Anonmedic and Street Medics

Cover your face, don't carry your cell phone, don't wear contacts, don't talk to cops, do wear sensible non-descript, weather appropriate attire, hydrate

Evacuate now if possible please. Stay safe

Using bandages during first aid:

This information is of a general nature only and should not be considered a replacement for proper first aid training.

General suggestions include:
• The injured person should be sitting or lying down. Position yourself in front of the person on their injured side.
• Make sure their injured body part is supported in position before you start to bandage it.
• If the injured person can help by holding the padding in place, wrap the ‘tail’ of the bandage one full turn around the limb, so that the bandage is anchored.
• If there is no assistance, wrap the ‘tail’ of the bandage directly around the padding over the wound.
• Bandage up the limb, making sure each turn overlaps the turn before. Alternatively, you can bandage in a ‘figure eight’ fashion.
• Make sure the bandage isn’t too tight so you don’t reduce blood flow to the extremities (hands and feet). Check by pressing on a fingernail or toenail of the injured limb – if the pink colour returns within a couple of seconds, the bandage isn’t affecting the person’s circulation. If the nail remains white for some time, loosen the bandage. Keep checking and adjusting the bandage, especially if swelling is a problem.

Blunt force injury
For legal purposes, document injuries with photographs or video, as soon as possible.

First-aid:
• If wound is open, wash with water and gentle soap.
• Cover with clean, dry dressing (like a gauze pad).
• Apply ice to reduce swelling. Wrap ice in cloth or use ice pack. Do not apply ice directly to skin.
Call ambulance for:
• Injuries to head, neck, or spine.
• Prolonged vomiting.
• Blood in urine if hit in back.
• Swelling, tenderness, discoloration, hard areas, or signs of shock following abdominal injury
Aftercare:
• Pain and swelling may increase, and area of redness and bruising may expand for up to 3 days
• Apply ice as long as swollen
• Rest with injured arm or leg elevated
• Arnica montana flower oil and cream are good external herbal remedies for bruising and swelling
• You can buy Homeopathic Arnica pills for internal use. Dissolve under tongue as instructed on package. Potency: 30c
See doctor for:
• Injuries to face (get checked for fractures)
• Injuries that affect movement of a joint.
• Signs of infection (these signs do not occur until at least a day after the injury):
– Red streaking of surrounding skin.
– Pus draining from area.
– Tender lumps or swelling in armpit, groin, or neck – Foul odor from area
– Generalized chills or fever over 99.6◦F (37.5C)

How to protest safely:
Quick notes, all of this has been covered in greater detail on this page. via- Anon Medics and Streets Medics
https://www.facebook.com/AnonMedicSec/

