Political Discussion and Commentary

I've modified this Original Reddit Post a bit. Let me know your thoughts and criticisms, if there is anything I should add, or correct.

Also, fuck Reddit and Spez of course. However we should be pragmatic. There is a vast amount of information on reddit and a lot more people use it for now. I'm manually moving things I feel are important on to the Fediverse for archival and general use purposes. And sharing sources for full disclosure.

Protests and events

• Political Revolution events
• The Big List of Protests
• indivisible - Find a Local Event
• Crowd-sourced map of ICE activity

Guides

• eyes on ice wiki

Know your rights at protests

• ACLU “Protesters’ Rights”
• National Lawyers Guild (NLG) Know Your Rights booklet (protest + police encounters)

Basic Tech Security Practices

• Make your phones/devices use passwords to unlock and disable biometrics
• Use Free and open-source software (FOSS) whenever possible, do not trust large companies, many of whom have aligned themselves with the regime.
• Use fully encrypted communication systems when ever possible (Do not trust WhatsApp)
  • Signal
  • SimpleX
  • encrypted radio
    • note that encrypted radio is probably illegal to use in you area.
• Set up an always on VPN such as Mullvad or ProtonVPN
• Use encrypted DNS without Logging or Privacy (Surveillance) Policy
• for more recommendations, checkout privacyguides.org

Practical protest prep

• Go with a buddy, set a check-in time, write an emergency contact on paper.
• Bring water, needed medications, earplugs, weather gear.
• Don’t bring a cell phone, unless it is free of personal data and hard to trace back to you.
• Consider disabling FaceID/biometrics and using a passcode on your primary cell phone.
• Decide in advance what your risk tolerance is; leave early if things escalate.
• Bring a first aid kit if you know how to use it.
• Wear protective clothing
  • Eye Protection
  • Ear Protection
  • Gas mask
• have an escape route
• don’t let yourself be kettled or corralled
• be aware of your surroundings

How to deal with Chemical Irritants (Pepper Spray and CS Gas) in eyes

What to do after exposure to pepper spray

• Move into an area with fresh air, if possible.
• Flush the affected area to wash away the contaminants.
• Avoid using soap around the eyes as it is an irritant.
• Remove clothing that may have come into contact with the spray to decontaminate and prevent re-contamination. Cutting off clothing rather than pulling it over the head helps avoid further irritation to the eyes and skin.
• Avoid touching the affected area, as it is easy to spread the oil-based solution to other areas of the body by doing so.
• Blink the eyes rapidly to help flush out the chemical.

In most cases, pepper spray symptoms resolve within 10 to 30 minutes and do not require medical care.

• Popular strategies for removing pepper spray include baby shampoo, milk, antacids, and lidocaine. However, an older 2008 study comparing these strategies found no evidence that they were more effective than water.
• A 2018 randomized controlled trial also reported no difference between baby shampoo and water alone in relieving the effects of tear gas and pepper spray.

Treatment Methods

• Sterile saline solution [safest method]
• Distilled water (safe and cheap if a lot is needed)
• liquid antacid solution (Many claim to prefer but does introduce some risks)
  • Understanding and Dealing with Pepper Spray - Street Medics [video]
  • how to make
    • 50% liquid antacid (Magnesium Hydroxide or Aluminum Hydroxide)
      • Max alcohol of 0.20%
      • No mint/citrus flavor
    • 50% distilled water
    • If keeping as a backup in a kit, add water preserver and store in opaque HDPE containers
  • possible risks
    • not sterile
    • might introduce harmful chemicals if the wrong ingredients are used, if bottles are cleaned incorrectly
    • might introduce allergen
    • might be contaminated from improper preparation

How to deal with carcinogenic hexachloroethane (HC) gas

Minneapolis, MN: notoriously carcinogenic hexachloroethane (HC) smoke deployed on residential streets HC gas might be colored green

• Move into an area with fresh air, if possible.
• Remove clothing that may have come into contact with the spray to decontaminate and prevent re-contamination. Cutting off clothing rather than pulling it over the head helps avoid further irritation to the eyes and skin.
• Treat eyes with as with other chemical irritants above
• Wash skin with soap immediately
• Get tested to see if you have been exposed
  • tests aren't available at most doctors' offices, but can be done at special laboratories that have the right equipment
  • useful only if you were exposed with in 24-48

Ways to support without being on the front line

• Volunteer/donate to nonprofit legal services
• Support rapid response networks and local immigrant-led organizations.
• indivisible - take action now
• Archive proof of crimes being carried out
  • https://crimesofice.org/
• donate to local food and clothing banks if possible
  • Money donations often go the furthest