✊ Protest Field Guide

• 🧴 Pack Smart: Bring water, snacks, ID, cash, essential medications, and a portable charger.

• 🔰 Protection Matters: Bring goggles and a bandana or mask to shield against tear gas.

• ✍️ Write on Your Arm: Emergency contact + legal hotline number.

• 📱 Phone Setup: Use a burner phone or airplane mode. Lock with a passcode. Install encrypted messaging apps (Signal).

• 👥 Don't Go Alone: Always bring a buddy. Share your route. Set a rally point if separated.

• 🌐 Wear neutral clothing. No logos, no bright colors.

• 🔒 Cover tattoos and remove piercings.

• 🚫 Avoid jewelry or loose-fitting clothing that can be grabbed.

• ⚠️ Don’t wear contact lenses — tear gas can trap under them.

• ❌ Weapons, drugs, anything illegal.

• ❌ Unlocked phone with personal data.

• ❌ Sensitive documents or unnecessary ID.

• ❌ Personal journals or private notes.

• 🔎 Stay aware. Keep an eye on the mood of the crowd and police movement.

• 📸 Document carefully. Record abuses but blur faces before sharing.

• 🔋 Conserve battery. Keep essentials running.

• 🧘 Stay calm. Do not escalate confrontation.

• 🗺️ Know your exits — avoid being cornered or kettled.

• 💨 Get upwind. Move to fresh air immediately.

• 👁️ Rinse eyes with clean water or saline (not milk).

• 🧥 Remove exposed outer clothing once safe.

• 🚫 Don’t rub your eyes or wear contact lenses.

• 🗣️ Say:

“I do not consent to a search. I am invoking my right to remain silent. I want a lawyer.”

• ✅ Provide only your name and address.

• ❌ Do NOT unlock your phone or share passwords.

• 🧠 Memorize officer badge numbers and any details.

• ☎️ Call the legal hotline ASAP.

National Lawyers Guild: 1‑833‑346‑6322
Write it on your arm in permanent marker before you go.

• 🗓️ Document what happened. Take notes, photos, and record any injuries.

• 📅 Follow up on legal matters — check court dates, call your legal aid.

• 🫂 Decompress with people you trust. This is part of the work.

• ✉️ Be someone’s check-in contact.

• 💳 Donate to bail funds or protest support networks.

• 🚗 Offer a ride or recovery space for friends in the streets.

This isn’t just about survival — it’s about protecting each other in a system that too often fails to. Share this guide. Print it. Fold it. Carry it. Use it.

🧭 Power protects power. People protect each other.

1. American Civil Liberties Union. Know Your Rights: Protesters’ Rights. Accessed June 29, 2025. https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights

2. Electronic Frontier Foundation. A Digital Security Primer for Protesters. Accessed June 29, 2025. https://www.eff.org/wp/digital-security-primer-for-protesters

3. National Lawyers Guild – NYC Chapter. What If I’m Arrested? A Guide for Protesters. Updated June 2020. Accessed June 29, 2025. https://nlgnyc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/What-If-I-Get-Arrested-While-Protesting.Handout.June2020.pdf

4. Amnesty International. Tips for Protesting Safely. Accessed June 29, 2025. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/06/usa-tips-for-protesting-safely/

5. Human Rights Campaign. Tips for Preparedness: Peaceful Protesting and Safety. Accessed June 29, 2025. https://www.hrc.org/resources/tips-for-preparedness-peaceful-protesting-and-safety