I went to an all-day Nonviolent Direct Action training yesterday, in anticipation of the completely illegal--but probable--upcoming occupation of the city. It involved a lot of yelling, role-playing, people getting roughly pushed around, and the linking of arms with total strangers, which I _particularly_ hated.
My discomfort with all of this was so palpable that after the midday break, more than one person came up to me and said, wow, I'm really surprised you came back--and my tense response was somewhere along the lines of a grim "Well, fascism."
All of this also kind of banged up against my French resistance fighter soul who is wearing a beret and a black turtleneck and throwing a Molotov cocktail--and my peaceful, friendly persona, noted for being kind to children and animals.
Here are a few tips I gleaned.
1) If a police officer gives you grief, say very clearly, "I am not interfering with your investigation, sir/ma'am." (you are always allowed to film their activities in the public sphere) If asked for your ID, you can say, "Am I under arrest?"
2) If you get arrested, share nothing but your name, address, and birthdate. Not your phone number, email address, etc. Answer no other questions. You will not get a phone call or a lawyer; you'll sit there for 2-24 hours, until they process you out with a violation. And in the holding pen, do not discuss anything involving politics or activists or events, since you are almost certainly being filmed/recorded. Talk about movies or recipes or whatever. Note: I do not want to get arrested, but a big chunk of the training focused on just that.
3) If ICE shows up anywhere you are, you can ask for their names, badge numbers, agency, and judicial warrants. They will be assholes. Always. They are inherently violent and not smart. Fuck ICE. Record anything you see them doing. Always shame these fuckers, who are cowards and bullies. In my neighborhood, I would yell "La Migra!" instantly. Encourage your neighbors to stay inside and not to open their doors, because they never have judicial warrants, even though they will lie and pretend they do. ICE will _not_ follow the law--but, by documenting their lawlessness, it's evidence for the trials down the road. Note: a new ICE tactic is for them to wear USPS patches/badges/etc. to trick their way inside, so don't be fooled by that. We all know what actual postal workers look like.
4) If you encounter the National Guard, engage with them politely. Ask where they from, say you're sorry they had to leave their families and jobs behind, etc. Be friendly, because the overwhelming majority of them really don't want to be there. Feel free to tell them, as a local, that there is no crime emergency of any kind going on. Once you have a rapport, remind them that they never have to follow unlawful orders.
5) If you encounter the Marines or regular Army, remind them to honor their oaths. Some people in my group had printed out cards they can give to soldiers and Marines, with numbers they can call if they need confidential help to be conscientious objectors, report unlawful behavior, etc.
6) If you are white, always use your privilege to help others. Always.
