#Protesting Advice

[blondebrainpowered]

A message from experienced protestor Bernie Sanders - January 31, 2025

Don’t give up hope...   ...Get organized

[incorrectbatfam]

Ways to be a nuisance in our year of 2025

(from personal experience)

Get a small box. Write "take as you need" on the side. Fill it with period products. Put them in public bathrooms, including men's rooms.

Find a pothole. Paint a dick on it. Either your town will fix it or the public will enjoy your masterpiece.

Apps like No Thanks, Boycat, and Boycott X (my personal fave) let you scan items for boycotting shit. Money talks.

Red Cards contains all the rights that everyone, citizen or not, is entitled to in this country. They come in a bunch of different languages. Print them, give them out, leave them in places that need it, etc.

Don't be a snitch. Know someone undocumented? Someone traveling for reproductive or gender-affirming care? No the fuck you do not.

If someone asks your help doing #5, be their cover. If you live where they're fleeing from: no you don't know where they went, no they didn't tell you anything. If you live somewhere people are going to: that is now your cousin, friend from high school, camping buddy, etc.

Here is a fake person generator including phone, email, and address. Here is a free VPN for desktop and mobile. Spam the shit out of those ICE tiplines, trans bathroom reporting forms, etc. Here is a thing that lets you flood an email. Make their system useless.

If you're white, you have way more freedom when it comes to interacting with cops. Distract and divert.

See Nazi shit? Tear it up, kick it down, paint it over. See a Nazi? Rip into them. If you can't, record them, post it, send it to folks connected to them. Do not let them know peace.

If you protest: nondescript outfit with a change of clothes, cover scars and tattoos, leave behind devices that can track you, and either don't drive or park far away. Masks, goggles, and helmets highly suggested. Heavy duty gloves or tennis rackets for lobbing gas cans back. Fresh water or saline solution for tear gas and pepper spray. Have an exit route but also be prepared to hunker down or get arrested.

Nonprofit orgs are always looking for donations and volunteers, especially smaller local ones. There's a role for everyone, including admin stuff for folks who can't leave home. Reach out to them and ask what help they need. The people who aren't seen are just as important as the ones who are.

If you're taking someone to get an abortion, especially a place like Planned Parenthood that might have picketers, put something under your shirt and pretend you are the one who's pregnant to divert attention. Guys can do this too. Be their secret mpreg fantasy.

Cis folks: if your trans friend asks you to accompany them to a bathroom or locker room, do it. And if someone comes poking their nose in your business, pretend you're the one who's trans—again, taking the attention away from your friend.

It takes just a dozen emails or a few people showing up at local town hall or school board meetings to disrupt everything and steer the discussion.

If you have a job in the government or something adjacent, gum up the works. Let calls go to voicemail and don't return them for hours. Leave emails unanswered for a day or few. Don't work through lunch breaks even if it's busy. Take your PTO in its entirety, and leave something only you can do incomplete. Rearrange your priorities ("Sorry Janet, I can't look into who's hiring illegal immigrants, I gotta fix this printer first"). Create excuses to delay things—it needs to be double checked, it didn't pass inspection, it didn't contain some insignificant detail.

Gather some food or prep some meals for your local homeless folks. Make a portion for yourself too. That way if someone asks, you're simply sharing a meal with an old friend who happens to be down on their luck.

Get some Pride stickers/flags/posters and sprayable Gorilla Glue. Slap them on everything, including cars and businesses owned by conservatives. Make our presence constantly known.

[aster-the-floof-dragon]

Tips and Advice for Protestors (with bonus for those who can't make it)

In light of reports of a planned mass protest across all 50 US states, I decided to help in whatever way I can. As much as I wish to participate, my circumstances prevent me from doing so. Thus, I’ve settled on gathering crucial information to know if you plan on participating in the upcoming protest.

To preface; if you are in a situation that prevents your from going out, know that it does not mean that you do not care or that you’re somehow “lesser.” It is okay if you can’t go for whatever reason, you don’t need to justify yourself. I’ll leave some tips and alternatives towards the end if you still want to help.

Now if you’re planning on participating, here’s some critical information to keep in mind:

1. Never go to a protest alone

While you could, it is not advisable to be by yourself. Bring a friend and stick together at all times. If things get hectic (and hopefully it should never get to that point), you can help each other.