If you're thinking of taking to the streets in protest against...well...everything going on at the moment, make sure you know your rights and how to stay safe.
You might think protesting is just for people who like to wear black hoodies and ‘anonymous’ masks- but actually people from many walks of life and political persuasions get involved in protests. Why? Because taking to the streets is one way that ordinary people can make governments and corporations listen when they’re having a ‘la la la’ moment.
Protesting has won many victories, but it can also be tiring, scary and frustrating. So if you’re planning on taking part in a protest – or starting your own – here’s what you need to know.
Bare basic necessities:
Head
AN INSULATED HAT WITHOUT DISTINCTIVE LOGO: To preserve a degree of privacy and prevent photographic invasion. In colder months, insulation will preserve body heat. In every month, insulation will add a layer of protection from less-lethal projectiles.
SHATTERPROOF GOGGLES that can go over glasses if necessary, to protect eyes from crowd control chemicals. Do not wear contacts, as they can trap irritants and you won't be able to change them if arrested.
HELMET (optional but suggested): If you believe the protest will escalate to violence—either by the police or by unruly protesters—this will add protection from rocks, batons and other possible head injuries.
Don't wear any makeup or oil/mineral-based moisturizers as they will bind with chemicals. Don't wear any jewelry, as it can be grabbed or snagged, leading to serious injury.
Neck
FUME MASK: Will not protect as well as a full gas mask, but will buy time to escape an area contaminated by crowd control chemicals. Caveat: a mask can make you a target for the police. Carry it and practice putting it on quickly.
LONG SCARF: A multi-purpose accessory that can be used to keep warm, protect identity, support injuries and sprains, and protect from less-lethal projectiles by wrapping around the head.
Torso
MULTIPLE LAYERS, EITHER WORN OR PREPARED TO BE WORN: For dealing with changing elements, insulation from impact, and change of identity. Long sleeves to protect from chemicals.
A PACKABLE LIQUID-REPELLENT OUTER LAYER: To resist rain and to keep chemicals away from the skin (cotton will absorb chemicals). Packable so you can throw it over clothes to change identifying colors.
A HEAT RESISTANT GLOVE: to discard gas canisters if they are thrown into the protest as they are extremely hot when discharged.
A CHEAP WATCH that you will be willing to lose if arrested, for properly timestamping documented events such as police brutality, injuries and arrests.
Wash yourself with pH-neutral soap, as detergent soaps will bind with chemicals.
Pants and pockets
FULL-LENGTH JEANS THAT DON’T REQUIRE A BELT: To protect your legs from scrapes and chemicals; ankles should be cinched or tucked in off to prevent chemicals from entering bottoms. A belt will be taken from you if arrested.
KNEE PADS: Personal protection from falls and to facilitate treating injuries on fallen demonstrators
A ZIP-LOCK BAG WITH: ID, necessary keys and enough cash (no credit cards) to get you home if arrested, a letter from your doctor advising on any medical needs and necessary medications
A ZIP-LOCK WITH BANDANA SOAKING IN VINEGAR: This does not offer long-term protection from tear gas, but will afford you the precious seconds needed to get out of the contaminated area if tightly wrapped over nose and mouth. Also will help obscure identity.
NOTEPAD AND PEN: To document events such as police brutality, injuries and arrests.
Rucksack

SMALL FIRST AID KIT WITH latex-free gloves, bandages, antibacterial ointment, a nylon wrap bandage and ibuprofen, without anything that can be considered a weapon such as metal scissors.
ZIP-LOCK WITH AN EXTRA LONG-SLEEVED SHIRT AND JEANS to change into if your clothes become contaminated with crowd control chemicals.
CANOLA OIL & RUBBING ALCOHOL: to be used in that order to wipe clean skin exposed to riot control chemicals.
SPRAY BOTTLE WITH EQUAL PARTS MAALOX AND WATER: to rinse eyes/nose/mouth to neutralize reaction to chemicals
WATER AND ENERGY SNACKS: Sustain yourself!
Shoes
STURDY BUT COMFORTABLE BOOTS: Should withstand stomping but be light enough to run in. Tuck your laces in to avoid tripping, unlike this guy right here.
What if I get kettled?
‘Kettling’ is a technique used by police to quell protests by surrounding a group or groups of people and keeping them physically stuck in one place, sometimes for hours on end. It can be scary when it happens – one minute you’re doing your thing, the next minute you’re trapped and there’s no way you’ll be getting out for a while.
It’s inconvenient, yes. But it’s unlikely anything bad will happen when you’re in a kettle (unless you need to p*e, in which case your drinking bottle is going to come in handy). Try to stay calm and keep your spirits up – make eye contact with the person next to you, maybe start a sing-song. Anything to stop boredom/panic.
Police use tactics like kettling to put people off protesting – but remember, you have a right to be there.
Don’t go it alone
Protesting can be tiring and scary. Make sure you take at least someone you trust, who’ll look after you or form an affinity group. Bring water, warm clothes if it’s cold and snacks – getting kettled for hours can be a hungry business.
Use cameras wisely
Sometimes it can seem like there are more cameras than protesters, but remember some people might not want to end up on Facebook or YouTube. Ask before you snap a fellow protestor. The police can stop you taking a picture if they have reason to suspect you might be involved in terrorism.
Use social media – but carefully
Use Twitter to keep in touch and find out what’s happening in real time. Protesters usually decide on a hashtag to keep each other updated. Watch out for rumours though – not every tweet is true.
Be aware that the authorities have learned how to use social media too, and that they might use it to bluff or play games. They can also listen in and track you on your mobile phone and get Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to hand over your data. This usually only happens if you’re considered to be an organiser or heavily involved in a particular protest movement. If you’re just along for the ride you’ll probably be left alone, but you should still be careful about what you post on social media.
What happens if the police stop me?
Even if you’re protesting peacefully, if you’re in a public place, the police can stop you and ask what you’re doing there (called a ‘stop and account’). You are not required to give your name or address, but the officer responsible (who must provide a receipt recording the encounter) will probably be unhappy if you don’t co-operate. If they suspect you’re carrying a weapon or engaging in terrorist activity, the police can search you, called a ‘stop and search’. They’re legally allowed to use force if you refuse to be searched.
Stop and account and stop and search are sometimes used by police at demonstrations, especially when letting people out of a kettle. The police also use Forward Intelligence Teams (FIT) to photograph protesters – something people have protested about.
What if things get violent?
Within any protest, there may be people who hold the belief that damage to property is a valid, indeed indispensable, part of making change happen. There is also a risk of violence from the police.
If you don’t want to be involved in violence, you can try to:
– hang back – when you feel people who want a piece of the action pushing forward, don’t follow them.
– avoid side streets and stay out in the open – this will help you avoid getting pinned into any police baton charges or other violence.
– watch out for sudden arrivals of huge amounts of police, especially on horseback – this signals it’s time to try and exit the area if you don’t want to engage further.
What if I get arrested?
No one leaves the house hoping to end the day at a police station, but arrest is possible at any demonstration, especially if the atmosphere is tense. If something happens to you or a friend, track down a legal observer – volunteers who try to ensure arrested protesters are treated correctly – and try to take the badge number of the officers involved in the arrest.
Write the legal support number on your arm
Most big protests will have a legal support number to call if you’re arrested. It’s sensible to write this number on your arm (so you have it even if your bag and phone are confiscated). Legal support will help arrange a solicitor for you and advise you about the legal process.

