Discussion in 'Protest Planning' started by Weareanonymous1978, May 27, 2014.
Following a few basic common-sense guidelines at raids will help you to protest effectively, to avoid problems and to enjoy yourself. Much of the content here was developed for Project Chanology, and as such may not always be applicable depending on the type of protest you are conducting. Use this content as a basis for your protest and always use common sense on what is and is not appropriate.
Do not raid alone. Doing so could make you a target for handlers/hostiles, and there really is safety in numbers.
Before planning a protest always check local laws regarding public gatherings. Get a permit if one is required.
Collect all the information (date/time/location/local laws) that participants need to know and put it in one location that can be used to promote the protest.
If this is your first protest, contact your local anon group and arrange to meet beforehand. Stay together.
Organize in squads of ten to fifteen people, with no more than one megaphone per squad.
Prepare signs and flyers before protesting. Make sure they are simple, readable and pertinent to the protest.
Have a camera operational at all times. This will discourage handlers/hostiles from messing with you, and will provide evidence against any claims the target of your protest will make regarding you. Some targets (for example Scientology) have a long history of lying to police regarding peaceful protesters, and having a camera is one way to prove your side of the story.
Filming protests will also make it possible for you to share a post-game video. This provides entertainment to the community as well as learning material on how to protest properly.
Consider protecting your name, face and identity for safety. In general, WhyWeProtest encourages protesters to avoid sharing personal information even with other anons.
Avoid behaviour that can be considered aggressive or annoying. Be polite at all times.
No alcohol. It can impair your judgement and lead to needless problems.
Stay across the street from the object of your protest. If there's no street, look for another natural boundary.
Some protests are not target-specific. In such cases, areas with high foot traffic are desirable.
Try to ensure that your protest is not disruptive to local businesses. Contacting such businesses before a protest can help with diplomacy, and can help nip issues in the bud and can help garner new allies.
If appropriate, give your local police notification of your protest. Inform them of your peaceful and legal methods.
Be polite, low-key, and cooperative when talking with police (This includes providing identification if requested). Thank them for their involvement, even if decisions do not go your way.
Do not ask for badge numbers unless police are behaving very abusively.
Contact the police immediately if anyone in the group is harassed.
If police are unavailable, film any suspicious behaviour and leave.
Clothing: What you wear can change or conceal identifying physical characteristics. These suggestions will help you to dress anonymously.
Women, pad up or strap down.
Do not use the same disguise or clothing items over and over at protests. Avoid your usual clothing styles, brands or logos.
To avoid buying multiple winter coats, have each anon in your cell buy a couple of oversized, different-coloured waterproof ponchos. Snip generous vents and wear a warm base layer to avoid hyperthermia. Randomise who wears which poncho at each protest.
Do not wear the same shoes to raid after raid. Vary shoes’ sizes and styles—but keep them comfortable.
Face Coverings: A Guy Fawkes mask is the traditional Anon face covering, and it's a good one. Before buying a mask to protest in, check your local laws and ordinances and consult your local anon group - in some locations masks are not permitted. If you do not have a mask, or cannot wear one because of local laws or do not want to wear one, any face covering will do: theatrical masks, surgical or dust mask, scarves or bandannas, face paint and veils are good alternatives.
To avoid showing any hair, tuck it into a skullcap (easily made with a pair of pantyhose or purchased at a beauty supply store) and wear another covering over it. You may also find hairpins, spirit gum and double-sided tape helpful.
Wear a wig to conceal hair, hairlines, ears and other identifying characteristics. Choose a wig that is a different color and style from your hair.
Wear a hood or hat.
Make sure to disguise any unusual features.
Use make-up or clothing to cover all tattoos, birthmarks, and scars - not merely those that are immediately visible. To disguise tattoos, stencil something elsewhere, and do a similar decoration over your real ink.
Disguise distinctive piercings and add fake ones - the bigger, the better - by using nose, lip, and eyebrow jewellery.
While it is not very likely that you will be followed, it has happened many times in the past so you may as well be prepared. Scientology operatives, for example, have followed protesters in attempts to identify them.
Assume you are being followed when leaving a raid, and take evasive manoeuvres habitually. Take a wide, unpredictable route so it will be hard to confirm that you’ve entered or left an area. Crossroads, underpasses and bridges. This makes you harder to follow and forces anyone who tries into revealing themselves or taking another route.