Introduction: How to Not Get Arrested at a Riot/Protest

By Blog
About: Ham Radio, Gardening, InfoSec, Bicycles as transportation -- Currently: Product Security @ Slack

Face it, sometime or another the thrill of a riot will overcome you and you will be among a group of people running around getting tear gassed. Being arrested sucks ( a lot). so it would be best to stay out of jail. This instructable tries to help make that happen from personal experience.

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU GETTING ARRESTED! IF YOU NEVER WANT TO RISK ARREST, DON'T GO OUTSIDE, EVER!!!!

ALSO I AM NOT ADVOCATING ILLEGAL ACTIVITY!

Step 1: Dress for Success

The first thing to worry about is what to wear. This depends on the kind of event. If it's a mass anarchist demonstration, it might be best to wear black bloc to blend in. Other times whatever goes. I have found that dressing like yuppie/tourist is the best. In San Francsico, people are targeted and detained for just showing up to a protest wearing black. Yuppie bloc is a way to remain invisible while the police are looking for people to pick out. The more you look like a cop the better!

If you are doing anything that might be illegal be sure to dress is a way that does not reveal your identity. sunglasses and a mask work wonders. after an action be sure to ditch clothing people might recognize.

If you can manage it having multiple outfits can help

Yuppie gear essentials
-polo shirt
-khakis
-sunglasses
-baseball cap
-goatee and short hair for men, moderate hair for girls
-nice shoes
-backpack

Step 2: Have a Getaway Plan

Knowing when to get away is a good way to not get arrested. keep your eyes and ears open for anything police might be doing to catch people off guard. If you see a march going down a blocked off street, the police may have a plan to round everyone up and do a mass arrest. Make sure you always have an exit.

A good thing to keep with you during these kinds of things is a bicycle, it is very fast and allows one to get away from police or other hazards may the need arise. It also allows you to scout out areas and warn others if the police are staging something.

Step 3: Know When to Leave

This is one of the most important things against getting arrested, When is a good time to spilt? This can be different for every action and is really up to you. In my experience when i start freaking out is a good time for me to leave. If you don't know you can out run the police DON'T RUN! running will give them a reason to chase you, if you can slip away unnoticed, that's, the best method.

Also be sure to check on the people you are with and see what their threshold is, that might be a good indicator.


Step 4: Question Your Arrest Level

The last thing you should do is question your arrest level. if you are with friends doing things that you really believe in is it worth the night in jail? this might change as the action goes on. It's best not to let the worry of arrest prevent you from expressing your dissatisfaction with the status quo. Be sure to also consider who can take care of things while your in jail.

do you have someone to call? who will feed your cat? What is the Legal Support Number?
always expect to get arrested but do what you can to prevent it. if you're out of jail you see to fight another day!

I hope this helps anyone it can, please comment with suggestions and things you felt i left out.