protest in Washington D.C. tonight.

You can not to be so blind with legality that you can turn the cheek on morality. Wrong is wrong. Truth and justice must stay on the side of the oppressed.

Operation Breonna, engaged
We are anonymous.
We are legion.
We do not forgive.
We do not forget.

Photos from Anonmedic and Street Medics's post

A general idea of how much everything will cost.

Treating Cuts and Scrapes:

Blood is a vital component of our bodies. When someone is bleeding, you want to prevent as much blood from leaving their body as possible. Try and find a clean cloth or bandage.
Then:
- Apply gentle pressure for 20 to 30 minutes

- Clean the wound by gently running clean water over it. Avoid using soap on an open wound

- Apply antibiotic to the wound, like Neosporin

- Cover the wound with a bandage

If someone has a nosebleed, have the person lean forward. Press a cloth against the nostrils until the blood flow stops.
The body is usually very quick at patching up small cuts and scrapes. But deeper wounds may require medical attention.

With deep wounds:
- Clean with warm water

- Use saline ( Do not use hydrogen peroxide) *home solution saline use warm bottled water 1/9 ratio salt vs water. Use only a dissolved solution and with a syringe or clean eye dropper gently clean out the wound

- Apply pressure

- If necessary make your own butterfly stitches using bandaids or adhesive strips just make a figure 8 with a tight middle on the flexable strip.

- Don’t apply ointments. Cover the area with loose cloth to prevent contaminants from infecting the wound

- Clean every 4/6 hours with warm water in the first 24 hours, every 12 hours with no sign of infection after the first 24 hours

- As always do seek medical attention as soon as possible

I hope this could help everyone in defending yourselves from serious injuries. All the equipment listed below can protect you from various non-lethal law enforcement weapons, including tear gas, rubber bullets, pepperballs and pepper spray.

Here a few notes of the starter pack for protesters:

1. ⁠Respirators with cartridges for both gas & v***r are necessary for filtering the tear gas.
2. ⁠Pair with airtight goggles, you will be immune to tear gas. If you want to protect your eyes further, buy one that is bulletproof as well.
3. ⁠Use an anti-fog marker/spray on the goggles so that annoying fogs wont block your view.
4. ⁠Wear a helmet to protect your head from non-penetrating rounds, i.e. Rubber bullets/Pepperballs/Tear gas cartridges etc.
5. ⁠Protect your elbow and knee caps with pads so that you don't hurt yourself if you fall.
6. ⁠Gloves are necessary to protect your hands from scratches when touching rough materials. Use a fire-resistant one if you want to pick up tear gas to throw it back/ put into a water bag
7. ⁠Umbrellas have good portability and can save you from pepper spray and take a hit of rubber bullets. Kickboard is a light portable shield to defend you from non-penetrating rounds and baton strikes.
8. ⁠Here's a bible of a list of protective gears that are useful for protesting.

