Page 34 - American Survival Guide - October 2017

DON’T USE

YOUR CAR AS

A WEAPON!

Protestors blocking the road, especially when you are trying to
get to work or pick up your kids, are extremely frustrating and
infuriating. You might want to just drive through them slowly
(or not so slowly) and expect them to get out of the way. That
might have worked 10 or 20 years ago, but not today.
Your car is still a deadly, 2-ton weapon, and you can be
charged with assault or attempted murder if you decide to
drive through the crowd. Your best bet is to try to back out of
the area the way you came, rather than trying to get past the
roadblock the crowd has created.

If you can change your clothes to look like › Above right: The
presence of the
those around you, do it. Take o or cover media, in all its
forms, can have
any political slogans, team a liations or both positive and
anything else that might say you disagree negative effects
on a crowd.
with what the protest is about. Sometimes,
Stay calm, don’t shout, don’t run, don’t media presence
can make things
interact with others you don’t need to, happen, because
organizers
and don’t make eye contact unless you were waiting
are spoken to. for someone to
cover what they
had planned
DEALING WITH LAW to do. (Photo:
ENFORCEMENT Wikimedia.org)
Interaction with law enforcement is the eas-
iest way to get into trouble if you don’t do it › Right: If you
correctly. But doing it correctly isn’t that hard. find yourself
in a location
If you do interact with law enforcement, where you think
whether civil or military, do what you are something might
happen, take the
told, don’t argue (but you should be able first opportunity
to ask appropriate questions politely and that presents
itself to take
respectfully), don’t make any aggressive a side road or
actions, such as getting closer or taking o even an alley
(such as this
your shirt or jacket, and move out of the one) to move you want to avoid problems as you move away from the area where the protest or riot
away from the
area as quickly as you can without drawing potential action. is happening. That is also an area you will most likely fi nd riot-control techniques—
attention to your exit. Move at least tear gas, water cannons and crowd-control maneuvers—being used.
three blocks
Remember, law enforcement personnel away before
are there to help maintain the peace and continuing on USE OF FORCE
your journey.
to keep you and everyone else safe. They (Photo: Just because you can use force does not mean that you should! Many might think that
also can’t tell a good guy from a bad Wikimedia.org) because they are armed or have some form of weapon, they should use it when confronted
guy by their appearances so, if you are with a rioting or violent mob situation.
not cooperative, they will treat you as a The best way to handle any fi ght is to avoid it if at all possible. Escalating a situation is
potential bad guy. rarely a good idea. This is especially true when you do not know what your opponent’s
Your best bet is to avoid areas capabilities are or how many people you need to defend against.
where law enforcement person- The riots in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland, demonstrated how quickly one or
nel are located. There will likely two looters can grow into a few dozen looters. They also showed how demonstrations can
be problems where protestors and quickly go from peaceful to rocks and bottles being thrown to police cars being burned.
law enforcement interact, and Remember: Stay within the law; don’t escalate the situation.

34 AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE [OCTOBER 2017]

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