2. Protect your identity

Cover your face with a mask and sunglasses, hide any identifiable marks on your body (tattoos, scars, moles, etc). NEVER take photos of yourself at the protest. As tempting as it is to roll up in a cool fit, it could make it easy to apprehend you (even if you’ve done nothing wrong). Instead, wear plain clothing with no unique symbols. Avoid wearing jewelry, leave them at home.

3. Plan Ahead

Make sure to bring plastic water bottles, necessary medicines, and physical cash. While is best practice to avoid bringing any electronic communication devices (phones, smart watches, etc.), but if for whatever reason you need them. Either turn them completely off or use airplane mode. Get a paper or offline digital map of the local area, find where the rally is taking place, and identify the routes to get out quick.

Identify your trusted emergency contact(s). Tell them where you are going, how you are getting there, where the emergency meetup spot is, and when will you be coming back.

If you need contact lenses, avoid wearing them. Opt for glasses instead. Tear gas and contact lenses do NOT mix. No glass containers, they make you a prime target for police. Do not wear anything that can obstruct your hearing (headphones, earbuds, ear plugs) HOWEVER, protective ear equipment can help should authorities use a sound canon. Do not bring illegal or other controlled substances (alcohol, marijuana, etc.) whether legal or not, if police detain you it will make things worse for you.

Other helpful items include liquid anti-acid for tear gas, shatter-proof goggles, extra face masks, towelettes, thick latex gloves (preferably from paint stores), and battery packs. If you’re able to, do try to carry extra water bottles. In a pinch they help with tear gas. Wetting down masks with water helps with tear gas while you get away from the area.

Wear comfortable shoes. Avoid flip flops and sandals.

Have the information of a lawyer written on your arm.

4. Getting there

Don’t park nearby. Give yourself some space to keep your vehicle secure. Or if you are able, use public transit instead. Ideally, travel with your friend(s).

5. While Protesting

Ensure that you are always aware of your surroundings. If you see or feel that something is off, listen to your gut. Don’t be afraid to speak with your friend(s) and fellow protestors if you feel that something or someone is suspicious, this includes if you find someone tagging people with stickers or other markings as they move through the crowds (alert those that are marked, do NOT confront the person doing it). Stay with your friend(s) the entire time. Always keep your escape routes in mind.

Do not engage with counter-protestors. They may attempt to rile up the protest into a riot. Do not let them. Just ignore them and move on.

Avoid taking photos unless documenting potential law enforcement abuse. Be cautious when recording, do not interfere with police. If it feels like things are starting to get heated, listen to your gut and get away as quickly as possible.

It is likely that police may engage in kettling, where they will surround a group and restrict their movement. While this is supposed to be used for groups that they feel will cause violence, it can be abused. Keep moving randomly, stay close to bystanders, and avoid responding aggressively. If you are caught in this, ask the police if you are being detained. If arrested or detained, invoke your Fifth Amendment rights by remaining silent, only speaking to demand a lawyer.

6. Avoid Engaging in Provocative Behaviors

What this means is to not fall for tactics meant to get protestors riled up. It is not unheard of for police (or third parties) to set things up to coax people into engaging in behavior they otherwise wouldn’t. Do not take anything from anyone you do not know, especially if that something could be a makeshift weapon (ie, bricks, bats, equipment, etc). If its possible, you may try to deescalate by remaining calm and clearly indicating that you will not engage in violent behavior. If you are not comfortable, you may simply leave without saying another word.

Do NOT try to fight the police, it can ruin your life. While the police can get away with doing such things, you do not have that luxury. In terms of a ruined life, I do not just mean a record, I mean getting injured and it permanently affecting you the rest of your life. At worst, you could get killed. Do NOT attempt to fight or even provoke the police.

If things get heated and you are still in the protest. I’m talking police are marching forward, tear gas is being deployed, do NOT be a straggler. Even if you did nothing to provoke, the police can and will beat you. It is an intimidation tactic, they may know full well that you’ve done nothing but you are their closest target and they will use you as an example. Flee IMMEDIATELY. Do not throw things, do not yell at the police, just run to your emergency meetup spot.

------

Hopefully you’re able to show up and leave without incident. Remember, the idea of a protest is to gather as many people as possible to show our government all the people that care about a certain issue so that they do something about it. But if for whatever reason you are detained by police, do not forget that you have rights granted to you by the US Constitution.

For starters, peaceful protesting is protected by the First Amendment. This is why it is imperative that protestors remain peaceful and commit to not engaging in provocative or violent behaviors.