Scene Survey:

All medical interactions start with a scene survey. You cannot medic unless you are safe and you know what is going on around you. There are five steps to the scene survey, and luckily, there is
a rhyme to help you remember them.

1 . "Number one: look out for number one."

2. "Number two: what happened to you?"

3. "Number three: don't get any on me!"

4. "Number four: are there more?"

5. "Number five: now we arrive."

1. Look out for number one:
Your safety comes first when someone is injured.
Never create a second patient.

2. What happened to you?
What happened to the patient is referred to as the Method of Injury (MOI) or Nature of Illness (NOI). This is also part of keeping yourself safe: if something fell on the patient, is it going to fall on you,
too? Is the cop who hit the patient still standing next to her?
Beyond your own safety, understanding what happened to the patient helps you focus on possible injuries and relevant care. Since we cannot diagnose without expensive equipment and training, the best we can do is make good guesses based on what we see and know and act accordingly.

Early detection of some injuries (for example, to the spine or neck) is so important that we en- courage a policy of "better safe than sorry." For example, we hold c-spine for a patient we find on
his back behind a ladder: we do not know how far he fell (if at all), but moving him could be very dangerous, so we act as though his spinal column is in jeopardy and have him remain still.
Remember, this is just a quick general impression. We will continue with a more detailed assessment after our scene survey.

3. Don't get any on me!
Whatever is on the patient (blood, snot, pepper spray), you do not want any on yourself. This is called Body Substance Isolation, or BSI. We use gloves as barriers between ourselves and the patient to prevent mucus membranes or broken skin from coming into contact with pathogens and bacteria that can cause infections.
Mucous membranes are any part of the body that has moist tissue, including eyes, mouth, inside of nose, and cuts.

BSI:

• Protects the patient from us.

• Protects us from the patient.

• Protects patients from other patients we
care for.

Many people are allergic to latex, so street
medics use only non-latex supplies. Non-latex gloves, band-aids and ace bandages are easily available.
Wear non-latex gloves any time you might
have contact with any body fluid. Most medics wear gloves any time they are caring for somebody because you never know when someone might vomit or you might find hidden bleeding.
Put gloves on before approaching a patient, but do not walk around with gloves on, then they get dirty and contaminated and do not help to protect
the person being cared for. Additionally, wearing gloves when you are not caring for someone may cause people around you to panic, and that is definitely not do no harm.

Change gloves after every patient. Do not expose multiple patients to chemical weapons or bodily fluids; remember that gloves are disposable and our health is not. Take your gloves off when you go through your kit, write something
down, or touch anything that can transmit body substances or chemical weapons to another object or a person. If you need to get something while caring for a patient, have your medic buddy get it.

Store gloves by pairs in small ziploc bags or film canisters. Ziploc bags make our kits more organized and protect supplies from chemical weapons.
Toss used gloves into the street. Clean-up
crews know to treat gloves appropriately.

4. Are there any more?
Figure out how many patients there are. If there are more patients than medics, call for more medics before initiating care. Look around for hidden patients - there may be people screaming from pepper spray, but the silent patient passed
out on the ground is probably a higher priority.

5. Now we arrive.

Now you can focus on your the person you are caring for. Your observations are the first indications of what we may need to do for the patient, or what they are experiencing.

