wound (hereafter referred to as GSW) can be intimidating, but
with the correct equipment a GSW is survivable and treatable. In the
event of a GSW, follow the HABC flow of treatment;
H: Hemorage
Your first course of action is to control hemoraging. This means
stopping all bleeding as much as possible. Direct and indirect pressure
is the most important thing, as explained above. Tourniquets are also
useful, though a tourniquet should be used only after every alternate
method has been attempted. If unable to get to medical aid within 2
hours, after 20 minutes, gradually loosen the tourniquet; if bleeding
continues, reapply and leave in place. Also, keep in mind tourniquets
can only be applied to the extremity, aka limbs. After some form of
pressure has been applied, apply a dressing (gauze, towels, shirts,
etc.) to the wound. Certain rounds, especially rifle rounds will cause
entry and exit wounds. In the event that a handgun round has caused a
GSW, such as 9mm, or 22lr ammo commonly found in many pistols, there may
not be an exit wound and the round will remain inside the wound. Never
remove a round that is in a GSW. If the ammunition is frangible, only
one wound will be caused, with large amounts of splintering inside the
wound.
A: Airway
Your secound goal in a GSW situation is to establish an airway on the
victim. This can be done with either the head tilt/chin lift method, or
with the jaw thrust method, the second being more stable for head or
spinal GSW victims. Any basic CPR certification will prepare you to
render either of the airway methods, and a basic guide is given in the
âlife-saving techniquesâ section. If trained you may also use an airway
on a GSW victim, an NPA or OPA will both do wonders but you will need to
recieve specific training to use either physical airway.
B: Breathing
Your third goal in a GSW scenario is to monitor breathing, you will do
this by looking, listening and feeling for respirations from your victim
as explained in the initial assessment section, once again any CPR class
will prepare you for this, as well as also teach you rescue breathing
methods.
C: Circulation
The fourth thing to address in a GSW situation is circulation, monitor
your patientâs pulse and if neccesary render CPR to your victim.
The last thing you need to do in a GSW encounter is render immediate
evacuation to your victim. Even with the risk of arrest or police
crackdown, it is essential that a GSW victim is delivered to a high
level of care within one hour of the trauma being inflicted. After this
âgolden hour,â survival rates dramatically drop.
Treating a chest wound:
If you are unfortunate enough to run into a situation where there is a
GSW to the chest, you will need to have the correct gear to administer
lifesaving aid. You will need to follow the HABC treatment flow
described in the last section but you will also need to apply an
occlusive (air tight) dressing to the wound. The best and easiest way to
do this is to use a commercially produced chest seal, available on the
internet. Wipe up blood and then apply a chest seal to the victim on
both the entry and exit wounds.
There are two main types of chest seal available:
the need to use a chest decompression needle after applying the
dressing. These completely airtight dressings will actually cause the
lung to collapse inside the cavity in a condition know as tension
pneumothorax.
a chest decompression needle. Examples of vented chest seals include
Asherman seals or Bolin seals. Both are commercially availible to anyone
on the internet.
Keep in mind that you will need two seals to treat a chest GSW with exit
points, so plan accordingly. After applying a chest seal you should
finish the HABC flow of treatment and immediatly move the victim to a
higher level of care.
Applying direct pressure:
Elevate the wound above the heart and apply pressure with a sanitized
compress (e.g. a clean, heavy gauze pad, washcloth, t-shirt, or a sock)
directly on the wound. Do not remove a pad that is soaked through with
blood; you will disturb any blood clots that have started to form to
help stop the bleeding. If blood soaks through, place another pad on top
of the soaked one and continue applying direct pressure. When the
bleeding stops, tie the pad firmly in place with gauze, a shoelace, or
any other cloth availble
Important notes:
Do not elevate legs if the victim has GSWs in the chest or abdomen as
they will bleed more quickly if legs are elevated, and make it difficult
for the victim to breathe.
Applying Indirect Pressure:
Apply direct pressure to an artery. There are specific major arteries
shown below which should have direct pressure applied to them. Press
firmly until the artery is sufficiently pushed against the bone.
Toââââââ check if bleedingâs stopped, slowly release pressure from the
pressure point, but do not remove direct pressure from the wounded area.
Also apply dressing around the wounded area
Head Tilt/Chin Lift:
Airways begin at the nose and mouth, and end deep in the chest. In an
unresponsive person, the most common obstructions of airways are the
tongue and epiglottis. Gently tilting the head back, and pulling their
jaw forwards, most airways can be opened. An unresponsive person will
not remain in the head tilt/chin lift position without being constantly
held in it.
Jaw Thrust:
If spinal injury is suspected use the jaw thrust instead. Place your
fingers behind the victimâs jaw bone on either side, just below the ear,
then push forwards so the jaw thrust out away from the face. Once again,
an unresponsive person will not remain in the jaw thrust position
without constantly being held in it.
We now reach the section on how to place active pressure on the state.
This section provides tips on how protesters may clash with the police
and use property destruction. It must be said, all escalation should be
done carefully and should consider what message will be sent. Rule #1 is
do not escalate further than state forces unless you are prepared for
them to respond in kind. Said otherwise: only ever escalate to a level
of violence you are prepared to receive. Further, note that many of the
following tactics should be practiced with those in your trust network
ahead of time. If you are aware you will be attending a protest where
confrontation might arise, coordinate at least some rudimentary training
with those who will be on the frontlines with you.
One of the simplest forms of non-peaceful resistance is to prevent
police from moving through an area by force. If the police are armed
with batons and riot shields, it can often be practical to stop them
from taking an area, especially if you have protesters armed with
shields and body protection. As has been said above, densely packed
formations are ideal for these scenarios, but do not pack in too densely
or there will be no room to maneuver or recover allies from the
frontlines. The ideal of this tactic is not to actively harm the police,
but instead to prevent them from moving. It can be a very good way to
use your superior numbers to distract the inferior numbers of the police
with a stalemate while the protest proceeds elsewhere or takes up room
that the police cannot control.
Another way, short of clash with the police, of preventing from doing
their job is the use of high powered lasers.
These are used to blind officers by obscuring their vision. Lasers will
make it very challenging for officers to look in the direction you are
shining them, disorienting them, and possibly even causing permanent
damage if they do not look away. Many lasers can overload the sensors of
simple drones and force them to land. They can also be used from a very
long distance, meaning that the police will have a very challenging time
stopping you from using them. The more people with these lasers the
better, because then the police will be unable to root out all of the
users. Other light devices such as a high powered flashlight can be used
to disorient but are more difficult to conceal the source.
Paint can be useful in a similar way in order to obscure the visors of
the riot police.
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It is recommended that one only rely on spray paint if they plan on
being on the frontlines. Otherwise, if protesters are engaging with the
police at a distance, they should use small buckets or filled balloons,
as seen above. This paint is also more likely to adhere and form a
consistent layer over the visor or riot shield which will prevent the
riot police from seeing, forcing them to raise their visors or lower
their shield and thus place themselves at risk.
If you plan on confronting police in a militant manner, it is
recommended you only ever do so if you have training, if their numbers
are far inferior, and if they are not well armed. It is also recommended
that anyone on front lines armor themselves as much as possible. Even
bicycle or paintball gear can be enough to keep you safe and those from
LARPing communities often know how to build cheap and very resilient
gear, including makeshift riot shields. Do not be afraid to reach out to
people who know how to make this gear ahead of time, even if you plan on
being safe, as you may not get to choose where you are in the crowd.
Another aspect of engaging in a non-peaceful manner, is being fearless
in de-arresting allies when officers have gotten ahold of them. If
officers are trying to pull a protester from the crowd, grab hold of the
protester and then have others grab ahold of you and pull them back. The
only means an officer has of punishing protesters aside from violence,
is to physically remove them. Disallowing fellow protesters from being
removed from the crowd is the same as freeing someone from jail, paying
their bail, and expunging all charges.
You may also be surprised to see how lax officers are with arrested
protesters, often being unable to manage the numbers they have gathered
and leaving them unattended for periods of time. If you find protesters
who have been zip-tied, you can place a thin object between the track
and the band and this will often allow you to loosen the ties and free
arrestees.
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If you are arrested with zip-ties or cuffs, when they are wrapping them
around your wrists, flex your wrists. Officers will clamp down very
tightly when they affix them, making it uncomfortable and disallowing
you from wriggling out. However, if you flex your wrists, you expand the
size of your wrists, allowing you to un-flex afterwards and thus
possibly get your wrists free.
Another approach to clashing with the police is to keep distance and use
projectiles such as bricks, bottles, and so on... This has very small
chance of doing permanent physical damage to officers, especially if
they are in riot gear, but it does have the effect of defraying,
confusing, and often forcing retreat. During the recent unrest fireworks
have been used as well. The greater the number of projectiles used, the
greater the chance that the police will cease the clash until they can
escalate to the usage of ânon-lethalâ munitions. One common police
tactic is the kettle or the process of surrounding protesters on all
sides to engage in mass arrests. Make sure you always have a way out.
If the police have engaged in unnecessary brutality, the community may
begin to riot. Keep in mind that riots are never planned. Riots have
always been a reaction to police brutality against largely non-violent
actions and are generally instigated by the material conditions of an
oppressive state and failing economic systems. If someone is planning a
riot in your area, it is at worst police entrapment and at best an
inexperienced and angry activist.
If you find yourself in a riot, you need to be prepared beforehand to
ensure your safety. A riot action lasts one night but the metadata from
your activities will last forever. Follow these rules to protect your
identity.
activities
Burning a building, a car, or other piece of property, is a
multi-faceted tactic and has ups and downs. First, it is recommended
that you choose targets which represent the enemies of the movement such
as symbols of state oppression. These include federal courthouses, local
police stations, office buildings affiliated with the Department of
Corrections, and other buildings where state repression happens
actively. The 2020 insurrections have garnered majority support in the
burning of the Minneapolis Police Department and there is next to no
outcry of the destruction and looting of large chain corporations, but
there has been less public support for small business destruction. This
is not to invalidate the choosing of these targets. One of the primary
purposes of property destruction is to place pressure on power
structures and a flagging economy is always a means of pressure on the
forces of capital. But if you are part of choosing a target, try to
choose it based on concrete material benefits.
When choosing targets for property damage, be certain that you loot as
many of the useful materials within the building as possible. Try to
focus on looting items which can be redistributed to comrades and
provide real material aid. This is not to pass judgment on any act of
looting. But try to connect the act of looting with principles of mutual
aid, not simple personal benefit. This allows the movement to continue
for longer, as these expropriated goods can then be used to sustain
other protesters and thus counteract the real material damage that may
be done to their personal solvency by taking place in these protests.
If you have moved to the point where your protests have become so
radical as to seize areas of the city in a permanent fashion, it may be
very useful to create barricades of various kinds. This is not only to
include the traditional barricade, as we have seen throughout history,
in the form of piled up rubble. It is also to include more modern
methods of preventing vehicle entrance. Below can be seen how effective
clingwrap is, when wrapped between two poles, in stopping even very
large vehicles from passing. So long as the vehicles do not have tread,
there is little chance they will be able to move through these cheap and
effective clingwrap barriers.
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If you are protesting armed, keep in mind that neither the state nor the
judicial system is your friend. Police will execute you in the street as
readily as the state will apply trumped up charges and put you in prison
for life if you happen to survive your violent encounter. Some
protesters are engaging in open carry, and if you are going to do so you
need to be aware of the tactical drawbacks.
