How to Survive an American Riot

This lecture starts with the basics. We begin with suggestions for how to prepare for a peaceful protest.  Many of the items discussed here will be amplified later in the course. After this video, you will be able to articulate what's required for a successful protest.

Our instructor introduces a list of pro-democracy groups. It will be valuable for those who feel alone or are looking for advice and support during this trying time. Check out the PDF in the Resources Section.

Throughout most of my life, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been a left-wing, radical, crazy organization. However, to be honest, they often adopt both left and right-wing causes. Having grown over the years and now faced with an existential threat to our Democracy, I have a new perspective on this organization.

In any event, and despite politics, the ACLU has produced some outstanding online publications that are directly related to today's course. I've included a briefing sheet with contact information.

Highly Recommended...cm

This lesson focuses on our Constitutional right to peacefully protest and speak our minds in a public forum.  We look at the First Amendment and review what is acceptable behavior. Just as importantly, we also define restricted behaviors we should avoid.

As a good foundation, many of the topics covered in this lecture will be re-visited and amplified later in this course.

The First Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights. A .pdf reference sheet is included in the Resources section of this lecture. It serves as a quickie reference to the content of the Bill of Rights.

We encourage a non-engagement approach to political gatherings. This is true for now, but may change as events develop on the ground.

The non-engagement approach directly supports the objective of peaceful, First Amendment speech. This video outlines five advantages of the non-engagement approach. These include:

• Safety

• Message Discipline

• Optics

• Legal Protection

• Moral High Ground

There are both pros and cons for taking a smartphone to a public protest. This lecture addresses the technology from both sides. There are reasons to bring your amazing device, but THINK before you do so...

You will also want to check out the Resources for supplemental information regarding this important topic.

In this video lecture, the instructor builds on previously mentioned material. Namely, your location where you are protesting. The type or real estate you are protesting drives exactly what you can and cannot do.

Did you know a private property owner CAN restrict your First Amendment rights? In fact, if you park on private and then walk over to the protest site, he can have your vehicle towed-- and impounded.

So, where you walk, stand, park, gather, speak, and protest, does matter.

Think. And don't give our adversaries a reason to call the police for alleged trespassing.

Naturally, we want to avoid violence. Unfortunately, it can happen.  This lesson features a clip from a police training film about the continuum of violence. It describes the standard protocol for U.S. law enforcement deployment of force.

In short, it describes how force should be used in controlling demonstrators. It is a "sliding scale" of responses. It is often used to determine reasonable force from excessive force.

Ideally, demonstrators-- and frankly any citizen, should be aware of what consititutes reasonable force during the course of a public demonstration. 

As concerned citizens, it is imperative we get our message out. However, this puts us between a rock and the proverbial hard place. We must get our message out to the widest possible audience. On the other hand, we need to shield our activities from various "bad actors" seeking to disrupt our efforts.

This is where Operational Security enters the picture. We call it "OPSEC" for short.

This lecture is about communicating to those who need to know. And it's about cutting off those that don't

Regardless of your peaceful intentions, you may still encounter an American police officer. As a result, we've developed a 10-point checklist. This lecture covers the first five items, and we'll review the rest in the next video.

The complete checklist is downloadable in the Resources Section.

This video continues our survey of our ten-point Survival Pack. The learning points focus on what you should do if contacted by the police. This includes the importance of planning, having partners that watch out for each other, and the critical need for an attorney.

In this short memo, Jenna amplifies two points from the recently discussed checklist. Specifically, she reiterates the importance of:

• Working together. Pre-plan and partner-up. Take and keep, each other's back.

• Do not say, do or sign anything without legal advice.

This lecture will raise your awareness and confidence in the event commonly used non-lethal weapons are used in your vicinity.

You may or may NOT encounter these crowd control methods in North America. However, they can be easily encountered in many countries.  As you might suspect, crowd control solutions tend to be indiscriminate. Once deployed, they often impact everyone, regardless of their behavior. This lecture specifically, covers:

• Long Range Audio Devices, and

• Malodourous Solutions.

Upon completing this short lecture, you will be aware of the existence of these riot control options. Likewise, you will be more aware-- and more confident during First Amendment activities.

Building on our foundation of chemical agents, the instructor clarifies using milk as a decontaminate for tear gas and pepper spray. After this lecture, the learner will understand the nuances, facts and fiction, regarding milk in decontamination procedures.

After this lecture, you will identify basic crowd control formations used by the police. Understanding these tactics will allow you to better anticipate events and plan for the safest possible response. Formations covered include:

• Kettling

• Line

• Wedge

  Additionally, the instructor reiterates the importance of Situational Awareness. This includes the danger of being dangerously "backed up" against a wall or fence.

The Ranger file is a basic military tactic. It is used to move a small unit of personnel from one to location to another. It is particularly useful when unit cohesion and security is important. For this reason, the tactic is also useful for police SWAT. This lecture describes how the Ranger file can be modified for civilian use.

This lecture continues our "tactical practical" theme. Specifically, we discuss optimal foot placement when encountering a potentially dangerous person. The lecture also serves as a reminder-- your safety and survival depend on the details...

Weaponizing a vehicle for a ramming attack is more common that you might suspect. Afterall, your basic Honda can become a weapon of mass destruction in the blink of an eye. This can occur at major events. However, we are increasingly seeing attacks on small, neighborhood protest events where people are simply holding their sign and standing on a public sidewalk.

This lecture makes you aware of the threat and what to look for as you analyze the "human landscape."

We conclude the course with a collection of Field Notes. It's a collection of random topics. It's the instructor's opportunity to magnify previous material-- or supplement the course with a new concept or two.

Again, the instructor, Cole, leaves you with two final thoughts:

1) You are NOT alone

2) This is just the beginning. Standby for future updates as the situation on the ground dictate.