Blunt force injury:
For legal purposes, document injuries with photographs or video, as soon as possible.(How to Document covered on this page if you scroll down)

First-aid:
• If wound is open, wash with water and gentle soap.
• Cover with clean, dry dressing (like a gauze pad).
• Apply ice to reduce swelling. Wrap ice in cloth or use ice pack. Do not apply ice directly to skin.
Call ambulance for:
• Injuries to head, neck, or spine.
• Prolonged vomiting.
• Blood in urine if hit in back.
• Swelling, tenderness, discoloration, hard areas, or signs of shock following abdominal injury
Aftercare:
• Pain and swelling may increase, and area of redness and bruising may expand for up to 3 days
• Apply ice as long as swollen
• Rest with injured arm or leg elevated
• Arnica montana flower oil and cream are good external herbal remedies for bruising and swelling
• You can buy Homeopathic Arnica pills for internal use. Dissolve under tongue as instructed on package. Potency: 30c
See doctor for:
• Injuries to face (get checked for fractures)
• Injuries that affect movement of a joint.
• Signs of infection (these signs do not occur until at least a day after the injury):
– Red streaking of surrounding skin.
– Pus draining from area.
– Tender lumps or swelling in armpit, groin, or neck – Foul odor from area
– Generalized chills or fever over 99.6◦F (37.5C)

CHECKLIST: Organizing Medical Coverage at Protests

1. Housing:
• Secure means locked doors, someone there 24 hrs, accessible 24 hrs • Central location to actions, near public transit
Showers
Kitchen facilities
• Same place for the entire action
Space for 20 to 100 (number of medics varies)
2. Trainings:
* Must have confirmed location, time, and attendance!!!
* We offer:
* – Health and safety trainings for activists (3-4 hours)
* – Group-specific trainings for affinity groups, squats, city EMS services, etc. (usually 6-10 hours)
* – Basic street medic trainings (3 days, 20-28 hours)
* – Licensed medical professional to street medic bridge trainings (1-2 days, 8-12 hours)
* – Other trainings based on skills and needs
* Ideal location will have large indoor room with waterproof floor, ac- cess to outside (for scenarios), removed from general convergance space but within reasonable distance
3. Coordination with other organizers:
* Medic liason with each organization/group that wants coverage at the action, to secure funding/supplies/space, to update medical teams on what to anticipate, and for general coordination
* Meetings with communications, legal, jail support, housing, and other support teams
4. First aid station / Wellness center:
* First aid stations and wellness centers are run by the clinicians
* Ideally, it is a secure space in a centrally located building with room for treatment, aftercare, resupply, and rest/downtime
* First aid stations have also been set up in tents, vehicles, and shop- ping carts. In crises, we have improvised emergency first aid stations in alternate spaces (for example buildings after the main first aid station/wellness center are confined behind police lines)
5. Money:
* Transportation – planes, buses, gas money to get to actions; taxis and public transit fares or farecards within the city
* Rent for housing, first aid station/wellness center (building, tent, or rental vehicle), etc.
* Supplies
* General reimbursements to individual medics
* Food
* Childcare and animal care (at home)
6. Other needs:
* Appropriate communications equipment (a few extra cellphones and a borrowed laptop for dispatch, or a radio system with GMRS radios or Nextels for every team)
* Access to photocopy machine
* Maps of the city and of planned actions (as appropriate)
* List of local clinics and emergency rooms, with phone numbers and driving directions
* Friendly spaces around the city for refilling water, nchill-out, using phone, etc. during the action
* Translators (as needed)
* Childcare and animal care (at the action)
7. Supplies and gear:
* Packs (hip packs or anything with lots of pockets and/or compart- ments); fishing/photographers’ vests with lots of pockets
* Rain gear, polypro underlayers (especially long-sleeved)
* Paramedics’ pants, BDUs, or cargo pants with many pockets
* Extra clothes and socks (for patients)
* Quart-sized ziploc bags
* See the gear list which is also posted for more supply needs

Being a PeaceKeeper - Civil Disobedience
PEACEKEEPER CARRY LIST:
Carry these items in a day pack, pockets, or attached to belts, shoulder straps, etc. Keep hands free.
* Canteens
* Bandaids
* Bandana or scarf
* Small notebook with pen or pencil
* Sunscreen
* Lost child diversion - balloons, etc. (No candy or food)

LEVELS OF PEACEKEEPING
Try to handle situations at the lowest level possible. If help is needed, refer to the next level up.
March & Coordination Teams - major decisions/halting rally/etc.
Peacekeeping Scouts - mobile & stationary observers
Lead Peacekeepers - each group & area
Peacekeeper Pairs - work on this level if possijble
Medical/Legal Teams - call if needed
Legal Observers - will be present

LIMITATIONS OF PEACEKEEPERS
* It may not be possible to prevent all incidents of violence. But we can limit the effect of violence & prevent major incidents.
* Breaks/Relief - notify other peacekeepers and coordinate breaks. Be aware of other peacekeepers needing relief.
* Self Control - take a deep breath, chant, or anything that helps you take hold of yourself.
* Way Out - if you feel you cannot handle yourself nonviolently in a situation, notify another peacekeeper & step away from the conflict. It is better to step out than to risk an escalation of the conflict.

