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curmugeonIt is apparent that the movement is expanding and that has prompted a weapons race by police. We see CS gas, tazers, rubber bullets, and LRAD. Now I read that the British are buying water cannons (the Germans used these a lot when I was in Berlin against those protesting the war in Vietnam) and a lazer rifle that projects a one meter square of lazer light that 'temporarily blinds' anyone who looks at it. As we enter the decade wher the governments of the world become police states, it will be a decade where protests will start being as common as Starbucks, and where the average citizen will find themselves in the middle of a protest or police action without any warning.
I guess for a tech type and a person who has been on the front line during the Vietnam era (as a protester), there are a few things I learned. If you are going to protest, be prepared. I still have a bit of radical blood in my viens.
We used to carry a small bottle of apple cider vinegar and a linen handkerchief for times when we found ourselves in tear gas.. you soak the handkerchief with the vinegar and place it over your face. When wet, the linen (don't buy cheap linen) is translucent, so you can see, and the vinegar limits the effects of the gas, Also, swim goggles work to preserve your vision so you can find your way out of the area. A good chemical canister style filter mask is very effective of you are hard core. Make sure to check the fit before using, a good tight seal with your face make it work well.
As for body armor, we used to use a few layers of cardboard around the rib area and used to wear an athletic cup. It was common for the German police to hit you in the ribs first then kick you in the groin on your way down. Now we have light weight body armor made for active sports like mountain biking that will provide you something you can move in and still be protected from random shots of rubber bullets r bean bag rounds. The technology has made these items lighter and allow for more freedom of movement.
Then we have sonic devies such as LRAD. This is new but as a gun owner I've used various ear protection devices that should minimize the impact, but allowing you to hear people around you but blocking the pain inducing sound spectrum.
I have lost my copy of the anarchist cookbook, and had a few other books (including Che Guevara's handbook for guerrilla fighters) confiscated by U.S. Customs when I returned to the United States in 1972. Their excuse was they had been printed in Cuba or other communist countries, therefore they were contraband (much like tents have become contraband by police). I figure these books are available somewhere on the web. Seek and you will find.
If you have a cell phone, be sure to learn how to wipe your phone quickly. You don't want the police roaming around your contacts and email without a warrant. With some of the newer phones that shoot video, be sure to live stream, establish your account now so you have a video record that is out of police hands. They have been clearing phones seized from protesters and wiping them clean of any video or pictures. Hey, they don't want any record of their violations of your rights.
I ran across some surplus goggles I should have bought, but didn't The army has goggles that shield a soldier's eyes from lazer light being used in combat. I'm going to look for more of these, as it won't be long before the police start using military weapons in their battle to keep the police state in power.
Oh well, 2012 is going to be interesting in more ways than one. Stay peaceful, stay non-violent, stay vigilant. The state can try, but you can't kill an idea who's time has come.
Posted on Dreamwidth
I guess for a tech type and a person who has been on the front line during the Vietnam era (as a protester), there are a few things I learned. If you are going to protest, be prepared. I still have a bit of radical blood in my viens.
We used to carry a small bottle of apple cider vinegar and a linen handkerchief for times when we found ourselves in tear gas.. you soak the handkerchief with the vinegar and place it over your face. When wet, the linen (don't buy cheap linen) is translucent, so you can see, and the vinegar limits the effects of the gas, Also, swim goggles work to preserve your vision so you can find your way out of the area. A good chemical canister style filter mask is very effective of you are hard core. Make sure to check the fit before using, a good tight seal with your face make it work well.
As for body armor, we used to use a few layers of cardboard around the rib area and used to wear an athletic cup. It was common for the German police to hit you in the ribs first then kick you in the groin on your way down. Now we have light weight body armor made for active sports like mountain biking that will provide you something you can move in and still be protected from random shots of rubber bullets r bean bag rounds. The technology has made these items lighter and allow for more freedom of movement.
Then we have sonic devies such as LRAD. This is new but as a gun owner I've used various ear protection devices that should minimize the impact, but allowing you to hear people around you but blocking the pain inducing sound spectrum.
I have lost my copy of the anarchist cookbook, and had a few other books (including Che Guevara's handbook for guerrilla fighters) confiscated by U.S. Customs when I returned to the United States in 1972. Their excuse was they had been printed in Cuba or other communist countries, therefore they were contraband (much like tents have become contraband by police). I figure these books are available somewhere on the web. Seek and you will find.
If you have a cell phone, be sure to learn how to wipe your phone quickly. You don't want the police roaming around your contacts and email without a warrant. With some of the newer phones that shoot video, be sure to live stream, establish your account now so you have a video record that is out of police hands. They have been clearing phones seized from protesters and wiping them clean of any video or pictures. Hey, they don't want any record of their violations of your rights.
I ran across some surplus goggles I should have bought, but didn't The army has goggles that shield a soldier's eyes from lazer light being used in combat. I'm going to look for more of these, as it won't be long before the police start using military weapons in their battle to keep the police state in power.
Oh well, 2012 is going to be interesting in more ways than one. Stay peaceful, stay non-violent, stay vigilant. The state can try, but you can't kill an idea who's time has come.
Posted on Dreamwidth
