Protesting demonstrations have erupted around the nation in light of the recent murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police Department. Various cities around the world like Berlin have also organized marches in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. While these protests are necessary and raises awareness for the systemic oppression of black people through police brutality, these protests may not always be safe.
Keeping yourself and others safe during a protest is equally as important as getting your voices heard in a protest. Here are five ways that you can protect yourself and have an effective protest.
1. USE COLD WATER NOT MILK FOR TEAR GAS IN EYES
Many people tend to use milk taken from surrounding grocery stores to wash out tear gas in the eyes. What they do not realize is that milk will spoil in two hours without proper refrigeration and putting that in your eye could cause irritations and even chemical reactions. Water helps spread the chemicals inside the tear gas around so that your eyes can flush it out easier. Hot water is also not advised since it will open your pores and allow for more harmful chemicals to enter your system. Water also does not expire and is easy to transport in backpacks.
2. DO NOT WEAR SUNSCREEN, VASELINE, MINERAL OIL ON SKIN
These products may be good on a normal day to moisturize your skin while outside, but not when tear gas and pepper spray is involved. Vaseline and thicker moisturizers have properties that are known to absorb certain chemicals deep into your skin. Long-term exposure would not be good for your health.
3. DO NOT WEAR JEWELRY, ACCESSORIES AND PRINTED CLOTHING—KEEP EVERYTHING BASIC AND HIDDEN
A protest is NOT the time for you to being walking down the catwalk. Wearing jewelry and items that are easy for police to grab and restrain you puts you in immediate danger of being harmed and apprehended. Dressing in clothing with loud prints and wearing unique pieces and shoes makes you that much more identifiable to the police and other law enforcement and that can especially be a problem if you damage property and/or loot. Hide any special piercings, cover your hair and mouth and any tattoos that could put you in danger of your identity being discovered. Wear plain colored t-shirts with no graphics. Leave that Louis Vuitton bag at home, sweetie.
4. BRING SPARE MONEY WITH YOU AND A CARD WITH EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
Sometimes, protests may get too violent for your safety. Perhaps the National Guard is being sent in to diffuse the situation. In these situations, the streets are already filled with people and driving becomes almost impossible. If you cannot get to your car or your car happens to be in the crossfires of the protest, you are going to need an alternate way to get home. Using payphones and public forms of transportation may be necessary to escape a bad situation. Depending on how long you decide to attend the protest you may also require food and a quick meal so that you do not pass out from starvation. Keeping cards of emergency contact information on you is necessary in case you are in a position where you cannot contact someone for help yourself.
5. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
- Freedom of Expression and Assembly
- Protection of the Right to Freedom of Assembly
- Freedom from Excessive Use of Force
- Right to Medical Assistance
- Freedom from Arbitrary Arrest and Detention
- Right to complain
BONUS TIPS:
If you are a nonblack person and you attend a protest do not, under any circumstance, post pictures without black protestors especially blocked out in a black censor bar. After the Ferguson riots there were lots of black protestors identified from seemingly harmless uploaded photos who ended up lynched and murdered or harassed. Blurring is not a good enough technique because there are apps that un-blur pictures and sharpen them for details.
If you are someone who wants to go to a protest simply to loot a mall and vandalize…DO NOT GO. This is not designed for you to live out some strange anarchy fantasy. This is a protest for the killing of innocent black lives and a demand for change. If you want to use a dead body for a scapegoat for you to simply loot and vandalize, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. Be a good ally and listen to black voices and join the cause in any productive way that you can.
And always remember, BLACK LIVES MATTER.