PEACEKEEPING ROLES

Stages
* Need to be present while stage is being set up & broken down, this does not include stage construction or labor
* Keep the crowd back & away from the stage
* Provide access to stage for speakers, etc.
* Protect the electrical supply
* Make sure no one gets on the stage except for people who belong there .~f someone does geI on tht~ stage, then get the crowd into songs or chants until person can be removed

March
* Advance crew at the beginning of march
* Feed key banners into march where they belong
* Feed people into march in orderly fashion, keeping set # abreast
* Delineate boundaries of march
* Keep the race of the marci~ smooth & slow enough for children & elderly
* Alert marchers to problems: steps up, down, rough spaces, etc.
* Curves - have the inside of march slow down & the outside sp*ed up
* Keep the marchers uninvolved with hecklers

Rally
* Delineate the perimeters of rally - spotters & circulators
* Keep traffic aisles open for people & any problems
* Facilitate sight & sound - keep people sitting down & quiet
* Money collection - pass the bucket but do not let it out of your hands

Friction Points
* Toilets/concessions/literature tables 97 keep people in lines, do not let them crowd around
* Facilitate & keep people friendly in these areas
* Keep traffic aisles open
* Keep one toilet for children/elderly/handicapped
* Help handicapped people in & out of the toilet

TOOLS FOR DEALING WITH PROBLEMS
* Prevention
* Isolation/Containment
* De-escalation/Intervention
* Observe Be aware. Prevent.
* Songs/Chants
* Circling to isolate/contain/for protection
* Self Defense Posture - sit down, fold legs in, bend over & clasp hands behind neck


DEALING WITH PROBLEMS

Lost (Children/People)
* Diversion - balloon, talking, singing, etc.
* Take to information table at the stage
* Someone there will make an announcement
* Ask for ID of anyone taking child & write down & leave at table

Media
* Refer to press area coordinators for any info other than your opinion
* Don’t let them interfere with the march or rally, say NO & explain why
* Media has the right to take pictures; people have right to say NO

Accidents/Illness/Fainting
* Clear area around victim & have people circle to keep crowd back
* If more than simple first aid, alert medical team & make access path
* If no medical person then alert police & they can get help quickly
* If removed from area 97.get name or description & where being taken

Drunks/Druggies/crazies
* Try to talk to person & get out of crowd if possible
* If cannot get out, then stay with person & keep from disturbing others
* Enlist medical team if necessary

Violations of Guidelines
* Minor & not causing problems - ignore, but keep alert for problems
* If is a problem then ask the person to stop or leave
* If they refuse, refer to lead peacekeepers
* Isolate or move crowd away, sit down, circle, etc.

Fights Within the Group
* Isolate from rest of crowd - line or circle of peacekeepers
* Physical presence may stop fighting
* Attempt communication; make human contact; listen, do not argue
* Physical interposition
* Dead weighting
* Squeeze play

Counter Protesters/Leafleting
* Keep them in sight
* Keep other people from interfering with them

Hostile/Co-opting Groups
* Isolate with a line of peacekeepers if possible -
* If not, alert lead peacekeepers, scouts
* Stop the back of the march & move the front forward to isolate group

Provocateurs
* Watch & observe, enlist other peacekeepers if suspicious
* Alert legal observers if you have strong suspicions
* Alert police if you think they are armed

Projectiles
* Form a line & move crowd away from sources
* Stop the back of the march & move front forward
* Assume self defense posture if stationary
* Urge people to look away, turn back etc

Arrest
* Do not interfere with police or arrest
* Write down name of person arrested, name & badge # of officer
* Notify legal team & tell people around the incident you have done so
* Get names & contact numbers of witnesses or anyone who took pictures