The primary reason for an individual to open-carry is to engage in a
show of force. For marginalized communities openly armed actions by
organized groups can be an important declaration of their rights against
a racist police state. However there is no scenario in a standard
protest, a march, a demonstration, or otherwise where engaging in
open-carry with an assault rifle, plates/body armor, and other tactical
gear will provide you with a tactical advantage. The biggest draw-back
of the open-carry is you are exposing your tactical capabilities to
those you are hypothetically defending the community against without any
real gain. If you believe a scenario demands high-powered assault rifles
and those ready to use them, a trained and accountable group with that
level of gear should be located nearby off-site but ready to move in and
engage as needed. The ideal security forces are those that use concealed
weapons, melee weapons, and integrate into the crowd. Similarly when you
are engaging in direct action where the police and paramilitaries are
still operational, open carry does little but expose who is armed. In
scenarios where state power has receded, and autonomous zones have been
formed it may be necessary to engage in open-carry to defend your
community, and these concerns do not necessarily apply, but that is
after we have built the prefigurative systems to ensure that the groups
of armed individuals are trained and held accountable.
Security forces are better suited to engaging in concealed carry to
ensure that they have the element of surprise if the protest or action
comes under attack by a mass shooter. However a more common tactic to
attack protests is with vehicles, and shooting a driver who is
attempting to run over protesters does not guarantee the vehicle will
stop moving or save lives. In this case taking cover, and helping others
take cover, will likely save more lives.
Security forces must be trained, have a shared and understood Rules of
Engagement (ROE), have an open line of communications among all members
of the security team, and foremost de-escalate situations where
possible. All security should have radios and be trained in their usage.
To operate as security for your community and help defend against
threats, it is crucial that you coordinate and work with others
operating security in that area. Your security force needs to be
condoned by the organizers of the event you are securing. If there are
existing security forces, and you show up alone and carrying openly,
there is no way for them to know if you are there to help or hurt
people. That is why for those that wish to engage in community defense,
it is best to follow these principles of action.
As you are present in these protests for longer and longer, you will
begin to learn what the process of planning a protest might look like.
We hope to provide here a framework for understanding the challenges and
pitfalls of organizing direct action, so that you will have a better
understanding of what is at hand. This process is one crafted to avoid
vanguard ideology, yet allows us to establish a coordinated and
autonomous organization.
First, what is direct action? Direct action is any coordinated or
individual action that is directly in the service of a political cause.
Some examples of direct actions include marches, banner drops, strikes,
demonstrations, and other creative actions that could facilitate a goal
for your cause. They can also include mutual aid efforts such as food
distribution, disaster relief, medic operations, and other relief or
community support efforts. David Graeber has described direct action as
âacting as if you were already free.â
It is important to understand that, in this model, there is no
centralized leadership, but there can be organizers and facilitators. As
the individual or group developing the direct action it is up to you to
determine the tasks and those best suited to fulfill them. A rally with
speakers will necessitate some level of organization and temporary roles
that will be assigned, such as chant leader or speaker. These roles do
not imply leadership, and oftentimes it is best if these roles originate
from the group organically through need rather than operationally
through an organizer. Sometimes these roles require that individuals
make demands of the group, for instance as a medic attending to someone
may ask the crowd to move aside. Those working within their roles must
be respected by the group, but that respect must also go both ways.
These temporary roles are necessary to ensure a safe and effective
action, but it is best to ensure that your facilitation of the direct
action is as ephemeral and temporary as it needs to be. The key to being
a good organizer is to step up when you see a need and step back when
that need no longer exists. Donât create another organization that
revolves around you, help build the movement for everyone.
The key to a good direct action is ultimately in its effectiveness to
directly or indirectly achieve the goal that you want to achieve. Not
every action must be service in the revolution for you to be a good
revolutionary. Sometimes you just need to improve your municipal trash
services. The effectiveness of a direct action may not always be evident
and not every direct action will be entirely effective. There will be
defeats and there will be victories. To ensure that you do not get burnt
out, you must temper your expectations. It is rare to achieve victory
after a single action for your cause but you can achieve victory after
repeated work and many actions will have transformative power in the
world that is not completely evident.
Before you begin actively planning actions you should understand what
the various forms of actions entail. There are 4 different types of
environments revolutionaries will find themselves organizing and it is
good to recognize the type of environment you are in and act
accordingly.
Whether successful or failed, your campaign is a long term series of
direct actions designed to achieve a singular goal. There may not be a
significant knowledge or presence about your issue outside the community
it effects, but you can change that with effective and disruptive
actions. For instance the NoDAPL protest was a series of actions lasting
nearly a year with the goal of preventing industrial development at odds
with ecological systems and Native treaty rights. Municipal and state
petitions have been used for criminal justice reform, legalization of
cannabis, and could equally be applied to abolishing the police or other
future objectives. Cooperatives, salting strikes, and other labor
actions require long campaigns. Long campaigns require a diversity of
tactics, constant re-evaluation of strategies, and acceptance that many
actions may fail before the action that ultimately succeeds, if any
ultimately does. Long campaigns also include the possibility of
organizing with a vast and diverse group of people which may be best
served through the councils described in future sections of this
document. The long campaign is often a struggle that does not end.
The liberatory struggle of humankind and your own movement within it
should be viewed as a process rather than a destination. Issues of
justice will exist beyond your lifetime. Your campaign may fail, but the
unforseen and indirect consequences can alter the future of your
community in positive ways you will never realize. Occupy Wall Street
never achieved its stated goals, but there are still affinity groups
formed from that time that operate and positively affect their community
in 2020. Every campaign we organize or aid adds up and multiplies the
power of others now and in the future. The opportunities you create to
volunteer, build, and work outside the system are vital to expanding the
minds of future generations.
Mutual aid is based in community control, aiding one another to break
free from capitalism and colonial authority. Mutual aid is simple, itâs
the breaking of the binary of the âhaves and have notsâ with the
intention to re-allocate for equitable access to resources, education,
and needs. Seems simple enough. However, Mutual Aid is also a legacy,
and a practice.
These types of projects are perfect for pacifists and those who do not
seek conflict with the state. Mutual aid projects might already exist in
your area, such as Food Not Bombs or other local efforts, and these are
necessary components of building dual power. The mutual aid projects you
engage in and help build should not be confused with charity. Mutual aid
is a long-term commitment to the community and a tool to break free from
the state and capital.
When material conditions have reached a revolutionary potential there is
often a violent catalyst which may set off an organic movement. When
Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in 2011 to protest the revocation
of his street vendor license in Tunisia he had no idea he would become a
catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution. This in turn sparked the wider
Arab Spring against autocratic regimes, which inspired the 15-M
Movement. More recently a simple local march for Justice for George
Floyd escalated into global protests against police brutatility,
systemic racism, and ultimately the burning of the 3^(rd) Precinct of
Minneapolis. It started with a simple peaceful march that the state
escalated through violence and the unnecessary usage of tear gas. The
immediate catalyst can come at any time, but it is often unforseen and
triggered by the overreach of the state. Your goal during this catalyst
as an organizer should be to use the momentum of the organic movement to
make demands and recuperate as much state power as possible. These
movements are often reactive to state violence or oppression and are
quite capable of evolving into an open conflict that can recuperate
power out of the hands of the state.âââââââ
The catalyst and the protests it spawned can evolve into an open
conflict or one can be planned. Open conflicts generally evolve
organically when the police crack down violently on peaceful protests,
fueling anger and action. Blockades, autonomous zones, direct conflict
with police forces, general strikes, economic shutdowns, and unplanned
riots can all be elements of the open conflict. Blockades are being used
by indigenous allies in South America to fight against both destruction
of the ecosystem and their homes. Autonomous zones such as those within
Chiapas under the EZLN have ceded from state power and corruption with
minimal violence. Direct conflict with police and sustained riots can
force the state to cede power, but the state is also adept at skillfully
managing and redirecting the narrative. The state uses a combination of
surveillance-state crackdown on the spread of insurrectionist content,
streams, and info as well as inserting activists into the movement to
neuter social movements that have evolved into open conflicts.
Large scale blockades in combination with strikes that are strategic and
well organized can be very effective, bring the economy of a state to a
standstill, and force state concessions. During the Bolivian Gas War in
2003 protesters used the blockade to force resignations of political
leadership, however many protesters were killed by the state in that
conflict. Open conflict brings risks that, while forcing political
concessions much faster, can also spiral out of control and lead to
violent fascist crackdowns. Ultimately, a strategically planned
insurrectionist direct action that evolves into an open conflict has a
higher rate of success than open conflicts spawned organically from a
catalyst.
Before the action identify a goal or have a demand(s) written down. Seek
consensus and input from your community and try to find a diverse set of
voices to go into the demands that you have. If the goal has already
been established by the situation at hand, i.e. justice for someone who
has been murdered by the police, it may not be obvious what the problem
is, but the demand may also not be so obvious. This is where organizing
committees, democratic councils, and other sort of mechanisms to make
cooperative decisions can come into play and help determine the ideal
goal or demand for your action. However, it is not necessary if the
community has already achieved consensus and your action is designed to
support or signal boost an existing goal. If you are organizing in an
existing movement or with other groups it is best to follow the St Paul
Principles to facilitate work alongside different groups who are also
engaging in positive work for the community.
the plans of other groups.
separation of time or space.
Have an understanding of how your action can bring victory every step of
the way. There is nothing worse for a movement than direct actions that
have no goal and serve no purpose. These types of actions will
eventually grind down interest for people and lead to movements being
suffocated. Your actions should be in service of the goal or supporting
those who are acting to achieve that goal.
In most industrialized nations, the governments have learned to diffuse
and ignore a variety of tactics which have a long and storied history on
the left. For this reason, there are many dead rituals that are no
longer considered effective, yet are still used regularly. This list is
not all inclusive. There may be times where one of these tactics is
uniquely effective within the conditions. But be careful of getting
sucked into these dead rituals as it will often amount to a repeated
engagement with ineffective and exhausting actions.
turnouts, extending beyond the usual participants, at public meetings
and rallies is in times of crisis.
information to workers in autocratic states but are now ineffective.
Your time is better spent making memes.
tools to harvest peopleâs identity that serve no purpose, even when
actually presented to the state. At best the petitions will be tossed
out and at worst your names go on a list.
be a good way of engaging with the public at large. It enables a few
people in a limited amount of time to reach out to large numbers of
other people. However such activity can easily become unreflective and
ritualized.
terms of influencing the people in a location and those passing by. This
is generally in combination with a strike. Pickets that are not
disruptive or designed to bring about âawarenessâ will not be effective.
representatives is not likely to achieve significant positive outcomes.
One exception to this general pattern is when a major matter of concern
arises which affects a lot of people in a particular locality. Frame
these as negotiations with the state rather than lobbying.
do very little for your cause. The anti-war protests brought millions
into the streets and achieved nothing. If your demonstration draws
smaller numbers, it only makes the movement appear weak.
approached with caution. Mass media can actually be more detrimental for
your cause as the ruling class and state will develop counter-narratives
or use wedge issues to divide the public on your issue. Personal
communication is more effective.
fever, but ultimately there is nothing democratic about liberal
democracy. There are occasions where it may be feasible to stand in a
local or municipal election but this should be a rare exception to the
rule. The party system, archaic voting methods, and capital requirements
have all but ensured that electoralism is a dead-end.
revolutionary struggles and progressive regimes in other countries.
