this post was submitted on 01 Mar 2024
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Gee, people in the US need to be this cautious when protesting? Where I live it's totally fine to just casually show up at protests, take selfies, talk to people and whatnot.
No...we don't. This I'm assuming is showing someone who's idea of protesting is burning cars and businesses down.
Sounds like someone doesn't know (or care) what can happen to protestors that are protesting the "wrong things"... Like oil and gas pipelines, for example, or training centers for heightened police militarization. Or foreign policy, even, that one has been happening for generations already.
Lol if only they would protest the right way, they wouldn't have to worry about anything, right?
Do you have anything to back your claims up?
The police in Atlanta literally executed a protest organizer in the protests against the new police training facility.
What has that to do with the precautions that are being suggested in the picture and in the comment section?
First. It pretty well disproves the "nothing to fear" line you used. Second, how do they know who to come after if your opsec is intact?
Well the police can declare an unlawful assembly at any time for any reason, which tends to stir up even peaceful crowds. Not to mention being face to face with militarized thugs in riot gear, drones, helicopters, armored vehicles, mounted police, tear gas and "non-lethal" rounds. If I had a gas cannister lobbed at me, why wouldn't I toss it right back. Fuck em. ACAB.
You might have no intention of causing trouble, but still get rounded up. Happened almost every day in my city for several months during BLM protests. Mass arrests of people in the wrong place at the wrong time. The countless live streamed videos don't lie, each protest was non-violent until police agitated the crowd.
I don't go looking for trouble but I have my limits just like anyone else.
The police have absolutely ordered peaceful day time crowds to disperse while blocking every exit. They then decide force is necessary because nobody is leaving. Look up police kettling.
You should take the same precautions in most european countries too, cops here are known to identify protesters and randomly raid their homes or arrest protesters under false pretense
I live in Canada and there is a university professor that had police visit his house because he took some pictures of an oil project that was being protested while he was on a walking trail near the university.
It was an interview on the cbc several years ago. He was a prof at SFU, I assume it was the trans mountain pipeline expansion.
That's because people in the US don't protest for real, since it's totally toothless there's not much crackdown either
Seems pretty relevant now as well. Just ask the brave environmental activists with RICO charges in Atlanta, for starters.
RIP Tortuguita
It depends on where you live. This absolutely is the present now in some countries. Like China you have to do this and more to protect your identity.
And even if your country isn't quite there yet, they could still be collecting all that data and just not doing anything with it other than observing and collecting more data on you/ the group.
You say that like the protestors of the civil rights era and multiple wars don't already have kids.
Alternatively: Hong Kong.
...in the `states, police can shoot you for any or no reason: we call it at-will liberty...
150 citizens were enfreedomed in todays public agreement demonstration.
It depends on the situation and the policing body.
I think it depends on the protest, a little bit, but that's generally the case in Canada, too.
I counter-protested anti-SOGI assholes (didn't want 2SLGBTQ+ taught in schools) and it was completely fine. I brought my 5 y.o.
It depends on the issue, time of day, and local cops. In San Diego a pro Palestinian march was allowed to go around and the cops mostly stayed away except for helping to block a few intersections.
In San Francisco they decided it was fine to pull anyone they thought was associated out of their cars and arrest them.
So as general advice, yeah. Especially if the police are the subject of the protest. They take that personally and you'll have to figure out how to deal with rubber bullets and tear gas
I dont think so, I only see normally dressed people in major protests. People like this are usually doing something bad. Makes me think of the alt right tbh.
It probably also depends on whether you are just holding a sign or straight up rioting.
Or holding...checks notes...
Wrench
Cordless drill
Water-hose nozzle
Flashlight
Shower rod
Cane
Broomstick
Hairbrush
Sunglasses
Bottle of cologne
Underwear
Tinfoil
Bottle of beer
Pill bottle
E-cigarette
Cell phone
Wallet
iPod
Wii remote
Toy truck
Sandwich
Bible
Hands
...can we add Acorn to the list? I think Acorn can go on there now, also.