If police order the protest to disperse, you must comply and leave the area. Note, that police can only invoke this if there is clear evidence of danger of a riot or interference with traffic. In addition, police must allow for the protestors to calmly leave the area. This includes explicitly stating the amount of time, consequences for not complying, and what clear exit routes to take.

If you are detained by police, remain calm. Keep hands visible and comply with orders. I know this can be difficult for some and easier for others, but it is the best advice I can offer. Do not be afraid to state that you were exercising your First Amendment rights. Ask if you are free to leave, if they say yes then you may calmly walk away. If not, you may ask why but do not talk any further. If they are arresting you they must say why they are doing so. The last thing you can safely say is that you will remain silent and ask for a lawyer, these are your Fifth Amendment rights. Do not sign or consent to anything, including searches though police may perform a pat down if they suspect you have a weapon. Calls to a lawyer are confidential (this is where having lawyer information on you is handy). Police cannot access your devices without a warrant and they may not tamper with the data (aka, deleting files).

If you believe your rights are being violated, swiftly write down what happened, where, when, officer badge numbers, police car numbers, etc. Photograph any injuries you got.

Note: There may be few peaceful protestors out there that intend to get arrested should things escalate. Understand that this is incredibly serious and could jeopardize your future prospects in terms of job hunting and education. Do not attempt to get arrested to bring publicity if you cannot handle the consequences. Leave it for those who understand what it fully means to do something like this unless you are willing to accept the consequences. Things may be dire, but you deserve to live a full life and there are so many other ways you can help without jeopardizing your future. So, what are other ways to help? If you can’t make it to a protest, its okay. I mean hey, I can’t go either! So right off the bat here’s something you can do. Which is what I’ve been doing this whole time, getting information out there! Do not be afraid to share information from reliable sources to help keep your peers informed. And if you have a knack for writing, aggregate what you find to make a single post (and do please cite your sources). Help make it accessible for fellow community members if you want to! A bit meta but please do not use generative AI. It often gets information way wrong and the last thing we want is misinformation to spread. So please, do your own research and writing.

Call your representatives! Their phone numbers are listed publicly specifically for us to call at any time to make our voices heard. While it is best to reach US Congress members at their DC office, if that doesn’t work do try to call your local office instead. And if that doesn’t work either, do write them an email or send a post card! Depending on their hours and rules, you can even show up in person. Just make sure you’re aware of the rules to appear in person and your rights as a constituent. This can be a great alternative if you’re unable to go to a protest in-person but you want to show your representatives that you care and want to make your voice heard. I used 5 Calls to find my reps and a sample script to use to help keep the call focused and concise on the issue that I wanted to talk about.

Another neat way to help is by donating to mutual aid and legal funds made to help protestors that do get arrested. Just ensure that they are legitimate by vetting them thoroughly before sending over any money/payment information. Of course, this depends on your financial situation, but it also helps if you share so it can reach people who can donate. Organizations like the ACLU are excellent too.

Organize and meet with like-minded people! In a time where this administration is trying to divide us, it is crucial that we unite and work together to fight back. It does not stop after the protest is done, this work continues in the background where the average person may not notice. There are many roles that need filling, and it starts with talking to others and seeing where you can help.

I also want to say thank you to my friends and acquaintances who helped me write this by sharing their own knowledge, experiences, and some of the sources linked below!

And feel free to add to this! If you know of a good, reliable source or legitimate mutual aid fund, feel free to share! Its important that we help each other out and not give into despair. Why give the haters what they want?

Sources and Extra Reading:

[pangaeaseas]

The Problem of Religion in Harry Potter (or, what is Wizard God?)

tl; dr: I wish more hp fics did something with religion and the wizarding world

so to state my credentials up front: I've read a lot of hp fanfiction, a little on the Reformation and religious history--like, I have probably more background knowledge than the average person but I am very emphatically not an expert and have never actually taken a class specifically on any kind of religious history, and I'm an ex-Catholic who did ten ish years of religion classes. There are probably a LOT more people more qualified to talk about this than me but whatever I've never actually seen very much meta written out on this specific issue so I'm giving it a try. (if you have written or read such meta, please send me recs)

ahh the Problem of Religion one of the great unsolved mysteries of the hp world building (similar issues include What the Fuck is Going on with Ireland, How Does the Ministry Actually Work, What is the Population, etc) and I call it 'unsolved' because the fandom has no massively popular solution (like Lordships for the Problem of the Wizengamot) and in general tends to just not think about it, much like JKR originally did. Now IMO she probably intended most wizards to be, like, generically Church of England or whatever without much investment--basically copying the Muggle equivalent whenever it isn't spelled out how the two worlds differ, which is I think a lot of her un-filled-out world building is meant to be. Which. OK. You can do that, but, you know, religion is a very very important aspect of worldbuilding and in my opinion ignoring it and expecting it to be just the same as 1990s Muggle Britain is uninteresting and lazy.