Campaigns designed around the concepts of effecting policy or boycott
actions have not been highly effective. If an international movement
requests help provide mutual aid if you can, but otherwise making
revolution at home in the heart of the empire will do more for our
international allies.
seem like a good idea to fund a campaign, but in reality the time and
energy to organize these is better spent on actually carrying forward
the particular political cause.
left political organizations and campaigns necessarily have to bring
people together to make the appropriate arrangements. However, what is
ostensibly meant to be a means to an end very often becomes an end in
itself. Make sure you arenât spending more time in meetings planning the
actions you are supposed to be organizing than you are acting.
Some of these may come as a surprise to you. If you find yourself
engaging in the same action over and over, it is time to step back and
reflect. Engaging in dead rituals will suffocate your movement. By
contrast, the following are still proving useful. These methods have the
capability to actually oppose the state and capitalism.
These are actions that we have seen some success in putting pressure on
the state and capital and can force concessions by the state or cause
state power and support to erode. To help accelerate the process of
eroding state power, you may be interested in organizing one of these
actions.
a shared protocol for action as described in this document. Support each
other in times of crisis and share in times of plenty. Organize direct
action together and encourage the development of other affinity groups
in your community.
the state and ruling class and can be a good start to give people the
confidence to break the rules. Use stencils and better-designed posters
which have more visual impact.
occasions, usually on a small scale. Such action is often spontaneous,
rather than planned in advance, and is a response to some immediate
opposition, especially by the police. It has become something of a
ritual and quite often a protest march includes a period in which the
participants sit down or stand around on the road for a short period.
Often there is no particular point in taking such action and by
unnecessarily holding up traffic it can alienate some potential
supporters of the cause being put forward. However they can have uses if
the action has a specific target and purpose.
revolutionary inclinations do not like violence and try to avoid it.
This is a positive sentiment but many leftists other than those of
pacifist views recognize that there are occasions when violent conflicts
with opponents are unavoidable. It is wise to prepare ourselves and your
revolutionary allies with self-defense techniques.
state and labor from capital can have a serious effect, especially at
scale with many people taking part in the action. Unfortunately for many
wage workers withholding taxes or labor is not possible. Mass fare
evasion in places with viable public transportation can also be
effective, for instance the student left evade y lucha revolt which
evolved into general unrest in Chile in 2019.
workers shutting down the flow of goods, and other methods of shutting
down economic avenues using sit-ins or other tactics can be highly
effective, especially if these actions can be sustained. A physical road
blockade can be.Any road or highway blockade is best served by having
ally vehicles or some other large equipment as shields to protect the
participants.
general strike, more people are making demands through labor power. If
you have leverage in the labor pool or you work in a field with limited
labor supply, you have more labor power than ever and it is time to use
it. Salting your workplace and organizing a strike is beyond the scope
of this document, but the best place to get started today is to join
your local IWW and get trained in organizing a union and begin salting
your workplace.
that generally are not expected to last indefinitely can be highly
effective. The longer the occupation need to be to fulfill the goal, the
more likely it is to be violently attacked by the police. Occupations
can also give agitators an easy target, so the more people involved, the
more unweildy they can become. In practice smaller, more tactical and
focused occupations have had greater success.
in-person and through more in-office visits, enough people can shut down
any government or corporate public service by simply clogging up the
lines of communication. On a website this is known as the DDOS but the
same method works for all communications mediums. For voice this is
known as a phone zap and has been used to great effect to put pressure
on the state. This action can only become more effective as more people
join in and the longer you can sustain it. This method is designed to
shutdown public system, but there is another similar action with a
personal touch.
business leaders. They could be bombarded with phone calls and emails.
Their offices and homes should be picketed as appropriate. They could be
targeted at company annual meetings and on public occasions. Every
opportunity should be seized to turn them into pariahs. These people get
away with a lot because they rely upon the norms of politeness and
decent treatment of each other which generally prevail in civil society
to avoid being reproached. But they are not decent and thus should not
be treated decently.
workers have disabled production equipment by removing some vital and
not easily replaceable part. The targets for sabotage should be
carefully chosen. There have been some instances of damage to public
buildings and monuments which have had a negative impact on people.
Sabotage can be effective both in terms of actually obstructing and
damaging the enemy and in its public impact.
This is not exhaustive nor is it a absolute dictate of any sort. To
succeed you must innovate and do what you feel works best in your
community based on what you have read and experienced. Marches and
protests can bring awareness to the public about your demands but can
also be highly ineffective, occupations and blockades can pressure
governments but can also come with huge costs. The key is to always
consider your actions and the environment you are working in and rely on
experience of others as well as your best judgement. To successfully
organize under the ever-present surveillance state we must understand
how to operate effectively and safely in the digital world.
Do not talk about the action on open comms. Open comms include both
public and insecure private messaging platforms. Facebook and Instagram
are not your friends. Signal is great, but it has two big downsides:
communicating with, and it can be a pain to get another phone number.
Share Signal contact info privately with everyone you trust right now,
and compare your safety numbers in pieces across multiple channels with
people youâre trying to trust. (Conversations in Signal have certain
distinct identifying numbers you can get, both of you should see the
same numbers unless someone is intercepting your conversation, verify
these numbers through FB messenger, email, in-person, etc, where such a
person couldnât also intercept.) The biggest limitation of Signal is
that your phone is relatively easy to hack. In the early days of the
Syrian civil war the Assad regime used Skype to track activists, beyond
intercepting Skype signals it would hack or directly access one personâs
computer, then use it to send attachments/files to all their contacts,
infecting every computer and allowing them to read locally encrypted
files, etc. Beyond being very suspicious of files, if your phone is ever
touched by a cop you need to immediately destroy it and get a new phone.
Since most folks canât and wonât practice a high degree of security with
their phones, Signal is only somewhat safe.
For a more distributed but still new and insufficiently tested
communications framework over the web that allows arbitrary identities
and is decentralized, Element/Riot/Matrix is a messaging option.
(Element is the new name for Riot which exists in the ecosystem of
applications using the Matrix protocol.) This has its uses, but has
lower usage than Signal, isnât as tested, and could be significantly
blocked with sufficient repression.
Email will probably outlast the cockroaches, itâs always worth having
backup email addresses your friends already know about. Bonus: having
backup email addresses that arenât publicly (or anywhere in your
existing accounts) tied to your identity or existing accounts.
Super-bonus: setting up those email accounts with services like Tutanota
or Protonmail that try to use PGP encryption with other Tutanota or
Protonmail accounts. What to do: each person in your group sets up a new
email account with a brand new name (ideally using a VPN or Tor), then
you share the names of these names and email accounts with each other
through something like sheets of paper passed into your friendsâ actual
physical mailboxes, once youâve started messaging each other via these
new email accounts (never using real names or information that would
leak personal identity), memorize and destroy the sheets of paper
identifying which friend is which email. Email networks are most useful
when folks have to go on the run, without carrying a lot with them.
For more distributed communications in minor absences of internet put
the app Briar on your phone, create an account and share that account
with your friends. Now your friends and you can chat either over Tor
(when the internet is up) or over bluetooth and wifi (when the internet
is down). This is helpful in situations where youâre all on the streets
or live nearby and they take away cell signal, this was useful in Hong
Kong. Briar flourishes in situations when they shut off cell towers
around a protest, but itâs less feasible as a communications system
across neighborhoods when the internet is turned off for a whole city.
Larger scale electronic/network catastrophes are hard to predict. The
NSA could have backdoored every single revolutionary device, the state
could just storm ISPs and turn off all internet to facilitate a massive
crackdown, infrastructure could get knocked out by an earthquake/etc,
civilization could collapse.
One way you can take precautions is by establishing communication
protocols with your friends for how to move physical messages around.
Dead drops and geocaches are not just for supplies, they can be used to
move messages and USBs of data. Particularly in situations where
repression is widespread and youâre under surveillence. Old school
spycraft is worth thinking about. If your friends already know to, for
example, send messages via a crumpled up sheet of paper in an abandoned
big gulp in a pedestrian tunnel under a bridge, youâre prepared to
diversify plans and communication channels in a crisis. Obviously you
can and should think of other inconspicuous approaches. Even just
working out to stick USBs in a ziplock bag under a rock near a bus stop
can help immensely. When the internet goes down we often have to resort
to Sneakernet, just directly carrying the files to one another. Know
your friends addresses, but also donât write them down.
Finally there are more active and resilient networking possibilities,
albeit with no substantive encryption. Everyone should own a ham radio.
Weâre building a mesh network using disaster.radio. If youâre interested
in joining our network, order the parts from China now, weâll help get
them set up and you connected. The basic premise is that little radio
sets sit on the roof of houses across town and peer with each other,
letting people local to one radio connect to it via wifi and send
messages, etc. With some solar boards you can power them and phones to
connect to them through a rough collapse.
After you have chosen your action and what kind of campaign you will
engage in, you will then begin moving into the logistics stage. This is
an important stage where you will need to coordinate both public and
private resources. Public logistical information that you should share
widely includes the time, space, and loose description of the action.
Private logistics will include reaching out to medics, security, and
other crucial roles which must be organized for a successful action.
However, the information conveyed in private circles should be kept
secure among organizers. If there are parts of the action that you do
not wish to make public for security or legal reasons, ensure that the
fewest number of people are made aware of these plans and that those
plans are communicated through secure communications.
Food, water, dealing with cold or hot temperatures, and other
environmental issues associated with direct actions are often an
important part of logistics and planning. Plan according to the
temperature and weather. If it is hot ensure there are sufficient
cooling stations available, ice coolers, and other gear to deal with
heat. Survival skills come in handy in these situations and as an
organizer either you or another trusted member of your affinity group.
A bail fund may be needed and if large funds are required it is often
best to do this through an existing non-profit or other legal
incorporated entity. The non-profit industrial complex is filled with
problems, but these organizations are important mechanisms to raise
funds for important activities such as jail support. Without a legal
entity and a board to oversee those funds it is possible that an
individual can be corrupted and steal those funds. While we never wish
it to happen, it has happened before and this is an important mechansim
to prevent fraud while we are still trapped under the auspices of
capitalism.
A good direct action will have individuals in dedicated medical and
security roles. Security should be responsible for de-escalating
conflict during the action. Your direct actions should have a defined
beginning, middle, and end. You should establish a few alternate plans
in case something goes wrong. For instance if you were planning a loud
and disruptive counter-demonstration, but you find yourself outnumbered,
you may alter your tactics towards something less confrontational such
as a silent protest.
Another aspect of a successful protest is scouting the location you will
use. The further in advance you scout ahead, the better. Sometimes it is
best to scout a position multiple times, once long before for logistical
purposes and even in the hours before the direct action. If you have a
small group operating a counter-protest or demonstration, you would want
to scout the event to determine the number and sentiment of the
opposition before you determine the next course of action.
A good scout depends on some urban exploration and social engineering
skills that are beyond the scope of this guide, however there is plenty
of information online along these lines. Itâs good to have a scout team
or use the buddy system rather than scouting alone. In addition, a good
cover story for your presence at the location is wise to have aligned
beforehnd with members of the scout group.
To scout you will need a cell phone with proper opsec protocols in
place, maybe a sketchbook or notebook for basic notes, comfortable
appropriate clothes and some money, and whatever other tools may be
appropriate. Practice makes perfect. When scouting a location, the
following questions are the ones that should be on your mind:
off successfully and safely?
different needs (cover stories, costumes, equipment, etc.) for the
different options? What are the potential drawbacks/obstacles?
cars passing by on rotation? Security guards? Given these concerns, is
your action plan realistic?
lockdown) or anchor points (if youâre doing a climb action)? Keep safety
standards in mind, and remember, in all likelihood, it will be someone
else whoâs going to put their safety at risk according to your scout
assessment.
tactic, at each potential target site (remember that some locations will
provide multiple target options for the same tacticâe.g., many buildings
have multiple entrances that can be blockaded). Make sure to keep your
measurements in order, to avoid later confusion (donât just rely on your
memory either; take notes).
