"Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them." -Tim Snyder
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Back in the day, the IWW and other Unions made sure they had their own good squads at the ready.
Some trouble makers are undercover cops or paid informers, others may just be folks who want to throw a brick at a cop and figure they can get away in the crowd. The goon squad was there to make sure that no one gave the cops an excuse to start busting heads.
The police are always more prepared for violence than protesters. There are always elderly, infirm, or young children marching with us.
That's still common practice and still done by IWW groups afaik. At least in Asheville there are organized black blocs watching for agitators - cops have been known to fuck with them.
Ideally, nobody shows up looking to start shit, because that's how legal defense funds run dry.
I guess I don't look like goon squad material.
Step 1: get involved with active anarchist groups
Step 2: show up
Or be me, get involved
And dont
Whose the anarchist now bitches
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but the cops love to infiltrate groups like that.
Most of the big terrorist arrests you see happen when some provocateur tricks good hearted people into 'taking action.'
There aren't enough pixels to tell if that bracelet has any blue on it. The evidence for wire seems to be a single keyring loop thing. The "cuffs" could just be a tin of chew.
Definitely still look out but idk if this is the best image to match with those captions.
Other things to look for include, holsters at belt and pit level, mechanic or medical gloves, a cheap necklace (could be a badge), large zipties (commonly used as cuffs during protests), eye protection, radio/walkie talkie.
I think the vest is the ultimate giveaway here. Chances are pretty low a civilian protestor will have access to one.
That vest also doesn't look that bulky. It could be a security vest used more for stabs and impacts, which is a reasonable thing someone with access to one would wear to a protest if they thought things might escalate
Chances are pretty low a civilian protestor will have access to one.
In the U.S??? I can literally buy them in a store or order them online. I'm a "Gun Guy", but not a gun tard, and at least half of the other gun guys I know have one. You can buy basic Level III stuff like the guy in that picture is wearing for $300.
Want to say it's only illegal to purchase them in Connecticut and New York (unless for use within applicable professions). But yeah, rare to see people outside of law enforcement wearing soft armor in plain clothes.
Yeah, that was more my point. Just that it would be unlikely. This guy could very well be a civilian, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Man it's fucking wild that you can't buy armor but you can buy weapons a plenty.
Can I make my own out of the bulletproof backpacks they market for kids?
What a sentence.
Probably, but would it be cost effective?
Doubtful but it seems like it could be a statement in and of itself.
You can just buy a vest.
Yeah, but would you try to hide it?
Of course?! Same reason I conceal carry. Why the hell would I advertise my offense and defense? And advertising gives the pigs one more reason to target your happy ass.
Actually, that's a good question. Would I try to hide it?
Like if I'm at a protest and seriously worried about cops shooting me I don't know that the thin ass vest the guy is wearing is gonna do much.
Like if I’m at a protest and seriously worried about cops shooting me
You show up to party with the booze ya' got, not the booze ya' wish ya' had. The rate things are going you may soon wish you'd ordered yourself some.
Kevlar vests like that will reliably stop most pistol rounds, but rifle rounds will zip through.
Bruh you and I go to very very different protests.
Color of the day armband, dead giveaway not labeled
The thin Blue line between the populace and the fascist overlords
Also get in the habit of checking ankles for a holstered pistol
No mask
Also the embroidered Yankees cap. They ALWAYS have a Yankees cap
(Not as a rule though)
Whatever the local team is. Almost always some kind of baseball cap though.
It's to cover the cop hair
What's the wire supposed to be?
Records audio or it could also be a radio or camera system
Cop, or transmasc bear who's into BSDM?
Always the shoes
In our case, back in 2007, a cop from security police showed up at a protest offering symbolic support to revolting monks in Myanmar (who were crushed, but the situation in Myanmar continues). The demonstration was 100% peaceful.
The guy had a pretty good camera and claimed to be a journalist. He was too invasive, though, and some anarchist had an even better camera. The guy had forgot to remove his ring, issued to graduates of the Interior Defense Academy. Later, he was encountered by chance in the cafeteria of the National Library, across the street from security police HQ. Busted with much fun. :)
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