This (wizards are meant to be some kind of Christian and probably Church of England just for simplicity's sake) is evidenced by things like Hogwarts having Christmas and Easter breaks, James and Lily having a Bible quote picked out by Dumbledore on their tombstone, and Draco Malfoy, most emblematically wizard of wizard characters who can be taken as a potential baseline, automatically saying things like 'Good God'. Which, you know, implies that the idea of a single God, and probably the Judaeo-Christian God because that's the same cultural background as the rest of Britain, is taken for granted by wizarding society. It doesn't necessarily imply anything about Draco's or even the Malfoys' personal beliefs, and of course you have other characters saying things like 'Oh my Merlin' and "Morgana" and things like that. Which in my opinion wasn't meant to be indications of some kind of Merlin or Morgana worship but more quirky and fun flavor things of the kind jkr loves to include without thinking out the implications. But you absolutely can take those statements that way--this post is absolutely not meant to dictate how people want to headcanon and I am absolutely here for giving wizards a well thought out pagan or Non-Christian religion, I just don't think that was the author's intent. There's also plenty of other things that imply Wizarding cultural Christianity that I'm not remembering off the top of my head.

And, of course, much better writers than me have extensively discussed all the Christian themes in HP. Of course, themes don't need to affect how people worldbuild in fanfic.

So: with HP canon, we are looking at a society that is probably culturally Christian and probably (key word) intended to be Church of England. But, because JKR wasn't putting much thought into it and basically just took a Chrisitian bedrock of society for granted, the implications of this are not really explored at all. So what I'm interested in is how fandom deals with it.

Mostly, that is...not at all, either taking cultural Christianity in the Wizarding World for granted the way JKR does or by ind of handwaving that wizards have evolved beyond the need for religion and that's just how it is. And that's perfectly fine! Not everyone wants to come up with a full, working, wizard society, and even if they are trying to worldbuild some aspects of wizarding society religion is often ignored, because people don't want to deal with it for often valid reasons (religious trauma, just disinterest, grew up agnostic, not Christian but thinks wizards probably are etc, etc, etc, ) Personally I wish more fics delved into what wizarding religious belief actually is, but to put it bluntly, that's just me. And I have never dealt with religion in my own fics. So don't takethis as judgement at all.

But there are interesting headcanons when people do choose to try and worldbuild religion in HP.

Fom what I've seen, one of the major ways to deal with religion in HP (aside from not dealing with it at all) is to give wizards, often pureblood wizards, some kind of pagan, often Celtic-inspired, religion. And this is quite defensible! Sometimes this is badly executed and/or turned into Death Eater apologia, but the idea of wizards having a different religion is really interesting and a good deal more interesting (IMO of course) than just not mentioning religion at all. Most fics that I've seen don't delve too deeply into, like the actual history and theology of these religions, but there are definitely some that do. (Also if you know any PLEASE send me recs). So if handled well, this is a great way to add some religion worldbuilding in the world of Harry Potter.

However, my personal favorite set of possibilities--obviously I have some personal bias as a history nerd with a long standing if never as deeply researched as I would like to interest in the history of Christianity and as an ex-Catholic--is that, well, we know the statute of secrecy started..when, exactly? 1690. So this much is obviously a result of JKR's Hollywood understanding of witch hunts (a subject for another time and someone far more qualified). For interested wrodlbuilders, we can take this as a guideline at best, as personally I think it would have taken a good deal longer than one year to agree on and implement something like the Statute and I tend to take 1690 as an end date, not a start. I also tend to take the Statue as a largely European phenomenon, at least at first. But, uh, what was happening in Britain at the time..oh, right...the Glorious Revolution....what was happening that created the conditions for the Glorious Revolution...oh, the English Civil War...which was because of...oh yeah, and what was also happening on the continent, maybe it involved, wait, thirty years..oooh, the Thirty Years War...wait weren't there a whole bunch of massive social shifts happening in Europe at this point in time isn't that funny but surely the stature of secrecy could be considered a part of these massive social shifts...all of which was heavily influenced by...you guessed it, the Protestant Reformation.