What other resources would be needed to pull this off?
other potential legal charges?
jurisdictions (city, state, federal) will need to be contacted for
permits?
image, is your action scenario sufficient? From a potential
photographerâs perspective, is there good light? Are there obstructions
that would get in a photographerâs way? For some actions, getting a good
photograph is a major concern, and the success of such an action will
depend on the ability not only for the activists to deploy, but to
deploy at a time and way that presents an enduring photographic image.
If you are relying on a third party or other trusted ally to scout the
location for the organizers, it is often best for them to produce a
report. An ideal report includes the following:
exit/entrance points, pieces of equipment to be aware of, coordinates or
street address
clothes, central security locations, digital security systems
ââââ
After this, the next task at hand will be getting people to your action.
When you are inviting allies to your direct action, contact individuals
in your affinity group directly if possible. Encourage them to contact
other affinity groups they trust. Use secure and encrypted
communications channels as much as possible. When you send a generic
invite to a direct action, it is less likely they will show up than if
you send someone a personalized direct message. If you need a small
highly trained group, this is the best way to gather your team. If it is
a larger action that requires more bodies, such as a march, you will
also want to create more public invitations. If you are organizing a
large scale action that requires some level of coordination it is
helpful to create a volunteer in a box package for action participants,
with printed materials and other information to hand out. These packets,
in addition to a short training session either on video or in person,
serve to ensure that your group remains both decentralized yet
coordinated.
Creating a persuasive, eye-catching flyer can be very helpful when
organizing a large, public event. This flyer should include the time,
date, and some loose description of the action and its motivation. Post
the flyer in neighborhoods, on public utilities, on trees, on social
media networks, and everywhere that you can. Ask your affinity group
members to do the same. If you or your organization are sending a press
release to the media outlets in your area, this can increase the
presence of counter-demonstrators just as easily as it can bring more
support. It is a tactic that must be used with great care, as the media
can often lie and craft narratives that are counter to your cause.
As has been said numerous times, itâs also good to establish legal
support and have lawyers on hand ready to advocate on behalf of those
arrested, preferably pro-bono if possible or funded through a legal
support fund. Be cautious about using your personal banking information.
Crowdsourcing bail and legal fund over the internet is highly advised,
as this is a way that allies from everywhere can help you. If possible,
utilize an existing trustworthy democratic council with access to an
accountable and transparent bank account to avoid the financial and tax
related headaches associated with keeping individuals accountable with
large sums of money.
Before you get started in organizing your own events, it is important to
know and understand the pitfalls in organizing and how things can go
terribly wrong. The threat of corruption, assassination, and
state-security infiltration represent some examples of external threats
to your movement.
Leaders can be corrupted and bought. The pressure of power, money, and
prestige can be great within a capitalist system. Even those that are
not swayed by money or power can be simply consumed by the spectacle and
fame. The flavors of corruption are many, but the outcome is always a
broken and shattered movement, or worse a zombified movement that no
longer serves its original aims but only seeks to empower the status quo
as its leaders have found comfortable and paid positions.
Leaders that are not corruptible usually find themselves dead. Whether a
car accident, a âsuicide,â or simply retribution by local police, good
organizers whose identiy becomes too public are killed by the state all
the time. You could also face jail and solitary confinement on falsified
charges. From Martin Luther King Jr. to Fred Hampton to Thomas Sankara,
all across the world the leaders of great movements have been killed
long before their time. These days assassination, imprisonment, and
exile have been readily employed by agents of the state either
judicially or extra-judicially. Even today some organizers of the
Ferguson actions have been murdered by agents of the state and had those
deaths classified as suicides.
Undercover officers are also a real threat. Moe, Gloves, and Boots are
all names that have been used by undercover police officers whose role
and job has been to infiltrate and engage in recon on our movements, as
well as entrap individuals in crimes that can be used as justification
for crackdowns. These infiltrators will organize a crime or illegal
activity but want you to carry it out. They may provide free housing,
drugs, food, money, and other items designed to influence and groom
their targets. If their targets become anxious/skeptical and seek to
pull out of the action they may use derogatory words and emotional
abuse, calling their target names, in an attempt to push them to act. Be
aware and skeptical.
However not all threats come from outside the movement. Movements that
draw attention from the public and media can also draw attention from
those that have ulterior motives or disruptive individuals. Even when
the state is not actively destroying your movement, there are those who
can destroy it from within. These are people usually driven by fame and
fortune but are sometimes just well-intentioned but inexperienced.
Agitators will say one good thing about the movement, then proceed to
critize everything publicly and openly in speeches or through text. This
is so they can always claim they support your cause and organization,
while privately trash talking and doing everything they can to bring it
down. They may form a similar movement or organization with the same
goals, but poach people from your affinity group or organization, steal
content and designs without attribution or solidarity, and generally
work against your operations disrupting your movementâs time and space
for actions with their own. However, they may also simply be members of
your movement attempting to accrue power or embezzle funds.
Counter-revolutionaries are also a real threat. Internally a
counter-revolutionary might find themselves in a position of power
through charisma or by bringing in outsiders to alter the dynamics of
the group. To maintain this position of power they will use emotional
manipulation and lies within their leadership role. If anyone opposes
them they will use these tactics to undermine them and gaslight them and
others in order to maintain their power. Oftentimes they have a support
base that is willing to engage in attacks, either physical or verbal,
allowing them to keep their hands clean and always act. They may even
offer some hollow denunciation of their supporterâs activities, while
privately egging them on to do more.
Some counter-revolutionaries are not explicitly disruptive or even aware
that they are disruptive to movements. These people are drawn to the
spectacle of being in the media, they call themselves âleadersâ or are
drawn to these positions in existing organizations, they fail to seek
input or the involvement of the community they are trying to organize,
and they treat the revolution as an aesthetic. They may also engage in
racist, mysognistic, transphobic, or other discriminatory behaviors or
micro-aggressions. Generally if they recieve criticism from other
members of the movement they simply acknowledge it and continue to
engage in the same behaviors. Some other red flags include asking for
donations or monetary support with zero transparency or accountability.
Another real risk are the peace police. Internal and external, the peace
police will come to shut down the diversity of tactics we rely upon and
ensure that the movement becomes another lifeless series of the dead
rituals discussed earlier or simply the threat of violence by armed
individuals who are there to âkeep the peace.â Some peace police are
armed with only megaphones, however if you encounter peace police
engaging in open-carry it is advised that you avoid them, give them
distance, and simply move on. This applies to liberal, libertarian, and
fascist-identifying peace police, paramilitaries, or any right-wing
militia or group that is claiming to âprotect the peace.â These people
are most likely just looking for any quasi-legal reason to shoot you and
your allies.
So what do we do when we encounter people inside the movement who are
harming it? Our first instinct cannot be to marginalize those who may
not be aware their actions are harming the movement. If possible,
mediate these issues through established mediation channels if they
exist. There are some steps you can take to help deal with these issues.
encountered the behaviors you feel are disruptive. Are they feeling the
same? If so, gather consensus around what behaviors are disruptive.
dialogue. Gently explain to them how their behavior is harmful to the
movement or discriminatory towards individuals within the movement. Give
them a set of concrete steps they can take to work cooperatively and
respectfully with other individuals and groups.
behaviors are actively and directly harming the movement or individuals
within the movement, then it is time to bring the concerns publicly, but
as gently as possible, without appearing to gang-up on or attack the
individual themselves.
reach out to other activists within your movement and explain to them
that the organizer or individualâs behavior is toxic, how mediation has
been attempted and failed, and explain it is time to invest our time and
energy elsewhere.
Generally, when there is no attention or media behind one of these toxic
organizers they will move on. In the case that the probleem does not
resolve itself in one way or another, accrue evidence of the actions and
behaviors that are harmful and prepare an explanation or response when
presented with the existence of the counter-revolutionary group to
educate newcomers to the movement. It is key to be as objective and
factual as possible, as unfounded rumors can be just as damaging to
movements. Additionally, not everyone is perfect. It is important to
continuously offer the ability for the individual to recognize their
faults and continue working with the group as a respectful ally.
All these types of toxic organizers are poisonous to movements. It is
nearly impossible with our current social norms to completely prevent
these types of individuals from corrupting a mass political movement.
The key is to inoculate ourselves to these behaviors first and educate
those within our affinity groups. In order to overcome the challenges
associated with overcoming global capital we have to adapt to the new
world of the 21^(st) century. The old style systems of mass mobilization
of social movements through large-scale hierarchy are flawed as we have
seen in the previous section. There are many vectors for both malicious
parties inside and out of the state to influence and degrade these
movements. A confederation of smaller groups, either democratic or
revolutionary in nature, is more resilient to the disruptive activites
of the state but may still face counter-revolution.
These are some of the challenges the network of revolutionaries seeking
liberation and justice must face. It is why we must train ourselves and
develop internal tools to act in concert with millions of other
revolutionaries, globally and at scale, without the need for a
centralized leadership or agenda.
With this in mind, the next step will be actually carrying out the
action. For this reason, we will now discuss the tactics that the
organizer must use on the day of the action.
First, let us be clear: as the organizer of the action you cannot
control the actions of the individuals. However, you can set the mood
for a peaceable action or a militant one through the information you
provide to participants about the action and the feedback you give in
important situations.
For this reason, it is important to have a basic idea of the tactics
required at each level of the action. Providing those participating with
what they can do as individuals, as an affinity group, and what the
entire action hopes to accomplish is wise, as this broader tactical
overview will give them a better idea of how they fit into the action
and what to do during the action. But do not delude yourself that you
are the commander of the protest.
Before the action if you are going to engage in militant non-violence,
like an occupation, ensure that all individuals participating in the
action are aware of the nature of the militant non-violence and any
possible repercussions. Ensure that you follow the most effective
security protocols as you can for your group and have a strong culture
of operational security. Only communicate the details of the action to
those that need to know those details. Once the action is underway, more
detailed desciptions of the action, route, or other sensitive
information can be provided to participants.
Ensuring you and those who attend actions you organize are secure, safe,
and are not arrested when it is not planned is vital not only to your
well-being but your capability to continue organizing and acting. Follow
and share the rules for protecting your identity documented earlier in
this guide. For these types of actions there may not necessarily be a
dedicated security force since the entire action requires some level of
preparation.
If your action is as non-violent as a small group having a picnic then
there is no real need for organized security. However if you expect a
large number of people or a serious threat from counter-protesters then
you may consider having an organized volunteer security detachment who
have been trained in de-escalation and have appropriate gear necessary
to engage in security. If you do have formal security, ensure that they
are not to act as peace police but rather to physically defend the
participants of the action from physical or vehicular assault.
Oftentimes security will operate a car in the lead or behind a march,
for instance.
It is important to know your rights as a citizen of the state you are
currently in and use these to your advantage as much as possible whether
during the action when engaging with the police or after the action when
dealing with the consequences of being arrested and/or charged with
crimes. If your action is legally protected, knowing the specific local
or federal statutes is helpful if you have to liaise with local
state-security forces as an organizer of the event. Identifying yourself
as an organizer should be avoided for any actions that are not legally
protected.
