Some Suggestions for Feeder Marches:

February 15 promises to be the largest global peace mobilization in history. But the police and courts of New York City are attempting to limit the exercise of our democratic rights. If we are prepared and organized, we can make sure that Saturday will be an empowering and inspiring experience for all participants.

Safety and support:

Encourage every marcher to have a buddy. Groups of friends can form affinity groups?within contingents, small groups that will keep track of each other, exchange phone numbers and contact information, and move together. Each contingent should designate a regroup place, or several, and final meeting place. Participants should bring maps, food, water, dress in warm layers. Each contingent should include medics, legal observers, and bring first aid supplies.

Internal Communications:

Each feeder march should establish an internal communications plan, so the head and tail can be in contact, and to avoid parts of the march getting separated.

--People with radios or cell phones should be stationed at the front, rear, and midway through the march.

--Runners and/or bikes: Radios and cell phones can be jammed. Designate a few people to carry messages verbally if needed.

--Visual signals: In tight crowds, runners may not be able to get through. Designate some simple visual signals that, if done by a large group, can be seen from far away. For example:

Arms raised: Slow down!

Arms raised and waving/circling: Trouble/stop!

Arms raised and lowered, palms down: Sit down!

--Voice communication: The crowd can repeat a simple message and pass it up or down the march:

"Repeat after me!" "REPEAT AFTER ME!" "Slow down!" "SLOW DOWN!"

To stay legal:

Walk on the sidewalk.

Don箃 block the sidewalk.

Obey all police instructions.

Civil Disobedience:

Because the police and courts have denied us our first amendment rights to march, some contingents may choose to march in the street as an act of nonviolent civil disobedience.

Taking the street:

When moving a march from the sidewalk into the street, have people in the front who are prepared, experienced, and can move swiftly and decisively when a space opens. A banner, flag, and/or drum will help others follow.

Once the street is taken, the front of the march must SLOW DOWN to allow time for the long, narrower column of marchers to fill in the wider space of the street. If the front continues at a fast pace, the march will be strung out and vulnerable.

March at the pace of the slowest marcher.

NY Police Tactics:

New York Police have been known to:

--Control public space by use of barricades, herding people into enclosures or pens?

--Split marches into block-long sections and separate each.

--Attack individuals or groups within a larger march.

Nonviolent tactics that can help us claim and hold space:

Holding ground:

--To hold a space, sit down. A large group of sitting people is difficult or impossible for the police to move quickly. Sitting also generally lessens the level of tension, and buys time.

--Groups might choose to sit if police attempt to split a march or push people out of intersections in order to corral the march into segments.

--Once sitting, you can sing, chant, hear speakers, and/or send a liaison to dialogue with the police.

Scatter and Regroup:

--To stay mobile, march in small units that can move quickly together.

--Pick a sequence of regroup points, or destinations.

--The large march can break into small units that can each find their own route to the regroup points.

--If police block the line of march, start to surround the march or try to herd it into pens, the march can scatter and regroup.

--Banners or flags can provide a visual focus for small groups to follow.

--Scouts, fast-moving individuals can run ahead and find safe routes to communicate to banner holders.

Can the same contingent use different tactics?

--Yes! If some small groups sit down and hold a space, others can scatter and regroup, and the attention of the police will be divided. Be careful not to trap the mobile group amongst the sitters, or abandon a small group of sitters without adequate support.

Do we have to all agree beforehand on a plan?

--No. Groups and individuals can decide in the moment what is best to do. Sitting groups may also stand up and move: mobile groups might decide to sit.

If police attack individuals or small groups, or become violent, we can support each other nonviolently at varied levels of risk by:

--Our presence, by witnessing, documenting, photographing or videoing.

--Calling the attention of the media to the incident. Pointing or running to get media. --Swarming, surrounding the incident.

--Intervening verbally, talking to the police officer, distracting or interrupting the attack. --Interposing our bodies between the police and their targets.

--Linking up, holding on, 'puppy piling?-- people lay on top of a person being grabbed or beaten.

If we do get corralled or surrounded:

--Turn on the radio to WBAI and hear the rally.

--Hold your own rally媏veryone can be a speaker!

--Dance, sing, play soccor, have a talent show.

--Greet strangers, network, and ORGANIZE for the next phase!

Our movement encompasses many different visions of politics, strategy, and tactics. When we respect the nonviolent parameters asked for this day, and also respect each others?differing styles, choices, and goals, we begin to embody the world we want to create.

RANT Trainers?Collective

http://www.rantcollective.org

cops tend to be careful around people in wheelchairs - the more you can get to be involved, the better.