Dispersion
Dogs: keep arms, legs still & close to body
- Establish eye contact with handler, not dog
- Assume self defense posture if attacked
Horses: move carefully parallel to horses, not in front or back
- Do not let people get crushed between horses & walls or fences
- Large crowd- sits down & assumes self defense position
Mace: give assistance to individual & move to safety out of crowd
- Alert medical team
- Wash eyes with water or boric acid solution
Tear Gas: move upwind from police, do not panic or run ~cover face with bandana or clothing
-Have people hold each other by clothing to prevent tripping

Water Hoses: sit down in groups; in lines with backs to hoses assume interlocked self-defense posture with heads down

Formations of Officers - line- to move crowd in one direction, sit -down or move in a controlled manner
-Wedge- to split up crowd, try to keep small groups from being isolated.

Police tactics:

Police use tactics to cause fear and compliance with the aim of dispersing or containing a protest. In long actions, police apply chronic, somewhat unpredictable, low-level harassment to
wear protesters down; the theory is that worn out protesters will escalate (and be contained) or give up (and disperse).

As medics, we help movements resist police tactics so that they may make their own noncompliant choice to continue to demonstrate or voluntarily evacuate without fear.

Crowds:

When people are gathered in a large crowd, police often use the crowd to hurt the people. By pushing the crowd with barricades or making the crowd run, they can cause people to be trampled, panic, or get angry and fight each other. Crowds
that panic or run result in twisted ankles, exacerbation of asthma or heart conditions, and other complications. People who try to hold the police back
often become injured on their hands, fingers, arms, shoulders, faces, or heads.

Buddy roles in a crowd:

When the police make a crowd into a dangerous environment, you and your buddy should:

Constantly look for openings.

Be sure not to be caught in small spaces.

Do not get into fights with other people in the crowd.

Spread calm: if people are running, start a
chant of "Walk, walk, walk."

While one buddy stands tall and looks for
dangers, the other buddy can look low be-
tween the legs of the crowd for anyone who may have fallen.

When crowds are gathered for long periods of time, people often forget to drink water, eat food, or p**s. People sometimes do not sleep enough and
drink lots of coffee to stay awake, do not attend to injuries such as foot blisters or illnesses such as colds, and are often unprepared for the weather. You can help make it safer for people to come and
go from the crowd, or for resources such as drinking water, water for washing hands, protection from weather, and food to enter the crowd and be available to the people.

Everyone is safer in a crowd when they go with a buddy or in an affinity group of several buddies.

Kettling methods:

This includes bicycle lines, barricades, kettling nets, and police lines.
Watch out for :

Crowd crush - form of blunt trauma, but
really asphyxiation (especially when backed against immovable walls).

Ranked domino effect - crowd falling into
crowd behind.

Common injuries:

Lower limb injuries from barricades or tripping while being pushed backwards.

Hand, finger, torso, and face injuries from tug-of-war over barricades.

Exacerbation of pre-existing conditions, especially asthma or cardiac conditions; can provoke panic attacks.

Higher risk factors:

Prone or seated persons.

Crowd crush / ranked domino effect can be very dangerous for people with respiratory compromise or psych conditions.

One rank falling on ranks behind can cause crush asphyxiation, inability to move, very disorienting.

Batons:

Batons are basic police weapons that can be wielded in different fashions. Hardwood batons are usually wielded overhand and used to hit the upper torso and head. Blunt trauma from overhand clubbing to head and upper torso, etc.; body-checks to chest/ribs. Tonfa-based batons (with side handles) are often used to jab people in the torso.

Prevention:

Spread calm: "walk, walk, walk;" look for exits.

Stay away from the front rank of protesters. (You should do this anyway, in order to be able to effectively assess overall situation).

Consider a bicycle helmet and a cup for your ge****ls. *See gearing up for a protest located here https://m.facebook.com/AnonMedicSec/

Consider protecting your forearms with
rolled-up magazines up your sleeves.

Do not attempt to shield another protester
from a cop unless you are willing to risk le-
gal charge.

Higher risk factors

People with chronic illness that might get exacerbated.

Prone or seated persons.

Chemical weapons

Chemical weapons include pepper spray and tear gas. They are short-range weapons used to control small crowds, often used when the police panic: fence coming down, police line broken, or
they feel like they have lost control.

Most importantly work together and stay safe out there.