Let's Go Protest!

There have been, and will continue to be, protests. They are going to grow. They are the spark we need to help influence our elected officials to get out of their appeasement and collusion actions and STAND UP.

WE, THE PEOPLE, WILL LEAD THEM!

Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has instructed the caucus to, amoungst other things:

Lastly, we urge all Members to once again conduct district-wide outreach today, or as soon as possible this week, in order to connect directly with our constituents and discuss the challenges we are decisively addressing on their behalf. For example, I will conduct a telephone town hall meeting in my district this evening. We will track participation throughout the Caucus. (Full Dear Colleague Letter here.)

Plan to attend your local town hall meeting. And remember, these will only be Democratic town halls. The Rethuglicans are in hiding.

And keep the pressure up on Democratic senators to vote AGAINST ALL NOMINATIONS!

So let’s talk protests.

How do you know if a protest is legitimate?

Lots of things are posted on all the social media outlets. Some are legit, and some are not.

Avoid things that seem like sketchy, as in “I heard about this, I’m thinking of going”.

Look for: name of the organizer, details about speakers, reason(s) for the protest. Also, if you see something on Mobilize, it is far more likely to be legit (for now) than on social media, unless there is a link in the social media post back to Mobilize.

Mobilize is the platform used by Democratic organizations, progressive groups and non-profits for events and to recruit volunteers. With the exception of getting a free account good for 5 events, it’s a paid platform. And it’s not cheap. Organizers are always shown with any event. Therefore, you can always reach out to the organizer if you have questions. Indivisible groups all have access.

There may be hyper-local protests organized by individuals. If you are considering one, you need to talk to the person. Not second hand, THE person. These grassroots protests may well be legitimate, but you want to be sure. As protests grow, the regime will end up pushing back, so you want to be sure that it will be as safe as possible.

Feel free to leave general questions in the comments. I can’t necessarily tell you if a specific event is legit or not, unless I know the people involved.

I’ve never been to a protest before. What do I do?

The current protests are all non-violent, and hopefully that will continue. There have not yet been any arrests at this week’s protests, although there have been arrests earlier this year related to immigration protests.

First and foremost: WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES. I cannot stress this enough. Thank me later.

Next: carry as little as possible. You need ID, money¹, and a cell phone. I personally put my ID, credit card, and money in my bra. You can also get one of those belt wallets you wear inside your pants’ waistband. I carry my keys (house and car only, or just my house key if I’m taking public transportation) on a lanyard that I wear under my sweater.

Why do I follow my own advice? Even without violence, protests are a fertile hunting ground for pickpockets and people who will grab a purse and run. Since it’s winter, you can leverage pockets on your coat, so long as you make sure they stay zipped or buttoned. In addition, if you have things you don’t mind losing (in my case business cards and hand sanitizer) consider cargo pants since they have lots of pockets.

Feel free to bring a sign! Your hands will be free to hold it up proudly! Signs ROCK!

To mask or not to mask? There are cameras everywhere. A mask impedes facial recognition, although it’s still possible. In addition, an N95 mask will help prevent picking up any respiratory diseases. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, there is a lot of respiratory illness going around.

Since the current protests are non-violent, it’s unlikely that there will be a police presence, and even if there is one, they won’t be doing anything nefarious. If, eventually, you are going to a protest that could turn violent, think about your eyes. If you wear contacts, wear glasses instead that day because tear gas and contacts are a bad combination, plus glasses help prevent getting tear gas in your eyes.

Those are my suggestions. If, later, there are violent protests, or protests with the chance of getting arrested, I’ll put out another post on things you need to know for those situations. I mentioned the glasses things “just in case”.

Planning a Protest

The more people take the streets, the better off we are. If there is no protest in your town or city, YOU can be the catalyst. Since this is a public blog that anyone can read, if you want to plan something, send me a private message, and let me know where you are, and what you want to protest, and I’ll help guide you.

Tomorrow is a completely non-political post about someone I love heart and soul.

1. A note on money and credit cards. I have a healthy level of paranoia regarding personal safety. If I’m on my way to a protest, or coming home, and I want something to drink, I’ll pay cash because I look for ways to remain anonymous, and it’s just as easy to pay the (outrageous) $2 for a soda with cash. I bring one credit card just in case. Remember, if you carry a cell phone, you can be tracked unless it’s turned off.