Page 36 - American Survival Guide - October 2017

› Not all
protests and
riots occur
in the inner
city. This
protest was
6 held at a light
rail station in
a suburban
area, where
THINGS the protestors
knew the
effect they
TO would have
and that the
situation
would,
REMEMBER Wikimedia.org)
therefore,
attract local
media. (Photo:
If you are, or think you are, at risk to be
caught in a protest that turns violent or in a
riot, keep these six things in mind:
1. Do your research up front.

2. Don’t stand out in the crowd.
› To get
3. Stay calm, and keep your away from a
potentially
emotions in check. violent
situation, it is
4. Get away from the action. important to
remain calm
and avoid
5. Get indoors and lock yourself in. interaction
with people
6. Drive carefully and respectfully. who are
getting
agitated or
violent. These
two people
are fighting
outside a bar
in downtown
FINAL THOUGHTS Baltimore,
Maryland,
Common sense and a little proactive plan- next to the
baseball
ning will win the day if you fi nd yourself in stadium.
a violent protest or riot situation. Use your (Photo:
smartphone or look at the street map at a Breitbart.com)
bus stop to fi nd roads that lead away from
the trouble. If you can’t move out of the
area, try to blend in—be the “gray man”—
until you can fi nd a safe haven. Avoid areas
where protesters and law enforcement
might come into confl ict.
And, above all else, keep calm and use
your brain before you use your mouth
or your brawn.
Spend some time now to think through
what you might do in these scenarios so
you don’t have to come up with a plan
in the middle of the action, when your
adrenaline is running high. You might even
consider studying videos of riots to imagine
how you would move and act if you were in › Protests can
happen any-
a similar situation. ASG where and for
a wide variety
of reasons.
This protest
occurred at
an airport
and incon-
venienced
travelers as
they passed
through. (Photo:
Wikimedia.org)
36 AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE [OCTOBER 2017]

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