What can I say and do that can be the most helpful to this protest?

Do I understand why and how we plan to protest?

Do I support this action or set of beliefs?

If I were at the center of this issue would I want someone to protest for me?

If I get detained will I lose the ability to provide my myself (& family)?

Are the people/actions/topics that may be present going to harm you mentally or emotionally by being present?

Are there trained skills that I have that could help the people I will potentially be joining?

Am I doing this for the sanctity of others or myself? How should this change my presence?

Have I ever been apart of the problem protesting? How can I show love and support for change due to this knowlegde?

What will be the emotions of the crowd going into the protest?

Does the need for Social Responsibility, cause me to rethink my decision to not protest?

Write a lawyer and person of safety's phone number on your arm/leg

Write my name and phone number on everything I own that could be taken by police, and needs to be identified to be returned.

Did I deactivate any biometric accessibility to my devices, (AKA did i turn off Face ID and Touch ID) 

What will I say to a police officer in the case of being arrested? (Nothing) 

Am I strong enough mentaly to handle being arrested in this protest? 

Is this event something that qualifies as a protest that could result in people being arrested? (some events like Pride or regulated events, are not going to be any where near as stressful.)

Have I prepared to meet people who dont agree with everything I believe? 

Do I know the history of this protest or what it's purpose is? 

Do I have a strong emergency contact who either knows I will be there, or who will be quranteed to help in the case I need it? Does SOMEONE ANYONE know I am going to this protest, and expects to hear from me at a certain time after? Did I write one or both of these phone numbers on my body? 

Do I take medications more than once a day? 

Do I have any trusted people attending this protest with me? Can I make trusted friends or aquitances with people at this protest to protect me, and I protect them? 

Do I know what to do in the event a firearm is discharged? (THIS CAN BE TRIGGERING TO MOST, UNLIKELY BUT POSSIBLE)

Do I live in an area where I am more likely to be unsupported by my community for protesting? (This depends on both location and local legislation.) 

If I have a trusted mental health professional, did I run this by them to see if they agree with me that I can handle this type of (sometimes) stressful situation? 

Talk with your group and establish friends and contacts for organizing after the protest 

Act calm

Do not attack or be violent in a way, do not overtly impact the people around you

Use your privilegdes, to protect others without them. (Learn more in the Social Discrimination Section, all identities (seen and not seen) are important to take into account when protecting one another.) 

Listen closely to key community members guiding the protest, they will know the ways to lead. 

If you are left in the case without any leader, you gather a strong group to protect eachother. Remeber key importance of peacefulness and hope for future growth together. Remember your goals of the protest, find safe ways to continue achieving them. 

Remember when to be humble, when to listen, and when to be heard, when to take your space. 

We all deserve to feel connected in these community acts of protest, but often they can feel angering or painful, but we discuss the pain of the fight to remember the hope of peaceful and fruitful growth. It's important to not let the anger of the past wrongdoings, make you cross a boundary of peaceful action. 

Keep a look out, be extremely aware of your surrondings, monitor your exist passages, your safety areas, if you need a map for where you are - get one-. 

Say nothing, until you are required to give name and identification. 

Depending on physical ablilty, you can go limp, or make the people detaining you physically move you to the place of desired detainment. 

Remain Calm, everything cops do and say is a fear tactic to get you to comply. Many tactics have even been psychologically studied to be accurate and changing behavioral outcomes. (Standford Prison Experiment)

Remember your Rights, start reminding yourself of the research you did prior to the Protest, what are your rights, options, and people to contact for help. 

If you are hurt in the process, ask for documentation(, or document yourself) the process for which you received the injuries. Make sure you are in contact with people who were wittnesses to this altercation or mishandling. 

Contact Legal Aid, find a local lawyers phone number prior to your protest, to wear on you in permannt marker for you to refer to later if needed. 

Keep yourself Safe. We know that police are inherently violent, and it's important that we remind ourselves that our personal safety is important. Knowing you are at higher risk for injuries, you may want to avoid actions that could get you detained to begin with. You can also find people in your crowd that you can ask to protect you in the possible occurence that you are to need people to do so. Always talk to your community, they will know what is needed when things take place, make sure your needs are on their radar. 

Wash Clothes 

Shower (remove marker from earlier)

Disinfect your belongings, return them to their respective places if necessary. 

Take care of yourself mentally/emotionally

Ice any over-extended muscles, (use a heating pad if it helps more).

(document all injuries extensively) If you are hurt in the process, and you believe you can reasonably take care of it, do so and fully disinfect the area. 

(document all injuries extensively) If you are hurt in the process, and you believe you need secondary medical opinions, go to a trusted General Practitioner , or a hospital depending on the severity of your injuries. 

(document all injuries extensively) If you are leaving the protest due to significant wounds, please seek emergency medical attention! (CALL 911) 

Monitor yourself for symptoms of common diseases such as: COVID-19, Influenza, Common Cold, etc. 

Don't share any media or recordings you have from the protest, especially if it includes pictures of other people at the protest. (if you are really worried about the loss of information, transfer media to a USB drive and keep somewhere safe or share with a trusted person.)