Wait. So. Maybe, the separation of Wizards from Muggles, at least in Britain, wasn't actually about Muggles hating wizards or wizards hating Muggles. Maybe it was about religion. Now personally I find this ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING. The possibilities, the possibilities...

Wizards had a massive religious civil war that created the blood status system in its modern form? Particular families have wildly different denominations? Excellent. Religion both in terms of level of religiosity and in terms of denomination is a blood status marker? Excellent. Purebloods are all Catholic (what does this do to both Catholic and not Muggleborns?) Excellent. Purebloods are all Puritans? Weird, but if you can pull it off excellent. Purebloods are all one of the wacky new denominations that sprung up after the Reformation and then either died out or conquered the world? Excellent. Pure bloods are all Lutherans who really hated Henry VIII? Excellent. One of my favoirite ways to create a wizarding religion was someone who had most pure bloods follow a denomination that split off from Catholicism in the Great Schism and then a small minority being Catholic, with the worlds splitting around the Reformation. Even the paganism headcanons can be incorporated: the Reformation could conceivably have made it much more difficult to keep practicing wizard paganism causing separation of the worlds.

Personally I would love to see a world that used the history of the Protestant Reformation super well, but it's not the only way to relate a Wizarding religion or a Wizarding religious history. I just wish more people tried to do that at all. Let wizards be religious! Or let them be irreligious but have thought about it, instead of just ignoring religion at all as something that might conceivably have influenced human societies. Maybe Wizarding Britain has state sponsored atheism. Just say that outright!

Another thing I'd like to see more fic doing is theology: how does having magic impact people's religious doctrine? Does every major religion essentially have a wizarding branch with its own theology because magic impacts their view of the world so much, or do most wizards simply follow the majority Muggle religion in their country with no modifications? if so, why? Do some wizards disagree, potentially violently, over how to incorporate magic into their religion? Do some people refuse to use magic because they think it goes against their religion? Etc etc etc you could go on forever. I've seen fic, which randomly enough was about Regulus Black, do this pretty well (or I thought so as a non-Jew) for Judaism, and I'd love it if done with other religions.

Anyway. Now I have to figure out how the hell religion works in the Wizarding Britain of my own headcanon.

[madamepestilence]

This pride month, make your queer ancestors proud and turn it back into a protest. Don't let corporations dominate pride. Protest for a Free Palestine.

Protest for the queer Russians who've had their rights stripped. Protest for a free Sudan. Protest for a multi-polar world not dependent on the US. Protest for Southern hemisphere autonomy.

Protest for a free Ukraine. Protest to reverse restrictions on trans Americans and Europeans that have taken place in the past few years.

Protest to get rid of fascism and corporate lobbying in governments. Protest for economic and government reform to the left.

Stay in groups. If you see a police kettle, turn around. If police confront you, SHUT THE FUCK UP - IF NOBODY TALKS, EVERYONE WALKS.

If you are a responsible gun owner and live in a place with concealed- or open-carry laws, keep your gun on your person (may you not need them). You are less likely to be assaulted if visibly armed.

Don't bring your phone, they may disable it and will use it to track you back to your home. Don't wear contacts, they'll trap in tear gas. You can find gas masks at Army-Navy stores.

Saline solution (lightly salted water) will burn like a motherfucker, but is much safe at clearing tear gas from your eyes than regular water or milk and prevents infection.

[phrogarmyinvasion]

Calling All Americans and Canadians!!

hey y'all, i know the title of this post sounds dramatic but i promise it's cool!

canada is bracing for an influx of americans seeking asylum, and i thought this would be the perfect moment for some helpful solidarity. i'm making a discord server for canadians and americans, that way anyone who is trying to immigrate or seek asylum amidst what's going on in america can ask me and other canadians for whatever help you might need.

the goal is to have channels for whatever might be needed, from housing and healthcare information to friends that will make the move less difficult. the goal is to give you as much of a support circle as possible, because moving is a pretty drastic change.

now, i will need some help.

firstly, americans, i need to know what kinds of channels you're looking for in this discord. what would be most helpful for you?

secondly, canadians, i need to know what kinds of channels you think would be helpful to post general information on what to expect upon moving to canada. especially if you're an immigrant in this country like i am, this could be very helpful.

thirdly, i need y'alls help to spread the word. i have a tiny corner of the internet, but if this channel is going to help people escape crisis, we're gonna need all hands on deck. even if you're not planning on joining the discord, please consider reblogging so people can get out safely.

if you've stuck around this long and you feel like joining, here's the link! please comment or DM me if the link doesn't work, and i'll send you a new invite.