A good medic volunteer crew is a simple necessity of most actions, with
at least one individual trained in medical first-aid, heat exhaustion,
CPR, and other basics and the gear necessary to deal with those
situations. If the event is large enough, consider trained EMTs on-site
with medic kits. In additiony to security and medical volunteers it is
sometimes important to have water and some dry food stuffs, like granola
bars, on hand to provide for participants. These groups are generally
organized as affinity groups.
A solid and energetic drum corps keeping the beat of the march or
bringing the noise is a great idea for any physical action like a march
or a protest. In the absense of a real drum corps a good speaker sound
system works as well.
It is best for the organizers during an event to operate in realtime to
keep in touch and stay aware of what is going on during the action,
staying adaptive to ongoing events. This can be done over SMS and other
chat messaging service, but during large events or when undergoing
jamming by state security forces, these services can go down. 2-way
radios are a good backup for your main organizers, march leaders,
security, and anyone that needs to be in the loop on the action.
After the action you have organized it is important that you provide
some level of aftercare to participants, especially if they are going to
engage in militant action that could put them at odds with state
security forces.
Somone got arrested at your direct action? Oftentimes the police will
detain people for no reason and these days under NDAA(2012) you can face
arrest and indefinite detention for doing absolutely nothing wrong.
Avoid being detained or arrested by the Federal police as much as
possible for this reason. However, if your allies do get arrested, you
activate the bail fund. No allies should be left behind. If allies are
imprisoned for long periods of time, organize jail support in the form
of letters, commissary funds, additional legal support, media awareness
campaigns, and everything you can do to show solidarity for those
incarcerated.
Mental health is a particularly important subject, and one that is often
overlooked in the context of practical day to day considerations within
radical movements. It is important to understand the historical,
political, philosophical, and material context that affects our
collective mental health as we seek collective liberation. However, the
main focus of this section is to address the more practical concerns and
approaches that we can employ to create radical mental health and
wellness practices in our organizing spaces. To reach our goals for
collective liberation, we must employ the principles of self-care and
mutual aid, and approach mental health through a radical lens to avoid
reproducing the harm that is institutionalized by oppressive states.
It is important to set boundaries and expectations for yourself clearly,
so that you can know when and how to offer your help to others. Be very
honest and clear about your skills and abilities, as well as your
limitations, whether they are material, physical, or emotional. Often
activists take on much more than they can handle or do not trust others
enough to delegate, but this is unsustainable and can lead to burn out
very quickly. Building trust and sharing skills in the community takes
time, but it is important so that the movement can continue to grow and
foster community/comradery. No one shows up perfectly the first, second,
third times, and even a seasoned activist can under/overestimate their
abilities or limitations. It is necessary to learn and grow from our
mistakes, as we continue to build relationships within our activist
communities in order to create a sustainable movement.
Questions you can ask yourself:
time for them while balancing movement work and my day-to-day life?
during or after stressful or traumatic events?
If we take on too much, we run into the problems of many other
activistsâ movements before usâBURN OUT! Burn out may become
unavoidable, but the more we address the root causes of burn out we can
hopefully minimize the damage and restore ourselves more quickly. Many
movements fizzle out or implode due to unsustainable practices and a
lack of sustained self-care and mutual aid that are necessary to
replenish our energy so that we can get back to work more quickly. We
all have varying skills, aptitudes, abilities, and interestsâand this
diversity is necessary and a source of strength if tapped into
strategically. We also must cultivate a practice of self-care and
community-care that can help us create more viable and sustainable
communities, and that means we must understand and appreciate the
diversity within our communities and also take care of each other in
ways that are more in line with our valuesârespecting the diversity of
neurological, physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, and
other needs/abilities of our communities.
Before going out to a direct action, there are many things you can do in
order to prepare yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally. Attend
trainings so that you can learn and discuss any important issues you
might face or practice your response in a safe controlled environment.
Many organizations will do direct action trainings and offer more
specific trainings that are geared towards specific roles (street
medics, legal observers, security etc.). Know your role and attend
trainings to prepare yourself for what you might experience.
Build relationships in your activist community. You do this by showing
up, being accountable, and building trust within your activist
community. If you are new, have some humilityâyou may have specialized
skills, but you first must show that you are willing to be a team player
before given responsibilities of importance. Leave your ego at the door,
the purpose of our movement is larger than any one individual, and it is
important to realize that we may have different opinions and methods,
but ultimately we share some common goals.
As we have said before, resistance movements are often infiltrated by
agent-provocateurs and law enforcement agents that seek to derail or
delegitimize social movements. It takes time to build relationships, so
be patient with yourself and others. Let go of your ego and help
according to your ability and the needs of the group. Keep showing up,
even if you have a conflict. Conflicts can and do happen often in
movement spaces. If you hurt peopleâs feelings or make a mistake, be
accountable and take action to restore trust. Accountability can take
many different forms, but recognizing any harm done and making some
amends in a tangible way can go a long way to restore trust. We keep our
communities safe, and that requires that we know our communities and
provide support and resources as needed.
Also: slow down! Weâre in this for the long-haul! Meditate and prepare
yourself for the long game. Our work is not done after one action. The
fight for freedom has been long and arduous, and we must prepare
ourselves for the long-game. Take time to connect your mind to your
body, listen to your body. If you are hungry, eat. If you are tired,
sleep. Your body carries wisdom. Honor your needs and take the time to
get to know your body. The need for perpetual motion and productivity is
ingrained into us by a society that does not value our labor or our
humanity, a society that views us as replaceable and disposable. We are
not disposable or replaceable. We must use self-care (which was
developed by the Black Panthers) to preserve our strength, to recharge
ourselves, to heal ourselves in a society that would grate us down and
destroy us.
Practicing breathwork can be extremely helpful for controlling anxiety.
Breathwork is derived from the yoga traditions of south Asia. Do not
underestimate the power of our breath. Breath work helps us learn how to
shift awareness from our minds to our bodies, calm our nervous system,
be aware of how our body is feeling, and become more alert to our
present surroundings. Practicing breathwork before going into situations
that may trigger fight/flight responses, can help you access this mode
of grounding in more chaotic circumstances. Breathe deeply through your
nose, bring your breath and your attention to different parts of your
body as you breathe. If you are feeling pain, direct your attention and
breathing towards that part of the body. There are a number of free
guided meditation resources available on the internet that utilize
different methodologies including breathwork, sound healing,
visualization, and more. Find some different guided meditations and see
what works for you and build on your mindfulness and meditation
practices to increase your ability to act with intention, rather than
from a reactionary emotional place in more stressful situations.
Before going out to an action, make time to set intentions (what is your
role, how will you perform this role, etc.) and mentally prepare
yourself for the type of action that you are participating in. It can
also be very helpful to declutter or clean your space, so when you come
home you can relax more easily. You do not have to do a complete deep
clean of your space. Prioritizing specific spaces that will make coming
home after a draining and potentially traumatic experience can help
reduce stress in the aftermath of an action.
Being prepared for potential risks and making sure that you are
outfitted with all of the things that you need is a practical way to
reduce anxiety and mentally prepare yourself for direct action. Make
sure you have plenty of water, snacks with protein, electrolytes to add
to water in case of dehydration, medications you may need, assistive
equipment, and basic first aid gear. Additionally, while you are
preparing make sure you write important information down for someone
whom you trust that will be outside of the action containing your
government name (in case of arrest), medical, and other important
information that may be needed in case you are injured or arrested.
Pay attention to your triggers and know your boundaries. Triggers are
anything that might cause us to make decisions in fight or flight mode,
which can unnecessarily endanger your comrades or leave them with no
support. You may not be comfortable performing certain tasks, and that
is okay! Know what you are capable of and what you can say yes to. For
instance, you may need to say: âI canât do that, but I can do this
instead.â Know what your skills, strengths, and weaknesses are and be
honest about them to yourself and your group. Prioritize and set
realistic goals. Be willing to adjust your plans or call people in to
help when you are feeling overwhelmed or exhausted. Many times,
activists take on too much or do not recognize or honor their
boundariesâwhich leads to burn-out, resentment, injury, exhaustion, and
conflict. Call people in to help if you feel overburdened or need to be
relieved from your role. Make sure you prioritize self-care and healing
during and after direct actions to avoid burn-out, exhaustion, injuries,
or illnesses.
It is important to pay attention to your triggers, so that you can
address your needs and be prepared for participating in the frontlines.
Emotional first aid in the frontlines can take many forms, such as
providing emotional reassurance and helping people stay grounded to keep
people alert, focused on the mission, and safe. Emotional first
responders should have a healer buddy they work with to check in with
and to support each other during frontline actions. Make sure to do no
harm while working in the frontlines or backlines of an action. Ask for
consent before offering advice or support to your comrades and remember
to lead with humility and empathy. Embed yourself within the frontlines
in an intentional way, and make sure you continue to build relationships
within your organization and the larger activist community. Having weak
community relations makes it more likely that infiltrators and
agent-provocateurs can derail your operations or purposefully trigger
emotional responses to escalate the situation. The last line of defense
is one-on-one therapy in emotional first aid.
As an emotional first aid responder, develop a process for providing
anxiety relief and emotional support. Let people know how you can help
and where to go to find emotional first aid. Destigmatize mental health
issues and normalize asking for help and emotional support within
movement spaces. Help make sure people have a safe place to go or means
of getting home or direct them to resources that can help them with any
issues that might be causing them distress. Emphasize that mutual aid
and self-care are integral to keeping everyone safe and healthy, and
that there is no room for ârugged individualismâ and toughing it out.
Know who you can consult and put their number in your phone. Be open to
receive feedback.
The frontlines, or the area of a protest where direct action is taking
place, can change moment to moment. Flexibility and adaptability is very
crucial in frontline spaces. Tensions can rise and fall quickly,
depending on the circumstances. Violence and trauma are unfortunately a
risk, particularly closer to police lines. The frontlines can be
extremely stressful and tension can shift in a moment, so it is
important to learn grounding techniques in order to stay focused on our
roles and to act with care and intention when the moment calls for it â
rather than to resort to reactionary fight/flight responses. Here are
some techniques that can be used to ground yourself and others during
actions:
attention to the present moment and out of fear/anxiety mode. Discussed
in the previous section about preparing for direct action. 3-Part Breath
can help stop anxious thinking and sensory overload and increase
awareness of surroundings. Can be used to get people out of anxiety mode
or dissociation.
adhere to peopleâs needs. Find out what is going on, assess needs, take
action, and direct people to supportive care and resources they can use
later on. Have someone focus on an object to distract from their
feelings. Objects provide a frame of reference so that people can pull
out of flashbacks or dissociative states.
hear around you? Name 5 things you can see. This practice can get you
out of anxiety mode, and serves to reorient your mind towards your
current environment.
herbs that can help reduce stress. Mullein, Slippery Elm, Mint are herbs
that can aid respiratory function, which can be especially important if
people have been or may be subjected to tear gas or may be feeling
congested due to environmental allergies. Natural and traditional
medicines can offer a lot to ease tension and help people stay alert.
Source your herbs sustainably and responsibly.
of your body, starting from the top and moving your way down. Tighten
and release muscles in various parts of your body. Loosen your jaw. Rub
your temples and the muscles just over your ears in a circular motion.
