http://www.reddit.com/r/occupywallstreet/comments/lsm0v/the_leaders_of_occupy_movements_everywhere_see/ … this is link to a conversation. I feel this ought be looked at seriously. I am an Army combat infantry veteran and a student of philosophy. I believe that through a better understanding of the tactics and practices of crowd control agents will provide a heightened level of safety for the participants of the occupy movement. I am not insinuating, condoning, or attempting to incite violence. My aim is to ensure they safety of the participants of the movement, a general understanding of the opposing side in order to ensure that both sides remain within the laws and rules of engagement during demonstrations. As a suggestion to those involved with logistics, classes on how to decontaminate after a chemical attack such as on the 26th would be both advantageous immediately and aid in the understanding of the types of riot control agents employed by the government. I ask that veterans that are on the ground assist in such training and remember your oath to protect against enemies foreign and domestic. This is not about going to war. It is about protecting citizens.
Thank you for reading this and apologize for rantyness… I write a lot of papers.
naked_ewok
A Veteran for Civil Protection.
TLDR: Start the conversation by demanding they take us seriously through the understanding that we understand them.
A few thoughts on tactics:
One, Occupiers should remain as open as we possibly can in terms of our discussion of tactics. This doesn’t mean going to the police to tell them how people are going to defend ourselves, but it also doesn’t mean hiding things and using encrypted language. There are regular Joes and Janes who want to participate, and this information should be available and accessible to them.
Two, non-violence should continue to be our modus operandi. Protecting oneself against crowd dispersal agents is non-violent. Setting trash cans on fire and throwing rocks is. Remember to keep the CIVIL in civil disobedience.
Three, far from being reactive, Occupiers should be proactive in recognizing crowd dispersal techniques. Occupiers are aware of tear gas, flashbangs and the like, but what about LRADs (sound cannons) and other sophisticated electronic weapons? How can Occupiers mitigate the harms that these cause?
Occupiers should keep in mind the safety not just of fellow Occupiers, but regular Joes and Janes who sympathize with the Movement.
In a protest situation we are all responsible for one another. This includes the police. We wish to inflict on them no harm, and at the same time, we wish to minimize the harms we may incur as a consequence of our demonstrating and exercising our rights.