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Filming the police
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in ProtestsWhy stop and film? Ordinary people stopping and filming the police can mean that officers behave differently than they would if no-one was watching and recording their actions. This might make the experience for the person who has been stopped or arrested feel far less intimidating or threatening. Can I legally film the police? The…
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Dealing with tabloid journalists
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in OrganisingThe hallmark of sensationalist tabloid reporting is generating fear and outrage, invariably in defence of deeply partisan, reactionary politics. Campaigners who use direct action and civil disobedience tactics are often seen as a target for this kind of “journalism”. In particular, reporters have turned up at meetings or attended online discussions looking for gossip and…
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Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when online
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in OrganisingA Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a way to encrypt your online data and increase your anonymity on the internet, by routing your internet traffic through remote servers around the world to mask your IP address (your device’s digital signature). This involves an app on your mobile phone or a program on a desktop that…
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Blurring faces in videos
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in ProtestsVideo shared online is a significant source of intelligence for the police and so – if you consider the risk warrants protecting someone’s identity – you may want to blur faces in a video clip before sharing it on social media. There are a number of tools that offer this. These resources come and go,…
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Legitimate reasons to wear a mask at a protest
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in ProtestsFirstly, the coronavirus pandemic is not over, 2 million people in the UK are now experiencing long COVID and tens of thousands of people who have a weakened immune system remain clinically vulnerable. Everyone wearing a mask is a way of offering safety and solidarity to campaigners around you who might not otherwise attend a…
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Help! The police have taken my phone
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in ProtestsIf you are arrested, the police can seize your phone as evidence. You may not get your device back in a workable condition or at all if police seize it, which is why we would always advise you NOT to carry your phone if you think you may be arrested. Police do not have the…
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How and why to use an anonymous Signal account
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in OrganisingWhat is Signal? Signal is a secure messaging application, which allows you to send encrypted messages to your contacts. We recommend anyone sending instant messages or setting up chat groups for political organising uses a secure platform like Signal, in order to protect their privacy. Signal’s end-to-end encryption protects the contents of messages from being…
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Planning protests involving direct action or civil disobedience
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in OrganisingUse the process of managing low/medium/high risks as the basis for planning your action if there is a prospect of arrests, media attention or police surveillance. As members of your campaign or group, consider together: Divide up responsibilities Every decision need not involve everyone – so divide up your planning and organising into separate teams:…
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What are Police Liaison Officers?
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in ProtestsThe presence of uniformed officers at many demonstrations around Britain, who wear light blue bibs with “Police Liaison Officer” on the back, has become commonplace. They seem more friendly than other officers, but their efforts to chat with protesters hide their true role. Police leaders claim their job is to undertake what is misleadingly called…
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Managing risks to your campaign group
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in OrganisingLike “never cross a picket line”, the principle that we “look out for each other” should become ingrained in the ways we organise. But too often the way campaigners talk about security is all or nothing. Make a plan Rather than muddling though and hoping everything will work out – make a plan that everyone…