Put your hands on your head. Turn your body to stretch your hips and
neck. Gently stretch different parts of your body and notice where you
are feeling tightness or pain. Pain is an indicator of possible injury,
so move slowly and allow the stretching to release the tension being
held in your muscles. Be careful not to overextend your stretches. Focus
on drawing your breath into areas of your body where you are noticing
pain or tightness to help relieve the tension. These are simple methods
that you can use to quickly release tension and feel more comfortable in
the moment.
engagement may require different considerations, read your situation and
the mood. Check in with your friends and comrades, make sure they are
doing okay. If you notice any signs of exhaustion, dehydration, or
stress, offer assistance or gently remind your comrade to take some time
to rest, refuel body with water and food, or access other resources that
are available.
moments of joy is also an integral part of resistance work. Emma Goldman
said âIf I canât dance, I donât want to be part of your revolution.â
Finding joy in the moment can help us be more resilient and relieve some
of the stress that is inherent to movement work. Feel free to
incorporate dance, songs, and other practical ways to lift spirits and
energize your group.
part of our lives and has immense power for healing, for comfort or for
restoring energy. Sorrowful music for sorrowful times, uplifting music
for times to get people energized.
out.
During actions the backlines are often the base of operations in
movements. The backlines often include areas where people can go to
receive medical attention, to distribute resources (food, water, gear,
etc. ), to provide jail support, and receive emotional first aid. These
are often staging areas in public spaces, where people can gather before
a march or facilitate political education/trainings. Itâs important to
remember that frontlines and backlines can shift rapidly. And also
remember to stay alert and emotionally grounded, so that you can respond
appropriately.
Emotional First Aid â have a space or area dedicated to
trauma-responders who have experience with mental health. They can work
with or alongside street medicsâ tents. Yoga, art therapy, aroma
therapy, somatics, massage therapy, or any other restorative practices
might be appropriate depending on the skills and resources that are
available in the community. Healing spaces should be held away from
areas where there is a potential threat to safety. These can be areas
where we share skills, hold space for personal healing and
transformation, and provide information about different resources that
are available.
Identify before actions folks that can be helpful in case of traumatic
events. Ensure that you donât burn out. A good organizerâs self-care is
just as crucial as the actions they are helping organize. It helps to
remove ego and a results-driven mindset from your activism. Putting in
work and being impatient for results, or even expecting results in your
lifetime will bring more stress than it is worth and ultimately lead to
burn-out and other negative events in your life. If you feel frustrated
or hopeless, taking the time for self-care is important. There is no big
bang pay-off you will miss out on. Shift your mindset. Recognize that
people have been fighting for centuries and there is still work to be
done. Accept that you wonât see the final âresultâ of the movement.
Conserve your mental and physical energy, use it effectively and shift
your activism into lifelong actions.
If your protests achieve a level of success that they exist for an
extended period of time, they will often have the opportunity to become
more coordinated. Those in positions of respect will often be looked to
to decide what sort of tactics will and will not be allowed proceeding
forward. However, this is a dangerous path. The state has become very
good at suppressing leaders and infiltrating hierarchical structures. It
is much harder, however, for the state to infiltrate flatter and more
democratic bodies.
This is why protesters should create horizontal council structures where
consensus decides future action. These horizontal council bodies will
not sideline organic leaders; they will merely remove their power to
decide for everyone else. Indeed, if one wants to create a council body,
one of the most effective first steps is to locate an organic leader and
then convince them that decisions should be made through the democratic
body instead.
There are many kinds of councils which can be built, outside of
protests, during protests, and even enduring afterwards. Below is a list
of different kinds of council bodies that can be created, from Let Your
Motto Be Resistance by Kali Akuno:
or suburban block and/or street should be the foundation of all our
efforts. This type of organizing entails building deep relationships
with our neighbors and their families, identifying mutual interests, and
building clear lines of communication.
Block Committees, that unite several Block Committees into a joint
structure that addresses the shared interests and needs of the
community, including addressing complaints against the police or the
government in general and resolving disputes within the community
itself.
Neighborhood Committees that serve to unite the strategies and
activities of the New Afrikan forces throughout the city.
to both resolve their own issues and disputes and to formulate their
issues and concerns relative to the health and well-being of the larger
community.
victims of police violence, including the family members of those who
were killed by the police or other law enforcement agencies. These
Councils represent the interests of the victims to the community and
should take the lead in the formulation of demands on the government,
and the strategies and and tactics that will be employed to attain
justice.
organize themselves to address their specific needs and issues. One of
its primary functions will be to address issues of abuse and/or violence
(domestic violence, assaults, rape, etc.), committees against women
either by the police or other government agencies or by men in the
community, including determining processes or rectification and healing.
instruments that serve to direct vehicles of Peopleâs Power. These
Assemblies would be called to develop and institute autonomous solutions
to various social issues and contradictions and to develop and advance
various demands on the state.
Councils, City Councils, or Peopleâs Assemblies and are communal spaces
to gather evidence regarding police brutality and state repression to
shape a Peopleâs response to these crimes against humanity to secure
justice through the administration of Peopleâs Power via boycotts,
divestment measures, and various types of sanctions that bring the state
and capital to heel or transform them altogether.
organizations and various suggested committees that focus on monitoring
the police and other enforcement agencies operating in our communities,
documenting their activities, and when necessary, intervening to prevent
state abuses and repression. Copwatch initiatives should also provide
various types of self-defense and security trainings, including âknow
your rightsâ trainings and political education or the community.
independent organizations and the aforementioned communities to secure
our communities from various threats at public gatherings and events, to
respond to forces that pose threats to the community, and to respond to
social and natural crises that confront the community.
similar social purposes. However, unlike the Security Teams they are
organized more explicitly to educate and train the community in the arts
of self defense, defensive fortifications, and military operations. The
other major function of the Militia should be to respond to major crisis
like the floods in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and the rebellion
in Oakland, CA, following the murder of Oscar Grant, to make sure our
peopleâs safety is secure and that the state is not abusing our people.
crisis such as that posed by Hurricane Katrina, to make sure that in the
midst of a crisis our people are physically safe, treated with dignity,
have food to eat, clean water to drink, and medically treated and
provided with adequate housing. These Teams should be prepared to set up
autonomous clinics and other emergency response operations following a
catastrophe, like the Common Ground Collective and Peoplesâ Hurricane
Relief Fund in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, or Occupy Wall
Street after Superstorm Sandy in New York City.
Such council bodies may have many different purposes, as can be seen.
One thing they do is create a way to arrive on an agreement about
tactics. Lack of agreement on tactics leads to a confused mass working
on conflicting principles. Another one of the most important purposes is
that they provide a form of mediation for disputes. Do not let internal
disputes get out of hand. When two parties are having a dispute, find a
neutral party to act as a mediator. This mediator should be agreed to by
both of the people who are in the dispute and after the mediator hears
the difficulties of both sides, they should offer a path toward
remuneration and rehabilitation for those who are involved. Above all,
deal with these disputes in a civil fashion. Fury is for the state.
It is recommended, if numbers are relatively small in the council you
form, that full consensus be sought. That is to say, vote and negotiate
on measures until the only votes remaining are only âyayâs and
âabstains.â This is most recommended because it means that all concerns
are brought to the table and dealt with and that everyone who is present
actually believes in the action. No oneâs views are discarded or
marginalized. An example consensus model might work like this:
Following this, there is a discussion period about the resolution. After
this discussion has concluded, the voters all place their first votes as
a temperature check and the results are tallied. If the first vote is
unanimous, the measure is passed and planning will begin.
concerns into deal-breakers or non-deal-breakers. Those who have said
that their grievances are not deal-breakers put their complaints into
one of several categories and each category of complaint elects a
delegate to plead their case.
weigh in on their agreement with the grievance and those with the
grievance offer amendments that, if instituted, would garner their
support. These friendly amendments are then voted on and a temperature
check is taken to re-assess the status of consensus. If there is a
unanimous vote, the motion is passed and planning will begin.
deal-breaker are asked to categorize their complaints and elect
delegates to plead their case. Voters are then asked to weigh in on
their agreement with these grievances and more amendments are gathered.
If, after all amendments have been passed, turned down, or sustained,
and the vote is unanimous, the motion is passed and planning will begin.
The delegates mentioned here should be revocable at the whim of the
council. They are not representatives in the sense of modern
democracies; they are only given the power to carry through on the exact
mandate that was stipulated when they were made delegates. If the
council votes and reaches consensus that someone they have delegated to
a duty does not meet their standards or desires, they can simply remove
the delegate and then either replace them or scrap the need for that
delegate.
Consensus can be difficult to manage when numbers grow due to the
differences in needs, beliefs, and desires of those involved. If your
council begins to grow too large to make decisions by consensus, you
generally have two options:
Option 1 is to split into smaller full consensus councils and then
maintain what is called a Spokes Council. This new Spokes Council will
be numbered by delegated members from the smaller councils called
Spokes, which bring word of proposals in the Spokes Council back to
their smaller Community Council, then have them reach a vote, then
return to the Spokes Council to vote as their Community has voted.
Option 2 is to weaken the consensus that is needed into what is called a
Weak Consensus model. In such a model, if you cannot reach absolute
consensus, you fallback to a 2/3 vote to settle and move forward, while
maintaining an accountability process by the minority. We will lay out
how such a weak consensus might work.
Following this, there is a discussion period about the resolution. After
this discussion has concluded, the voters all place their first votes as
a temperature check and the results are tallied. If the first vote comes
to a 90% majority, the measure is passed and planning will begin.
concerns into deal-breakers or non-deal-breakers. Those who have said
that their grievances are not deal-breakers put their complaints into
one of several categories and each category of complaint elects a
delegate to plead their case.
weigh in on their agreement with the grievance and those with the
grievance offer amendments that, if instituted, would garner their
support. These friendly amendments are then voted on and a temperature
check is taken to re-assess the status of consensus. If majority has now
reached 90%, the motion is passed and planning will begin.
deal-breaker are asked to categorize their complaints and elect
delegates to plead their case. Voters are then asked to weigh in on
their agreement with these grievances and more amendments are gathered.
If, after all amendments have been passed, turned down, or sustained,
the majority has now reached 2/3, the motion is passed and planning will
begin.
the planning phase of the resolution, such that they might still have
some recourse before the resolution is fully implemented. If, during
this contention phase, the majority drops below 50%, the resolution is
tabled or dismissed.
and implementation, the resolution is carried forward. The body now
elects a delegate or numerous delegates to carry out the implementation
of the measure under the strict mandate of what was contained in it.
Above all else, avoid formal leadership or centralization. Organic
leaders should never be given formal power. Avoid all cults of
personality. Dissolve the power of all leaders to the councils. Those
with formal positions of power are not strengths, they are liabilities.
Any that remain will become a threat either during the protests or in
whatever remains of the movement after the protests cease. It is not
that it is bad to trust to the expertise of others, it is that they
should never be given the power to dominate you. If they are truly
organic leaders, then their suggestions will surely be held up by
consensus or 2/3 majorities and they can then be delegated to carry out
the tasks that leadership would have been given anyway!
If you are seeking to form a permanent organization of some sort, The
Black Flag Catalyst has published four distinct frameworks which we
believe will aid people in this process. Each of these default to the
usage of the Strong Conensus Model listed above.
We invite you to use these freely and modify them to your desires.
Ultimately, we must see times of rupture and revolt as opportunities to
build the new world. In absence of the state, we must create the bodies
of solidarity and consensus which will solve the problems of this world.
