What to bring to the demonstrations: Direct Action should and must encompass ALL forms of non-violent resistance. This includes what has already been implied and in some cases, done in very small scales including at the WEF protests in early 2002.

During street blockades, marches, etc., we must have with us a slew of PROTECTIVE, DEFENSIVE instruments with us. This includes shields, whether they be plexi-glass or anything that will not shatter. This also includes inflatable tires (or something to that effect), anything that will help defend us from the sweeping blows of the militarized police force that will be out protecting their masters during the RNC.

If there are no instruments of protection for the protesters, we can expect to see lots of cracked skulls and blood on the ground.

The "Padded Bloc" never came to fruition for the FTAA demo last year. I was EXTREMELY frustrated and disappointed at that fact. The chance has arisen again for a "padded bloc" to be out in force for the RNC protests.

Unbreakable shields, tires, anything NON-THREATENING that will defend us from unprovoked state oppression and violence.

If we are to commence this revolution, we must have solid ways of defending our bodies. The state's ONLY recourse is to attack our bodies. They cannot defeat our idea(l)s and methods, the only way to win is to hurt our bodies. We have to begin devising plans to protect our bodies.

Again, shields of many sorts HAS TO BE THE NEXT COLLECTIVE CONSIDERATION FOR OUR PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT.

If this isn't discussed, or is blown aside, don't even bother talking about revolution because it won't happen without solid physical protection.

DIRECT ACTION - MUST - INCLUDE - PHYSICAL - WAYS OF - DEFENDING OURSELVES.

Street medics, helmets, face coverings and vinegar WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO DEFEND OUR BODIES.

It's time to take the next step and the RNC is a MONUMENTAL opportunity to attempt it.

No fear against a physically repressive state.

On with the Revolution....

Another tip: liquid antacid, dissolved in a bottle of water to maybe 1:4 concentration, reduces the effects of tear gas and pepper spray on the skin & eyes.

Good Lord.

What a crock of inanity.

Here's some "could-be" revolutionary (chills of embarrassment even typing that gem!) whining about the severe tactics of the "man" as he proposes the tactics which in and of themselves force the hand of the "man".

How about this for a tactic?

How about growing the fuck up and leaving this protest-as-hobby phase that you and yours seem to be mired in. And please spare us all the "urgency" and desperation of your message. This protest of yours is as urgent as making it to the movies on time.

I will say this however. I'd give a month's salary to see some "Darth Vader" cop beat your head in as you drag around a tire for protection.

to "pathetic" (yes, you most certainly are),

you want the protesters to be beaten? just shows what a scumbag prick you are to want innocent people to be bloodied and injured.
Fuck yourself.

I said nothing about "innocent" people being beaten.

I did say however that it might be worth some money to see some jackass lugging around a tire for protection as he attempts to disrupt a convention and traffic and everyday life for the people of New York in a CRIMINAL display of pathetic protest-as-hobby.

Showing up in the streets with armor (no matter how ridiculous it might be) and baiting cops is not the actions of a poor innocent civilian.

Bang away.

I was having this talk yesterday with some people.

Protection is necessary. Plexi glass, helmets, rams, anything to push the cops back and shut it down. We need new tactics to use at protest because the previous things have not worked. They know our tactics. When there are 10-15 cops and 100 protestors we sit tehre yelling at them get a ram and rush them. I admitt its easier said then done getting that many militint protesters to ram cops. But if they do it we should do it.

Onward.

Radio scanners are must. These can be had at any radio shack store. Get one program in the Hz. Local Hz can be found with google.

Scanners can tip you off to the movements of the cops in advance. Those with scanners can rely info via cell phone, text messaging etc to those on the front line.

Also use video phones, lap tops with wireless modems, web cams with real time streaming to coordinate and get what is happening out to the world via the internet. Beccuse you know the media will not cover what is happening in the street and no one will ever know if we don't get the word out.

We can not win with 60s tactics. We must go high tech if we are going to overcome.

Also it won't be just NYPD we will be dealing with, it will be every branch of the police state. FBI, CIA, ATTF,etc. they will all be there along with their hired thugs and undercover private contractors.

I've been itching to kick a little anarchist ass. I'm really looking forward to this. You little shits make sure to put up a fight, ok? Regardless, the story to my chief is going to be the same... "Gee Chief, I don't know how he got that black eye and busted nose! Must have been when he was resisting arrest (wink, wink)...

All this wanking off about "tactics" simply begs the question, "just what the hell are you going to do even if you manage to thwart the police?"

Do you actually think that your little mob is going to push forward and shut down the convention?

Of course not. So then what exactly is the point of all your armor. So you can stand around just a little bit longer yelling "Bush sucks" while you break a few more Starbucks windows?

At the bottom of all of this is that your innefectualism is matched only by the utter lack of interest in your hobby by the vast MAJORITY of Americans.

All the armor and "tactics" in the world won't change the fact that you speak for a VERY small and often mocked minority. Protest if you must (we all need hobbies) but please don't take yourselves so seriously and certainly don't blame the cops for fufilling their role in your fantasies.

People are detracting (intentionally in most cases) from the key issue here: American citizens' right to peaceful protest. The idea that there is a major presence of the anarchist "black bloc" in the USA is a falsity bandied about by lawmakers. The kind of violent, infantile assholes who broke a few windows in Seattle became pariahs of the activist movement, which would be fine with me except for one detail: they were lumped together with PEACEFUL protesters.

The empire police have used the same brutal tactics on people attending anti-globalization protests ever some teenage squatters in Seattle gave them an excuse by breaking the window of a Starbucks. We are now at the point where everyone en route to a protest can fairly expect to be met with full riot gear, rubber bullets, tear gas, and/or pepper spray, regardless of what they actually do. Italy, D.C., Montreal, Miami... showing up, all by itself, entitles the corporate empire to arrange that their riot squad lackeys come in and kick your ass, pump you full of toxic chemicals, and throw you in jail. I admire the people on this site who are planning to take defensive measures, because they are staying true to the spirit of Ahimsa espoused by Mahatma Gandhi. They are willing to go out and face a 90% chance of getting their ass kicked by the police, just for disagreeing with the state-endorsed consensus on the future of the world. Hey, it worked for India, so maybe there's hope.

I believe that whenever people gather in the thousands, the government should have a strong and well-prepared police presence, so that they can ward against acts of violence. This is clearly not what is happening, though; there is a whole other agenda at work, and it involves a) protecting corporate interests, b) making an example of those who oppose certain trends in globalization, and c) trying to deter Americans from attending major protests in the future (now, THIS is a joke; obviously, it has the opposite effect on activist mobilization).

So tell me, critics, is this your idea of a best-case scenario? Kent State, but with only "moderate violence" instead of the full-on NC-17 rating? The Constitution was meant to protect everyone's right to protest peacefully, no matter what grievances they represent. God(s) forbid that an oppressive left-wing administration should ever get in power and the conservative right decided to protest.

If it weren't for the vandalistic minority, the demo in Seattle would have been completely ignored by the press. Just like the way the huge demo for women's rights was a relatively small story, despite the fact it was the biggest march on Washington ever.

These are things a majority of people care about, but go against the "conventional wisdom" that the mainstream and conservative media are pushing. That's why you have so many Christian themed events and pro-war counter-protests getting equal coverage when 20,000 people show up for something.

RNC doesn't need more violence. What it needs is more media-friendly absurdity, and perhaps some mainstream media "embedded" within the demonstration. The best would be if the mainstream media finally gets some footage of stuff we see all the time: some protester getting assaulted by an angry counter-protester, or someone getting beat up by a cop for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.