Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2016 23:20:08 GMT -5
this is for u kiddos who do want to participate in protests
i went to one earlier tonight & it was overall a good experience. v cathartic and i feel better than i would have had i just stewed in my feelings
these tips are from my experiences
i went to one earlier tonight & it was overall a good experience. v cathartic and i feel better than i would have had i just stewed in my feelings
these tips are from my experiences
- don't go alone. go with at least one other person who you trust in case things do go poorly. also, it's pretty intimidating to be in a large, loud crowd all alone so it just feels better to go with someone.
- make sure your phone is charged so you can coordinate leaving afterwards. also, it's good for if your get separated from your friend so you can find them again. take pictures and video! if you see something going down, record that
- listen to police officers! you can think whatever you think about them, but do listen to them. in my case tonight, the police were actually there for us bc even tho i live in a liberal city we're still in western north carolina and the kkk marched through yesterday. they were still in town. we had police there to keep them away. they were also there to keep the roads clear. you can protest as long as the roads are clear. in fact, the only protestors i saw get arrested tonight had jaywalked and/or obstructed traffic.
- i brought pepper spray tonight, as did the people i went with. make sure it works bc there is an expiration date on pepper spray! also the nozzle can be wonky. only use it if you're the one being attacked. do not be the aggressor.
- common sense, but dress for the weather. this isn't a safety tip as much as it is common sense. it reached 50 F while i was out protesting tonight.
- don't be scared of the people you're protesting with. in my experience, they've been cool people. talk to them, actually! you're gonna be together for a couple hours and if you go to other protests you may see each other again. they've also helped me out (i didn't want to be on camera and a man who noticed that managed to cover my face with his sign. bless him)
- however, do worry about trump supporters. at least in my city, all of the violence at the protest originated with them. if they start yelling and threatening you (which they will) don't respond directly to them. you can chant louder, hold your sign higher. do not give them the satisfaction of a response. also, i saw 2 people get hurt tonight by trump supporters and saw those 2 aggressors get arrested
- if you do witness an act of violence, do alert the police officers present. if you can, record it or take a picture. however, if they puts you in danger, do not record or take a picture. but do tell the officer what happened, where it was, and who was involved. do not give this violent person the opportunity to do more
- be careful what you put on your sign. there were kids at the protest tonight because parents were there teaching their kids about the electoral college, democracy, right to protest, etc etc. basically do not cover your sign in profanity. mine said "queers against trump" for example and my friend's said "trump/pence kills lgbt kids." there is no need for profanity
- be smart about getting to the protest & back home. have a ride you can trust
- most importantly, be safe. if a situation is turning sour, leave