When a protest campaign proceeds for a long period of time, planning can
enter into strategy instead of simple tactics. That is to say, the
choice of how the protest will proceed in response to the broader
approach of the police can become important. How do you choose whether
to escalate or de-escalate? When is it important to focus on clashes
with the state and when should you work to build protest democracy? The
general rule is as following, although it should not be taken as
ironclad: when the state escalates, focus on the clashes. When the state
de-escalates or stalls their tactics, begin building.
One of the most useful things that can be done in de-escalation or
static phases, is to create autonomous areas. That is to say, when the
police have begun to respond with static tactics, so long as you have
learned to respond, you should create permanent staging grounds in
strategic areas which are close to your frontlines. The first priority
of setting up these staging areas is to create a permanent autonomous
zone wherein the police cannot enter. Barricades, as described earlier,
can serve as a means to enforce this autonomy, but also placing your
militants at these locations as to maintain autonomy from police, may be
required. It is recommended that these areas use the document linked
above titled Autonomous Zone.
Regardless, these staging areas can serve numerous purposes. First, they
serve as a place wherein protesters can be safe before and after
protests, as well as places for protesters to sleep and receive medical
care, distribute food and water, and so on. Further, they should be made
into cultural hubs. There is no reason that occupation here should be a
purely military affair. Do not be afraid to let bands perform or enjoy
yourselves. However, beware ever letting these activities distract you
from your purpose.
These autonomous regions are also the area wherein it is best to
practice protest democracy, because they are under less surveillance by
police. Their existence will, however, also very likely escalate
tensions with the police, as the creation of mutual aid programs and the
assertion of autonomy for the protesters is a threat to police hegemony.
Thus, these autonomous areas will have a tendency to escalate tensions.
These bodies are practicing what is called prefiguration. That is to
say, what happens in these autonomous regions should, as best as
conceivably possible, mimic the world you want to create. That means
that you should treat them as spaces for radical experimentation and
application of movement principlism, but also the enforcement of a new
order of social harmony, as a thing which can sustain itself. In
creating these autonomous regions, you are therefore seeding the bodies
of revolution. This makes them a dire threat to the state and thus you
must be prepared to defend them and to enact their principles
fearlessly. In creating these regions in every major city in America, we
are planting the seeds of a revolutionary future.
ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE.
Structure
The organization is hosted on a Discord server called Your
Organizationâs Name which consists of voice and text channels. The
decisions made by the org must be voted on through the method in the
section titled Procedure and members are admitted by way of the rules in
the section titled Membership.
Points of Unity
The following principles are the points which individuals must agree
upon in order to be admitted as a member of Your Organizationâs Name .
They represent guiding concepts which should animate the purpose and
direction of the organizationâs decisions.
Server Principles
There are the principles which are modeled in discussions on the server.
Due Representation: Black, non-Black indigenous, non-white, LGBTQIA+,
Women, neurodivergent, those considered disabled by others or disabled
by society through medicalization or therapization of need instead of
being accomodated, and those who do not speak often should have their
voices prioritized in discussions.
Mutual Respect: Even when having heated disputes, members should avoid
insulting one another or assuming bad faith.
Membership
New members may be added to the group, so long as they are vouched for
by at least one existing member. After this, to become a member of Your
Organizationâs Name , the user must agree to the Points of Unity in the
channel #platform. If they do, they will be given the âmemberâ role.
Anyone who is a member of the group is subject to the rules listed in
this document. A member may only be removed by going through the process
listed under Grievances.
Delegation
If a proposal requires a particular person or group of people to carry
it out and the body deems it necessary, they may elect a delegate. A
delegate is a person given the right to act to carry out whatever is
within the bounds of a particular proposal that was passed by the
server. A delegate can have delegate status revoked at any point by a
vote.
Procedure
Voting on the Discord server takes place by first presenting ideas in
the channel #proposals. Once these ideas have been fleshed out and
turned into an operable form, the person who is making the proposal
should turn it into a clean and fully descriptive version then post it
in #voting and use the @everyone prompt to get people to vote on it. Any
proposal posted into #voting should get 72 hours for everyone to vote on
it. In order to vote on a proposal, people should use up, down, or X
(abstain) emojis.
A proposal only passes if it consists solely of ups and abstains. If it
can be seen that there have been down votes, the user who made the
proposal can ask all of those who voted down what their objections are
during the 72 hours period. They should seek to amend the proposal to
accommodate the concerns of the downvotes and if they do, the downvoters
should turn their votes into up votes. If, after 72 hours, the proposal
only has ups and abstains, it passes.
Grievances
Although all of the processes listed above are created precisely to
avoid grievances between members of the group, it is nonetheless the
case that legitimate problems will arise between members.
Mediation
When members are having a dispute with one another, all of those
involved should choose a party that they all agree is neutral in order
to hear out the issues of both sides. It is recommended that those
involved in the grievance process not have pre-conditions before they
are willing to enter mediation. After that, the neutral party should
offer a path forward that they think will balance the needs of all
involved parties. The parties may choose to accept or reject this path
forward or offer changes to it. Alternatively, they may ask that another
path to reconciliation be offered or that a new mediator be chosen.
Expulsion
If it is determined that a member is violating the Points of Unity,
Sever Principles, or any of the rules laid out in this document, they
may have their member status stripped from them with a proposal and a
vote where the vote of the member in question does not count. The member
that is being expelled will have an opportunity to plead their case
after their expulsion has been proposed and before voting begins. All
other rules to voting and procedure must be followed in this process.
Bylaw Amendments
Anything contained in this document can be edited by simply passing a
proposal through the meetings. This is a living document and should be
changed as the group desires.
Structure
Your Organizationâs Name will be a democratic body functioning on a
consensus model described in the section titled Meetings and will be
composed of Members, as described in the section titled Membership.
Members within Your Organizationâs Name may also choose to form into
Work Groups. These Work Groups should be formed when there is a
particular interest or need which must be addressed in order for the
group to function. Examples of Work Groups are: A Black Work Group, an
Indigenous American Work Group, a Womenâs Work Group, etc⊠These Work
Groups are advised to also use the rules laid out in Procedure in order
to make internal decisions, but regardless, they will meet separately
from the main group meetings. One of the main functions of the Work
Group is to discuss issues that the Work Group sees playing out and to
form proposals to be brought to the group meetings in order to gain
passage.
Points of Unity
The following principles are the points which individuals must agree to
in order to be admitted as a member of Your Organizationâs Name . They
represent guiding concepts which should animate the purpose and
direction of the groupâs decisions.
Membership
New members may be added so long as they are vouched for by at least one
existing member of the group and that they agree to the Points of Unity
of Your Organizationâs Name . They may only be removed by going through
the process listed under Grievance.
Delegation
If a proposal requires a particular person or group of people to carry
it out and the body deems it necessary, they may elect a delegate. A
delegate is a person given the right to act to carry out only what is
within the bounds of a particular proposal that was passed by Your
Organizationâs Name . A delegate can have delegate status revoked at any
point by a vote during meetings.
Meetings
In order for meetings to be carried out in a way where everyone gets
their time to speak, the following procedures should be followed:
Meeting Principles
One Mic: Only one person speaks at a time.
Progressive Stack: The Stack Keeper should put any person that is Black,
Indigenous American, LGBTQIA+, a Woman, neurodivergent, or even those
who have not spoken yet, at the top of the stack. This is to make sure
that those with marginalized voices are always heard and are not tread
underneath those with majority perspectives or backgrounds.
Mutual Respect: Even when having heated disputes, members should avoid
insulting one another or assuming bad faith.
Roles
The people in the following positions should rotate from different
members of the group in order to prevent appearances of favouritism or
erasure. At the beginning of each meeting, decide who should do each of
these tasks.
Facilitator: The job of the facilitator is to moderate the meeting, but
not to lead it. This is to say; the facilitator should make sure that
the rules are being followed and they should keep the meeting on track,
proceeding through the various parts of the agenda, but they should not
intercede their opinions or direct discussion in any particular
direction. The facilitator should be a neutral party that seeks to
maintain good will and ease tensions, while keeping order in the
discussions.
Stack Keeper: The job of the stack keeper is to keep track of everyone
who needs to speak in the audience, keep a list, keep track of the order
of those who have spoken, and enforce the Progressive Stack.
Notekeeper: The job of the notekeeper is to keep a record of the
discussions being had and then, at the behest of the group, either keep
the notes somewhere secure or discard them. The notekeeper should redact
anything that the assembly does not want recorded.
Procedure
The following is a description of how meetings should be structured:
what has taken place in between meetings, especially the decisions of
Work Groups and the outcomes of direct actions.
It should be limited to some set amount of time for each meeting, so
that it does not overflow and disallow time for proposals and voting.
During this period, the facilitator may ask for what is called a
temperature check, which is a non-binding vote, on the spot, of everyone
that is present, in order to gauge support for an item under discussion.
body.
Following this, there is a discussion period about the resolution.
After this discussion has concluded, the voters all place their first
votes as a temperature check and the results are tallied.
If the first vote is unanimous, the measure is passed and planning will
begin.
If not, those who voted against the measure are asked to qualify their
concerns and plead their case.
After they have pleaded their case, voters are asked to weigh in on
their agreement with the grievance and those with the grievance offer
amendments that, if instituted, would garner their support.
These friendly amendments are then voted on and the status of consensus
is re-assessed. If there is a unanimous vote, the motion is passed.
If, after all amendments have been passed, turned down, or sustained,
the vote is unanimous, the motion is passed and planning will begin.
Otherwise, the motion is tabled or dismissed.
final comments and announcements, then call the meeting to a close.
Grievances
Although all of the processes listed above are created precisely to
avoid grievances between members of the group, it is nonetheless the
case that legitimate problems will arise between members.
Mediation
When members are having a dispute with one another, all of those
involved should choose a party that they all agree is neutral in order
to hear out the issues of both sides. It is recommended that those
involved in the grievance process not have pre-conditions before they
are willing to enter mediation. After that, the neutral party should
offer a path forward that they think will balance the needs of all
involved parties. The parties may choose to accept or reject this path
forward or offer changes to it. Alternatively, they may ask that another
path to reconciliation be offered or that a new mediator be chosen.
Expulsion
If it is determined that a member is violating the Points of Unity,
Meeting Principles, or any of the rules laid out in this document, they
may have their member status stripped from them with a proposal and a
vote where the vote of the member in question does not count. The member
that is being expelled will have an opportunity to plead their case
after their expulsion has been proposed and before voting begins. All
other rules to voting and procedure must be followed in this process.
Bylaw Amendments
Anything contained in this document can be edited by simply passing a
proposal through the meetings. This is a living document and should be
changed as the group desires.
Structure
The General Assembly is a democratic body functioning in a space which
is open to the public with a consensus model described in the section
titled Meetings and composed of participants, as described in the
section titled Participants.
Participants of the General Assembly may also choose to form into
Working Groups. Working Groups are formed when there is a particular
interest or need which must be addressed in order for the General
Assembly to function. (Ex: A Black Working Group, an Indigenous American
Working Group, a Womenâs Working Group, etcâŠ) These Working Groups are
advised to use the rules laid out in Procedure in order to make internal
decisions. Working Groups will meet on their own, apart from the General
Assembly either in breakouts during General Assembly meetings or during
separate Working Group meetings.
The General Assembly may create and pass proposals which affect the
Working Groups, but the Working Groups may not create and pass proposals
which affect the General Assembly, nor which infringe on the General
Assemblyâs right to pass proposals concerning the structure of the
Working Groups.
Points of Unity
The following principles are the points which individuals must agree to
in order to be admitted as a participant of the General Assembly. They
represent guiding concepts which should animate the purpose and
direction of the groupâs decisions.
