this post was submitted on 23 Oct 2025
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Got an idling 3D printer? Want to do something in the fight against ICE, but don't know how to get involved? You can 3D print whistles for folks in communities that may be targeted by ICE!

Why whistles?

  • Instant alert system
  • Faster and harder to sensor than social media
  • Simple, cheap, effective
  • Noise = visibility
  • Turns silence into community action
  • The sound gathers a crowd whenever and wherever ICE shows up
  • Already being used to great effect in cities like LA and Chicago

Once you 3D print some whistles, you can either drop them off with us, or we can send someone to pick them up from you. You don't even have to leave your home to contribute!

No 3D printer? Still lots of ways to help out: Assemble whistle kits, contribute money, translate materials, spread the word, etc.

MORE INFO including STL files to print: https://linktr.ee/wa.whistles

And you don't need to join anything to get started. Just download and print!

FAQ

Q: Why not just buy whistles?

A: We do that too, but 3D printed ones are cheaper. (And can be made on demand, customized easily, etc.)

Q: When is ICE coming to Seattle?

A: They're already here and kidnapping people daily.

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[–] mika_mika@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Is it really that cheap to 3D print constructs? I would think ordering bulk whistles from China or something would be much cheaper.

[–] Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's distributed and completely untraceable. No delivery records, no customs seizures, nothing.

Also, you have a much greater degree of customization with a 3d printer, and the cost of material is negligible.

[–] Empricorn@feddit.nl 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Okay, but they literally said it was cheaper and listed that as the main reason to 3d print them.

[–] Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Cost of material for a 3d printer (especially if we're talking what would require a custom mold in the photo) would be orders of magnitude cheaper unless these were ordered at scale. Like thousands or tens of thousands of units scale.

Plus, this allows for citizens to print them in their private homes with their existing tools - not everyone has to order for their communities.

[–] Empricorn@feddit.nl 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Why are you including the cost of the 3d printers/custom molds? People had 3d printers long before this, they don't have to buy them now (which is kind of the entire point of the idea). Just like companies already had molds for mass-producing plastic whistles.

[–] Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 month ago

I worded it poorly, I meant using an existing 3d printer vs. ordering a factory produced copy

[–] witten@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Depending on the whistle style, 3D printed ones range from 2 to 7 cents per whistle (not counting the up-front cost of the printer). Bulk ordering of commercial whistles ranges from 12 to 35 cents, and may or may not include customization options like putting an ICE reporting number on the whistle.

You scale this up to thousands or tens of thousands of whistles, and now we're talking about getting whistles into the hands of many more community members for the same cost.

It's not just about the money though. 3D printing whistles gives more people a way to get involved in the resistance. And in order for any resistance movement to be successful, it needs broad-based public support and engagement.

[–] Devjavu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 month ago

Well that's just the thing though. If you get to scale up to tens of thousands: Injection molding.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Is this sort of thing going on in other cities, too?

[–] YoSoySnekBoi@kbin.earth 12 points 1 month ago (2 children)

ICE raids? Yeah. I live in central Ohio and a friend is currently in the hospital after ICE raided his restaurant, beat him up, and arrested all his staff (all fully US citizens but with brown skin so ICE doesn't care)

[–] grue@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

No, distributing whistles to combat them.

[–] YoSoySnekBoi@kbin.earth 3 points 1 month ago

Ah, mb - I haven't heard of that here yet but there's definitely been talk locally of finding better ways to track and deter ICE

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 month ago

Fucking Nazi thug shit

[–] witten@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Yup. Chicago and LA are way ahead on whistles, given how much they've tangled with ICE already. But it's spreading to other cities like Seattle now as well.

[–] Eheran@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] witten@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

When you use whistles to gather a big crowd around ICE, sometimes they lose their nerve and just drive off. Or even if they don't, now you've got tons of people to document ICE interactions, take video to give to immigration attorneys to be used in court, etc. It's a lot more difficult for fascists to do fascist shit when they're being watched and recorded. In some cases a big crowd can even de-arrest people.

[–] signalfirespdx@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This is great! We're doing it in Oregon too. Here's the resources we're using https:llsignalfirespdx.com/posts/toot while-you-doot/

[–] witten@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago

Awesome! That link is 404 for me, but I think this is the correct one: https://signalfirespdx.com/posts/toot-while-you-doot/