[alsastaircase]

I'm wondering what minors can do about the current politics of the US. I'm a queer trans teen and I'm worried about what the trump administration is doing to my rights, but I don't think it's possible for me to go to protests. I can't drive and I have a busy school schedule that is hard to get around. I'm also autistic and have migraines making being in loud spaces especially outside or in bright light (like sunlight) really hard.

It just makes me feel horrible when my rights are in danger of/are being taken from me and I can't do anything about it

[copperweave]

Look idk who needs to hear this, but please, DO NOT SAY YOU WILL DO POLITICAL VIOLENCE ONLINE. This is really basic stuff, like even if you want to you do not post it somewhere directly on the big fat face of surveillance.

Non-violent resistance has a place, violent resistance has been effective throughout history too. Hiding people who are targetted by your government has a place. But like, "loose lips sink ships" is in fact a thing that American propoganda got right.

Sometimes laws are unjust and civil disobedience has a place. However, if you make yourself useless to the people you most want to help by basically making yourself heavily monitored and making yourself highly arrestable just by your rhetoric, even going to a peaceful protest may get you and all the people you wanted to help arrested or targetted by law enforcement.

I can't go to rallies anymore. I can't, I'm disabled, and I made a bunch of stupid mistakes as a kid that a lot of people have a hard time moving past. But remember, every time you post something about wanting to do violence to bad guys online, you increase your visit visibility to those bad guys. You make yourself *less useful* to the people who are headed in the same direction.

This isn't to say it's got a place. Just know that the more outspoken you are, the LESS able to do effective action outside speaking you become.

[thedreadvampy]

Waking up this morning so far my leg does not hurt as much as my shoulder. Which makes sense. Reminder if you're in any kind of crush/clash situation to keep your arms as low and close to your body as possible while remaining linked to your neighbour. Because trust and believe that once you lose that grip and allow your arm to come up past 90° it WILL get forced up, out, and back past your shoulder and that's an EXTREMELY painful way to take pressure for 20 minutes. Plus you'll be wasting half your pushing-back energy on Not Getting Your Shoulder Dislocated.

This is why if you're expecting to be rushed, it's important to use gable grip in the front row. Link arms with the people next to you (either both your arms should go over or both should go under) and, as much as possible, GRIP YOUR OWN HANDS TOGETHER.

(If you're behind the front row, your priority is to create space and support, so instead of gable grip, you should keep one hand behind the person next to you, one hand on the back of the person in front of you, and try to keep a wide stance and (without sacrificing pressure on their back) some distance between you and the person in front of you, so they have space to be pushed back into without crushing you)

The problem with gable grip, is a) it is uncomfortable to hold tightly for hours and sometimes difficult to make your hands meet, especially when holding a banner, and b) because you're linked to your comrades, when you take the initial impact and some of you are forced back, your arms will get pulled in opposite directions.

If you start getting pushed, clamp your forearm to your body, and keep your hands together as long as possible. Don't worry too much about your comrade's comfort levels in the moment - they should hopefully be doing the same, and that's how you keep the line intact. When you get a chance, check in and make sure you're not hurting them, but at the point you're getting hit by the opposing line, you will fully need to focus on your own body.

If you're wearing a hoodie or zipped-up coat and your hands get forced apart/you come unlinked from your comrade/you're on the end of the line, it's helpful to put the loose hand into your pocket and hold onto the fabric. That will limit movement and also stop them getting control of your wrist/hand as easily, which is the best way for someone to move you around. (I did manage to get my hand down and into my pocket after like 5-10 minutes and it helped a lot, but it was hard to do and I had already put a LOT of strain through my shoulder)

Don't let up until there's no longer pressure on you, because if you lose control it's very hard to improve your position. In order of priority:

Linked in with your comrade's arm

Forearm as close to the front of your body as possible

Hands holding onto something in front of you (each other, a banner, your clothing)

Elbow either below shoulder height or pushed as far forwards as possible

Upper arm clamped to your side (makes it harder to lose control of your elbow)

Gable grip is easy to practise but all that does is put you in the best possible position to START with, it may not be possible to maintain under pressure for 10, 20, 30 mins - and remember, the force hitting your line isn't a general, impersonal force, they have eyes, ears, hands and feet, and they will use them.