Participants
All of those who are present for the General Assembly meeting and agree
to the rules in this document are valid participants. All participants
have the right to vote in the proceedings of the General Assembly,
although non-participants may or may not be permitted to sit in on
meetings. Participants can only be excluded by going through the process
listed under Grievance.
Delegation
If a proposal requires a particular person or group of people to carry
it out and the body deems it necessary, they may elect a delegate. A
delegate is a person given the right to act to carry out only what is
within the bounds of a particular proposal that was passed by the
General Assembly or Working Groups. A delegate can have delegate status
revoked at any point by a vote in the General Assembly or the delegating
Working Group.
Meetings
In order for meetings to be carried out in a way where everyone gets
their time to speak, the following procedures should be followed:
Meeting Principles
One Mic: Only one person speaks at a time.
Progressive Stack: The Stack Keeper should put any person that is Black,
Indigenous American, LGBTQIA+, Transgender, a Woman, neurodivergent, or
even those who have not spoken yet, at the top of the stack. This is to
make sure that those with marginalized voices are always heard and are
not tread underneath those with majority perspectives or backgrounds.
Mutual Respect: Even when having heated disputes, participants should
avoid insulting one another or assuming bad faith.
Roles
The people in the following positions should rotate from different
participants of the General Assembly in order to prevent appearances of
favouritism or erasure.
Facilitator: The job of the facilitator is to moderate the meeting, but
not to lead it. This is to say; the facilitator should make sure that
the rules are being followed and they should keep the meeting on track,
proceeding through the various parts of the agenda, but they should not
intercede their opinions or direct discussion in any particular
direction. The facilitator should be a neutral party that seeks to
maintain good will and ease tensions, while keeping order in the
discussions.
Stack Keeper: The job of the stack keeper is to keep track of everyone
who needs to speak in the audience, keep a list, keep track of the order
of those who have spoken, and enforce the Progressive Stack.
Notekeeper: The job of the notekeeper is to keep a record of the
discussions being had and then, at the behest of the General Assembly,
either keep the notes somewhere secure or discard them. The notekeeper
should redact anything that the assembly does not want recorded.
Procedure
The following is a description of how meetings should be structured:
what has taken place in between meetings, especially the decisions of
Work Groups and the outcomes of direct actions.
It should be limited to some set amount of time for each meeting, so
that it does not overflow and disallow time for proposals and voting.
During this period, the facilitator may ask for what is called a
temperature check, which is a non-binding vote, on the spot, of everyone
that is present, in order to gauge support for an item under discussion.
body.
Following this, there is a discussion period about the resolution.
After this discussion has concluded, the voters all place their first
votes as a temperature check and the results are tallied.
If the first vote is unanimous, the measure is passed and planning will
begin.
If not, those who voted against the measure are asked to qualify their
concerns and plead their case.
After they have pleaded their case, voters are asked to weigh in on
their agreement with the grievance and those with the grievance offer
amendments that, if instituted, would garner their support.
These friendly amendments are then voted on and the status of consensus
is re-assessed. If there is a unanimous vote, the motion is passed.
If, after all amendments have been passed, turned down, or sustained,
the vote is unanimous, the motion is passed and planning will begin.
Otherwise, the motion is tabled or dismissed.
final comments and announcements, then call the meeting to a close.
Grievances
Although all of the processes listed above are created precisely to
avoid grievances between participants of the group, it is nonetheless
the case that legitimate problems will arise between participants.
Mediation
When participants are having a dispute with one another, all of those
involved should choose a party that they all agree is neutral in order
to hear out the issues of both sides. It is recommended that those
involved in the grievance process not have pre-conditions before they
are willing to enter mediation. After that, the neutral party should
offer a path forward that they think will balance the needs of all
involved parties. The parties may choose to accept or reject this path
forward or offer changes to it. Alternatively, they may ask that another
path to reconciliation be offered or that a new mediator be chosen.
Exclusion
If it is determined that a participant is violating the Points of Unity,
Meeting Principles, or any of the rules laid out in this document, they
may have their status as a valid participant stripped from them with a
proposal and a vote where the vote of the participant in question does
not count. The participant that is being excluded will have an
opportunity to plead their case after their exclusion has been proposed
and before voting begins. All other rules to voting and procedure must
be followed in this process.
Bylaw Amendments
Anything contained in this document can be edited by simply passing a
proposal through the meetings. This is a living document and should be
changed as the group desires.
Structure
The Peopleâs Assembly will be a democratic body functioning inside Your
Autonomous Zoneâs Name with a consensus model described in the section
titled Meetings and is composed of Members, as described in the section
titled Membership.
Members within the Peopleâs Assembly may also choose to form into
Councils. Councils are formed when there is a particular interest or
need which must be addressed in order for the Peopleâs Assembly to
function. (Ex: A Black Council, an Indigenous American Council, a
Womenâs Council, etcâŠ) These Councils are advised to use the rules laid
out in Procedure in order to make internal decisions. Councils will meet
on their own, apart from the Peopleâs Assembly either in breakouts
during Peopleâs Assembly meetings or during separate Council meetings.
Autonomous Zone Security is appointed formally through the process
listed under Delegation. Vigilante security forces should be formally
absorbed into the Autonomous Zone Security, dissolved, or asked to leave
the zone. The Autonomous Zone Security is fully under the control of the
Peopleâs Assembly and is subject to all rules within this document.
The Peopleâs Assembly may create and pass proposals which affect the
Councils and the Autonomous Zone Security, but the Councils and
Autonomous Zone Security may not create and pass proposals which affect
the Peopleâs Assembly, nor which infringe on the Peopleâs Assemblyâs
right to pass proposals concerning the structure of the Councils or
Autonomous Zone Security.
Points of Unity
The following principles are the points which individuals must agree to
in order to be admitted as a member of the Peopleâs Assembly. They
represent guiding concepts which should animate the purpose and
direction of the groupâs decisions.
Membership
All of those who originally voted to pass these bylaws and agreed to the
Points of Unity are made members. Only members have the right to vote in
the proceedings of the Peopleâs Assembly, although non-members may or
may not be permitted to sit in on meetings.
New members may be added so long as they are vouched for by at least one
existing member of the group and agree to the Points of Unity. They may
only be removed by going through the process listed under Grievance.
Delegation
If a proposal requires a particular person or group of people to carry
it out and the body deems it necessary, they may elect a delegate. A
delegate is a person given the right to act to carry out only what is
within the bounds of a particular proposal that was passed by the
Peopleâs Assembly or Councils. A delegate can have delegate status
revoked at any point by a vote in the Peopleâs Assembly or the
delegating Council.
Meetings
In order for meetings to be carried out in a way where everyone gets
their time to speak, the following procedures should be followed:
Meeting Principles
One Mic: Only one person speaks at a time.
Progressive Stack: The Stack Keeper should put any person that is Black,
Indigenous American, LGBTQIA+, Transgender, a Woman, neurodivergent, or
even those who have not spoken yet, at the top of the stack. This is to
make sure that those with marginalized voices are always heard and are
not tread underneath those with majority perspectives or backgrounds.
Mutual Respect: Even when having heated disputes, members should avoid
insulting one another or assuming bad faith.
Roles
The people in the following positions should rotate from different
members of the Peopleâs Assembly in order to prevent appearances of
favouritism or erasure.
Facilitator: The job of the facilitator is to moderate the meeting, but
not to lead it. This is to say; the facilitator should make sure that
the rules are being followed and they should keep the meeting on track,
proceeding through the various parts of the agenda, but they should not
intercede their opinions or direct discussion in any particular
direction. The facilitator should be a neutral party that seeks to
maintain good will and ease tensions, while keeping order in the
discussions.
Stack Keeper: The job of the stack keeper is to keep track of everyone
who needs to speak in the audience, keep a list, keep track of the order
of those who have spoken, and enforce the Progressive Stack.
Notekeeper: The job of the notekeeper is to keep a record of the
discussions being had and then, at the behest of the Peopleâs Assembly,
either keep the notes somewhere secure or discard them. The notekeeper
should redact anything that the assembly does not want recorded.
Procedure
The following is a description of how meetings should be structured:
what has taken place in between meetings, especially the decisions of
Work Groups and the outcomes of direct actions.
It should be limited to some set amount of time for each meeting, so
that it does not overflow and disallow time for proposals and voting.
During this period, the facilitator may ask for what is called a
temperature check, which is a non-binding vote, on the spot, of everyone
that is present, in order to gauge support for an item under discussion.
body.
Following this, there is a discussion period about the resolution.
After this discussion has concluded, the voters all place their first
votes as a temperature check and the results are tallied.
If the first vote is unanimous, the measure is passed and planning will
begin.
If not, those who voted against the measure are asked to qualify their
concerns and plead their case.
After they have pleaded their case, voters are asked to weigh in on
their agreement with the grievance and those with the grievance offer
amendments that, if instituted, would garner their support.
These friendly amendments are then voted on and the status of consensus
is re-assessed. If there is a unanimous vote, the motion is passed.
If, after all amendments have been passed, turned down, or sustained,
the vote is unanimous, the motion is passed and planning will begin.
Otherwise, the motion is tabled or dismissed.
final comments and announcements, then call the meeting to a close.
Grievances
Although all of the processes listed above are created precisely to
avoid grievances between members of the group, it is nonetheless the
case that legitimate problems will arise between members.
Mediation
When members are having a dispute with one another, all of those
involved should choose a party that they all agree is neutral in order
to hear out the issues of both sides. It is recommended that those
involved in the grievance process not have pre-conditions before they
are willing to enter mediation. After that, the neutral party should
offer a path forward that they think will balance the needs of all
involved parties. The parties may choose to accept or reject this path
forward or offer changes to it. Alternatively, they may ask that another
path to reconciliation be offered or that a new mediator be chosen.
Expulsion
If it is determined that a member is violating the Points of Unity,
Meeting Principles, or any of the rules laid out in this document, they
may have their member status stripped from them with a proposal and a
vote where the vote of the member in question does not count. The member
that is being expelled will have an opportunity to plead their case
after their expulsion has been proposed and before voting begins. All
other rules to voting and procedure must be followed in this process.
Bylaw Amendments
Anything contained in this document can be edited by simply passing a
proposal through the meetings. This is a living document and should be
changed as the group desires.
voice in determining our common future. We organize for
self-determination by having decision-making power come from the bottom
up. All power to the people.
capitalism, patriarchy, imperialism, white supremacy, and all other
forms of oppression, and lift up the voices of the most marginalized. We
embrace Martin Luther Kingâs call for a radical revolution of values,
and uphold feminist, egalitarian, and indigenous values against
colonial, capitalist, and hierarchical values.
Earth. We embrace the holistic and reconstructive dimensions of
indigenous knowledge and ecological science. Capitalism is killing life
on our planet, and we are fighting to sustain life by reharmonizing
human societies with the rest of the natural world.
preservation of our ecosystems and the self-determination of our
communities. We seek to abolish the profit system and place economic
decision-making in the hands of communities and workers through
communal, cooperative economics and an ethic of mutual aid.
oppressive society through collective resistance to the destructive
capitalist system, together with the creation of living alternatives. We
organize for dual power in our communities by building democracy and
mutual aid outside the state, to confront the present system while
creating the future that will replace it. We are building the new world
in the shell of the old.
and experiences in our movement. Our diversity and our relationships
with one another are our greatest strengths. We believe that this whole
is greater than the sum of its parts, and that our interdependence and
common humanity unite us. The road is long, and we must walk it
together.