Monday, June 9, 2025

Protest Safety & Disinformation Defense Guide

 ✊ Protest Safety & Disinformation Defense Guide

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

A streetwise survival zine for activists, allies, and truth defenders


🧭 INTRO: Why This Guide Exists

Peaceful protest has always been under threat — not just from police violence, but from lies, manipulation, infiltration, and provocation.
This guide is built on love, resistance, and the hard-won lessons of movements past and present — from Selma to Standing Rock, from Gaza flotillas to Greta’s stand.


🧠 SECTION 1: Know the Tactics of Disruption

🚨 1.1 Agent Provocateurs

  • Hired or undercover individuals who incite violence, start fires, or sabotage movements from within.
  • Objective: Make peaceful protesters look dangerous, so authorities can crack down, discredit, or divide.

🕵️ 1.2 Infiltrators

  • May pretend to be allies, join meetings, record information, and manipulate group decisions.
  • Can include law enforcement, military, or private contractors.

🎭 1.3 False Flag Attacks

  • When an attack or violent act is staged by someone trying to frame the other side.
  • In modern times, this could be done using:
    • Unmarked drones
    • “Anonymous” social media posts
    • Sabotaged livestreams

🛡️ SECTION 2: How to Defend Against Deception

📸 2.1 Record & Livestream

  • Create visibility: film what’s happening from multiple angles.
  • Backup everything to encrypted folders (e.g., Signal, Proton Drive).
  • Appoint a media point person to track drone footage, livestreams, and timestamps.

👀 2.2 Watch for Red Flags

  • Newcomers who push violence, isolate themselves, or refuse to be recorded.
  • People who don’t know group values or can’t explain who invited them.
  • People who suddenly appear with unusual tech (drones, radio gear, etc.)

📝 2.3 Publish a Public Statement Before Action

  • Clearly say:

    “Our protest is nonviolent. We do not use drones or weapons. Any such action is NOT from us.”

  • This provides legal protection and a truth marker if disinformation spreads.

📡 SECTION 3: Drone Awareness & Tech Surveillance

🚁 3.1 Defensive Use of Drones

  • Use clearly marked, legal drones only for:
    • Aerial observation
    • Police accountability
    • Protecting participants
  • Never equip drones with chemicals, irritants, or projectiles.

⚠️ 3.2 When to Suspect Drone Provocation

  • A drone drops mystery powder, gas, or sound weapons — immediately document
  • If it’s unmarked, aggressive, or harasses the crowd — assume bad intent
  • DO NOT try to shoot it down — that could escalate the situation

🧩 SECTION 4: Protect the Narrative

🧾 4.1 Archive Evidence

  • Save livestreams, posts, and videos in folders labeled with date/time/location.
  • Have neutral legal observers review footage.

🌐 4.2 Counter Disinfo Online

  • Expect fake accounts to post misleading content (e.g., “activists used a weapon”).
  • Coordinate with trusted voices to post accurate info fast.
  • Use hashtags like #WeWerePeaceful #AgentProvocateurAlert

🧬 SECTION 5: Collective Power

  • Create protest pods with 4–6 people who watch each other’s backs.
  • Have de-escalation roles in every group.
  • Keep a communication tree in case of arrest or chaos.

🧪 SECTION 6: What to Do if You’re Exposed to a Mystery Substance (Gas, Powder, Spray)

🚨 Stay Calm — But Act Fast

1. Get to Fresh Air Immediately

  • Move upwind if possible.
  • Avoid crowds and enclosed areas where gas or powder could concentrate.

2. Do NOT Rub Eyes or Skin

  • Rubbing spreads the substance and increases absorption.

3. Remove Contaminated Clothing

  • Cut off shirts/jackets if necessary to avoid spreading it over your face.
  • Place in a plastic bag, tie it off, and move it away from others.

4. Rinse with Clean Water — Lots of It

  • Use a bottle or running water to flush skin, eyes, and hair.
  • Avoid harsh soaps or oils — just plain, cool water is safest unless otherwise known.

5. Cover Nose and Mouth with a Wet Cloth

  • Helps reduce further inhalation of unknown substances.
  • Do NOT use vinegar or milk — that's a myth and can make things worse.

6. Seek Medical Help

  • Especially if you experience:
    • Burning eyes or lungs
    • Vomiting or dizziness
    • Trouble breathing
    • Numbness, shaking, or unconsciousness

7. Document It

  • Take photos/video of the drone, the substance, and your symptoms if safe.
  • Share with legal teams, human rights orgs, or international investigators.

⚠️ 

🧪 EXPOSED TO A CHEMICAL?
✅ Get to fresh air
✅ Remove clothing
✅ Rinse skin & eyes with water
❌ Don’t rub
❌ Don’t panic
📞 Seek medical attention
📷 Document what happened




❤️ FINAL MESSAGE:

You are not paranoid. You are prepared.
They fear your unity, your love, your truth — not your violence.
Protect each other. Speak louder. And build the world they said was impossible.



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