You're both dealing with an indiscriminate all-sides pressure and defending against one or more human opponents, so you need to act accordingly. That means don't keep them get anything in between your upper arm and your side, and don't let them start moving your wrists or hands around.

[fuckyeah-bears]

Havent been on tumblr much lately, been running around helping students with their encampments

[where-are-the-ninja-today]

Uhmmm.. Someone (?) Sighting?

Just saw some guy in a pigeon costume and a prision uniform running around the block

I am severely confused on wether that's ninja's ally, a small-scale villain, just a furry, a combination of several above?..

Normaly i would just assume a furry and move on with my day, but the prision garb looked a little too authentic to be from a costume store, (tho it might have ben just a high-quality recreation, cus the dove suit is like super high quality) so.. uh.. ya

- 🍄 anon

do you think he can see glass

I think that's @fugidove-calls-andfriends ?? idk most of the villains in Ninjago city have Tumblr now for some reason (TERRIBLE IDEA DO NOT DOCUMENT YOUR CRIMES ONLINE)

also uhh @ninjago-police-irl you might have an escapee

[pax-romana200]

Took a little break today ♡⁠˖⁠꒰⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠⑅⁠꒱

[wizards4for20]

I have an upcoming protest and thought I would use this time to share protest safety and preparation:

The list will include both safety tips, as well as a packing list. If you have anything more to add, please feel free to do so in the comments and tags.

1- Always always always make sure there is someone outside the protest that knows your location and how long you will be there

2- In a similar vein, make sure you either have someone on the outside’s contact information memorized or written down somewhere on your body (preferably somewhere concealed, police have been known to target people with visible phone numbers on them)

3- Wear long leaves and pants to prevent any small scratches if you fall or have to get down, as well as any chemical irritation from tear gas

4- This may be a given, but good walking/running shoes

5- Conceal face and any identifying features like tattoos or unique hair dye colors/patterns

6- Don’t wear contacts or eye makeup, it can cause irritation in the event that tear gas is used

8- If you must bring your phone, turn off Face ID/thumbprint recognition, data, Bluetooth, location, and wifi and keep it in airplane mode

9- Have a buddy system, do not go alone

10- Don’t take photo/video of anyone else there without consent, especially if you have intent to post it

11- If you do post anything, use several layers to cover any faces, names, or other private information, and take a screen shot or recording to post to remove any metadata

12- If you see someone getting arrested, try to get down their full name and date of birth to get them from the station later. Similarly, if you are arrested, do not talk to the cops, and make sure someone else there gets your full name and date of birth.

———

Packing list:

- Lots and lots of water

- Earphones/plugs (not over/ear)

- First aide kit

- Snacks

- Cash/change

- ID

- Washcloth

- Clothing layers

———

Avoid Bringing:

- Jewelry

- Incriminating items

- Valuables

———

Many protests go off swimmingly and safely, however you have to always be prepared for the possibility that things could go wrong, even in a peaceful protest. Stay safe out there and keep others safe out there as well.

[mayapapaya33]

Here's an interesting thing to consider going into conversations moving forward: The people who love you might say dumb things they don't really mean, maybe about you, or about things that are happening, if they're scared for your physical safety. Keep that in mind as the political situation escalates. Fear and Love make people stupid. Sometimes people actually do agree with you a lot more than they're comfortable with and they're scared. Try to be understanding and forgiving of things said in panic out of love and denial and exhausted, beaten down pessimism. Sometimes shouting matches can be avoided if you reassure people that you aren't going to be doing anything stupid or dangerous and you will do your best to keep yourself safe.

[mielwriting]

I'd like to download XiaoHongShu.

My Mandarin is basic but this seems like a great opportunity to improve!

(And also talk with other Genshin Impact fans)

I did see some mention that there are specific rules about which topics not to discuss - lest your account get banned.

Given that the app's terms of service are in Mandarin (since it was made for a Chinese audience)

Could someone tell me clearly what those topics are? (Confused and autistic) (don't want my account banned on day 1)

[paula-of-christ]

Something something the devil hates Mary, that's why you feel like you shouldn't pray a rosary