Here’s Part 2 of the Activist Guide for on the streets in June at the G20 demonstrations.

6: Here’s a link to a map of the Security Zone http://www.thestar.com/staticcontent/810896

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7: Here’s a link to a map of the surrounding traffic routes affected by the G8/G20 http://www.thestar.com/staticcontent/814019

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8: Protest Zones: Red / Yellow / Green

Activists who support Diversity of Tactics (that pretty much defines itself) will allocate a risk level to demonstrations based on a colour-coded system  – civil disobedience and risk of confrontation with the police. Note: These colours are just guidelines for actions that activists have declared. The police may or may not respect these colour coded zones, so just because an action is labelled Green or low-risk is no guarantee the cops won’t move in and make things go South.

Green Action: Low Risk, children and family friendly protests. Example: a permitted (applied for a permit to march) protest march on the side walk.

Yellow Action: Medium Risk, a protest march that includes examples of civil disobedience, the potential for contact with the police. Example: a non-permitted march that disrupts traffic since demonstrators are on the street.

Red Action: High Risk, high probability for confrontation with the police so extra tactical preparations are recommended (ex, swimming goggles). Example: The occupation of a commercial/retail property. Any action that takes place in close proximity to the security fence/parameter should be considered a Red Action.

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9: The Police

If this is your first demo (or maybe not!), seeing a lot of cops around can be intimidating. Well, you’re not alone because that is their job; so when you see a line of cops marching towards you all pounding rhythmically on their shields, it can make the best of us sweat. But like I said, that’s their plan. They want you to stop exercising your rights and stay home. Hell No! Stay strong, beautiful rebellions, you have every right to speak your piece/peace and don’t let them scare you otherwise!

Here’s a list of some of the police you might see on the days of action: 

The Crowd Control Unit (CCU): The basic boys/girls in blue you will usually see first. They will most likely be wearing regular uniforms with soft ball caps.

Bicycle Unit:  The bike cops: think cops on bikes. They move fast and have been known to use their bikes as temporary barricades during a march. They sometimes wear yellow jackets.

Mounted Unit: The horse cops: think cops on horses. They have been known to charge into a demo to split a march into two groups. These horses can seriously hurt you if you get in their way. If you touch a cop’s horse, you can be charged with assault police. NOTE: DO NOT LAY DOWN IN FRONT OF HORSE COPS. This is a stupid myth that I’m trying to stamp out completely from the movement.

The Emergency Response Team (ERT): They usually wear all black. They are usually called in to support the CCU and bike cops. These cops are an ‘elite’ force. They are trained in martial arts, closed quarter combat and in the use of various weapons (including assault rifles).  Warning: they can be very aggressive.  

The Riot Cops: Can be wearing dark blue or dark green uniforms. They are usually called in to support the CCU and bike cops. They will be well armed and suited with heavy body armour. They are also trained in the use of various weapons (firing tear gas canisters, rubber bullets or small sandbags). The most common reaction to their presence on the scene is, “oh shit!” Warning: they can be very aggressive. 

Undercover Cops: These men and women will dress in civilian clothes and mingle among activists/blend into the crowd. They can even dress like “activists.”  BUT they have the same powers of arrest as uniformed police so be warned

Agent Provocateurs: These nasty police will not only dress like activists, but they will try and start shit just to get the crowd whipped up, thus giving the other police units the justification to come bust up the demonstration.

Water Cannons: These suckers look like tanks and have a spout on the front end that can blast activists (for example, blast away anyone hanging onto the fence or use the water blast to knock your feet out from under you) with an extremely powerful jet of water.

Sound Cannon: Four LRAD devices have been purchased for use on protesters, though Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair has claimed that they will only use the devices as communication tools and not as a sonic weapon against demonstrators.

Snatch Squads/Vans: It’s becoming more and more frequently – especially during the evenings –  to see unmarked vans driving around; they will be full of police who will on a moment’s notice jump out of the van and grab an activist, pulling them back into the van with them and driving off; essentially “snatching” or “disappearing” them. Now, this can be a terrifying experience to witness or be a part of us. Please keep your cool and yell for help.

The police can use a variety of weapons to control demonstrators and demonstrations. The list could include:

Baton

Extentable Baton

Pepper Spray

Tear Gas (these will fly through the air like shells and make a whistling noise)

CS Gas

Rubber Bullets

Small sand bag-like bullets

Sound Cannon

Water Cannon

Live Ammunition (let’s pray it doesn’t come to that)

A note of chemical weapons. First off, listen to any reports that the police are about the use these types of airborne chemical weapons since you’ll notice the police will put their masks on. It is recommended that at this time you either leave the scene, take a step back or put on your swimming goggles and bandana over your nose and mouth. Do this before the gas starts to fly! In fact, to be safe, it could be suggested that you wear your swimming goggles well before it looks like things are about to go South.

Speaking of personal experience, getting gassed/sprayed with a chemical weapon really sucks. It sucks. It hurts like crazy but it won’t (can’t guarantee this, I am not a doctor) kill you. It might hurt so much for like 30 seconds that you feel like you’re going die. That’s ok and quite normal. The purpose of these chemical weapons is “pain compliance”; it’s supposed to shock your system and immediately put you into a vulnerable state. In fact, some of the chemicals used in these toxic soups actually cause a rush of adrenalin in your system which triggers a fight/flight response.

It’s recommended that if you are sprayed with pepper spray that you try force yourself to keep moving to get away from the source since pepper spray is usually dispersed through a unit that looks like a fire extinguisher.

Because of the triggering fight/flight=fear response, it is recommended that if you see a tear gas canister flying towards you from above, you try to get out of the way. They usually explode twice and let out a huge puff of lime green/dirty yellow smoke. If one lands right beside you, try to get the hell out of the way. If you feel overwhelmed, stay low to the ground and ground yourself. Remember: it’s the chemicals in the gas that are making you panic; plus the fact that you can’t see and can’t breathe well, which would make anyone panic. But it will pass. Steady Now!

Trust the rest of us around, there will be activists around who have been through this before and yes, the first times sucks. But you will be ok. You will probably panic. Your eyes will burn like frakken crazy, you’ll be disorientated, you’ll start coughing and you may even thrown up. But you’re be ok. Steady Now. Steady Now. The feeling will pass. And then it will be over. You’re eyes will probably still water like crazy as your body tries to clear the toxins. You’re going have a scratchy throat. Do not touch your eyes or your lips since you’re now contaminated (lovely, eh!)

If you think you need medical help, please shout out “MEDIC” or motion to someone else that you need assistance and they can get a medic for you. Stay exactly where you are. Steady Now. Help is coming. Steady Now.

<End of Part 2>

Krystalline Kraus

krystalline kraus is an intrepid explorer and reporter from Toronto, Canada. A veteran activist and journalist for rabble.ca, she needs no aviator goggles, gas mask or red cape but proceeds fearlessly...