i am about to attend an emergency demo in response to palestine action being banned in terf island, and honestly i have crippling anxiety about attending, do i just walk up and make it clear i fully support? sorry if this is dumb
make it clear i fully support?
I assume this is the bit you’re having anxiety about, and all you need to do to show you fully support the cause is stand somewhere that’s clearly part of the demonstrating group. You don’t need a placard or to chant or anything like that, it’s as simple as walking up and joining the crowd.
For your first one, just follow the crowd with chants and try to network with people to find like-mindedness. If you strike of a convo and find people with similar politics, you’ve made a connection.
The usual rules are:
- leave your phone at home if you can. If not, turn off biometrics.
- cover your face
- stay hydrated
- keep an eye out for plainclothes cops and don’t engage. They generally look like bored dads.
- NEW: protect other comrades if you can. Our(US) 50501 shitlibs are targeting anarchists and communists at their brunch protests.
keep an eye out for plainclothes cops and don’t engage. They generally look like bored dads.
Shoes can sometimes be a giveaway. They wearing sneakers? Less a chance of being a cop. They wearing the same shoes/boots as the cops milling around are? More likely to be a cop.
This is anti-boot discrimination.
do not bring your phone. leave it turned on at home
As others said, leave your phone at home. If you mask, STAY masked. Don’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing, especially since you don’t know anyone yet. You’re always free to dip when you are not feeling comfortable.
Don’t worry about approaching anyone to state your intentions. If you want to make yourself known, you can approach someone and say you’re new and there to support and want to know if there’s anything you can do to help the demo. Otherwise, just hang out in the crowd and try not to stick out.
