Sun May 31 00:45:26 2020
<9fba64e5> ProtestTips/WhatToDo.md at master · frombeirutwithlove/ProtestTips · GitHub
<https://github.com/frombeirutwithlove/ProtestTips/blob/master/WhatToDo.md>
— WhatToDo.md
— “`
# From Beirut To Minneapolis
## A protest guide in solidarity
_In solidarity with protesters in Minneapolis and other American cities, Lebanese technologists,
protesters, and activists put together this document as a guide for escalating protests and documenting police abuse.
We recognize that our experiences and lived realities are different, but in the same way that we’ve found solidarity
with Hong Kong and Chile protesters, we wanted to extend ours to others._
## Protest safety, tear gas, and other hacks ✊?
_Protests can be an overwhelming experience when you are alone, so make sure – when possible –
to go with a friend or with a small group. You are safer when you stay together._
_Tear gas contains several compounds that, when in contact with air or moisture, irritate
the mucous membrane of the eyes, nose, mouth and lungs. This causes your eyes to tear up, your nose to run,
and makes it difficult to breathe. Tear gas exposure can cause confusion, panic, anger, and other psychological effects,
therefore try to remain calm. Panic is contagious._
### What to wear ?
– Generally, avoid exposed skin. If you can, wear goggles, long sleeve shirts, long pants, strong shoes that you can run in.
– Tight-fitting swim goggles/tight ski goggles.
– Wear glasses instead of contacts if at all possible. If you get pepper spray or tear gas in your eyes, remove contacts immediately before rinsing.
– Wear normal shoes to protect your feet in case people start throwing bottles/rocks- do not wear sandals.
– Use helmets (especially if you have a medical condition).
– Avoid wearing lotion or oils on your skin. Pepper spray and tear gas stick to it and burn.
### What to keep in your bag ?
– A bandana or mask cloth and a small bottle of cider vinegar (keep in mind that this should help
you for the short period of time you would need to get upwind or reach higher grounds). Soak bandana in water+vinegar if around tear gas. Beware that prolonged inhalation will irritate lungs.
– Mix water and Maalox (which is an anti-acid) in equal doses and have it ready in case of tear gas, for yourself or others.
– Keep cut onions with you to inhale if tear gas gets on your face. It worked well for some protestors in Lebanon because of the type of tear gas used. If possible, identify the tear gas used and that will allow you to figure out the best solutions for your context.
– Soda: Drinking soda usually helps instead of water. You can also wash your face with soda.
– A dry change of clothes inside a plastic bag in your bag- so you can change in case you get wet.
– Keep extra bandanas and change yours immediately if it’s exposed to tear gas. Soak in water+vinegar.
– First aid help to treat yourself or others.
– Portable battery for your phone.
### Behavioral safety tips
– Do not park your car/bike close to the protest site to prevent police from scanning your license plate
or damaging your bike/car. If you can walk to the protest, do it.
– Stay in pairs or in a small group of people so that they would notice in case you’re missing or get arrested.
– Decide on an exit strategy/meet up point with your group in case you get separated.
– Write a lawyer’s phone number on your arm with a marker and YELL OUT YOUR NAME, in case you’re arrested.
– If attacked by riot police DO NOT RUN, try to cover yourself and move away calmly (if with a group try
to form a circle and back away together).
– Try to remain on the outer circles, so you can easily get out and move out of danger if things get heated.
– In **NYC specifically**, undercover police are easily spotted as having a white band around their arm, like [this](<https://twitter.com/ZackBornstein/status/1266547600330600448?s=20>).
– Once you get out of the protest – hide anything that may show that you were actually attending a protest (flags/banners/wet
clothing)
– Don’t go back home alone, police/undercover police may be waiting for you.
– If you are using a gas mask, make sure to change the filters every day.
– If you forget to turn off your location settings, take meandering routes to confuse your phone’s location
in case police are looking at phone location data.
– If you are arrested and the police ask for a DNA swab, you have the right to refuse. If you are offered a drink, cigarette or gum in the precinct, it is most likely a trick to steal your DNA. This has been a practice in [NY specifically](<https://t.co/ay46AbGxZV?amp=1>), and probably elsewhere as well.
### If you’re hit with tear gas
– Once tear gas is deployed, get upwind or find higher ground and remember to breathe calmly.
– If you are wearing contact lenses, remove them immediately. Do not rub your face.
– Drinking or washing your face with water after you get exposed to teargas can exacerbate the stinging symptoms, not alleviate them.
– Wash from inside corner out – otherwise you will be washing chemicals into your eye. Tilt head sideways and wash from the corner out – never into the corner.
– Use cider vigar, soda, or Maalox-water mix to wash chemicals out.
– Milk or no milk? Tear gas and the chemiclas used in the past few years have evolved, and milk hasn’t shown to have a significant effect on relieving pain.
– Street traffic cones can be a good hack to use and cover tear gas cannisters. The top of the cone is usually open, and you can pour water through to diffuse the can.
### When you’re home
– Take a shower, making sure you let cold water wash over your eyes until the stinging is gone. Soap and
cold water should get rid of the chemicals from your skin. Hot water can make the burning worse.
– Get out of all your clothes and wash them separately in cold water. You might need to wash them several times to get rid
of the chemicals.
### If you get arrested
– You can refuse to ID yourself. In times of mass arrest, refusing to identify yourself can slow down the arrest and charge process, and you might get released after a night in jail without formal charges.
– You do not have to answer any questions, and can ask for a lawyer: “I want my attorney and I choose to remain silent” and then refuse questioning until you have a chance to talk to a lawyer.
– If the police ask to see your phone, tell them that you do not consent to a search of your device. They might still seize your phone and search it later, with a warrant, but you would have made it clear that you did not give them permission to do so.
– If the police ask for the password to unlock your phone (or ask you to unlock it yourself), you have the right to refuse and ask to speak to your lawyer.
## Digital Tips ?
_The police have very sophisticated surveillance equipment. Assume you are always being watched and tracked. Here are some general digital safety tips to minimize risk as much as possible._
– Use end-to-end encrypted apps like Signal or Whatsapp for messages and calls. Turn on disappearing messages
if your messaging app supports it. Avoid regular SMS/calls as it’s possible for police to intercept it.
– If you use biometrics unlock (thumbprint or facial recognition), immediately power off your phone if you’re arrested.
In some jurisdictions, officers can compel you to provide your fingerprint but not your passcode.
– Better yet, turn off fingerprint or face ID before going to a protest.
– Draft a message to a trusted friend (not at protest) or legal hotline.
Be ready to hit send if you are arrested/there is an emergency. Samsung devices have an SOS mode that does this.
– Be sure your phone is charged. Bring a portable battery.
– Practice turning off your phone, that is when its the most secure. Also practice initiating the panic/emergency/lock-down mode for iPhone and Android. These modes will temporarily disable biometrics (face/finger unlock) from working.
– Take photos and videos without unlocking your device
– If the police ask to see your phone, tell them that you do not consent to a search of your device. They might still be able to seize your phone and…