ways to help protestors if you are unable to protest
everybody has to do their part. as a reference, this was posted on 1 june 2020. if any links are broken or direct to a place they should not, please feel free to add on with corrections. if there is new information with better knowledge, please feel free to share. thank you.
1. donate
do not donate to shaun king. he has repeatedly collected money to “support” black people, but no one knows where the money is.
BAIL FUNDS (ALPHABETICAL ORDER; NOT A COMPREHENSIVE LIST)
note: washington dc and new jersey have cashless bail systems.
- bail fund google doc (also includes lawyers for protestors)
- national bail fund network (directory of community bail funds)
- community bail funds masterpost by @keplercryptids
- resistance funds (google sheets; lists bail funds around the country)
- nationwide bail funds (split a donation to the bail funds listed on the linked page with a single transaction)
- atlanta bail fund
- brooklyn bail fund
- colorado freedom fund
- columbus freedom fund
- houston chapter of black lives matter
- liberty fund (nyc based; focuses services on people from low-income communities)
- los angeles freedom fund
- louisville community fund
- massachusetts bail fund
- minnesota freedom fund (as of may 30, 2020, they are encouraging people to donate elsewhere since they have raised enough money; as of may 29, 2020, they do not have a venmo, as some fraudulent accounts have been claiming, source)
- philadelphia bail out fund
- richmond bail fund
note: more links are listed in the masterposts below.
- northstar health collective (healthcare and medical aid for people on the front lines)
- reclaim the block (aims to redistribute police funding to help the minneapolis community)
- twin cities dsa (provides fresh groceries and hot meals to people in minneapolis)
2. educate yourself
it isn’t enough to sign petitions and reblog/retweet/etc. nonblack people, including people of color, owe it to black people to educate themselves and correct themselves and the people around them on anti-blackness.
note: more links are in the masterposts linked below.
- resources and tools regarding racism and anti-blackness (google sheets compilation)
- readings on society, racism, the prison system, etc. (twitter thread)
- “where do we go after ferguson?” by michael eric dyson
- official black lives matter website
3. give out supplies to protestors
people need supplies to protest safely, and even if they bring supplies with them, they can often run out. if you’re able, stock up and hand them out to people protesting. for more supplies to donate, see the “george floyd action” google docs link in section 5.
- water bottles (dehydration and heatstroke are not things people should have to deal with alongside bastard cops. if the police in your area are particularly violent or known to use tear gas, get the ones with the sports cap/suction-thing/etc so people can use them as emergency eye-flushes.)
- snacks (make sure to take into account that people have allergies of all sorts. foods will have a little label that says “may contain” and then list any potential allergens. write the allergens on the ziploc (or any container you use) in permanent marker, or better yet, write the snacks included in the pack.)
- masks (don’t forget there’s still a pandemic going on. also it will aid in deterring facial recognition when the police try to track down protestors, also part two, if the cops use tear gas, wearing a mask (with the combination of a scarf or bandana) will lessen the adverse effects. lessen, not stop.)
- bandanas, scarves, etc. and goggles (ski goggles, swimming goggles, etc.) (see above for explanation on the scarves. same goes for the goggles. anti–tear gas and anti–facial recognition.)
- clean shirts (for people who are heavily gassed. also helps deter recognition through clothing.)
- wound care supplies (band-aids, packets of neosporin packets or a similar antibiotic, alcohol wipes, etc.; if you can, decant bactine into those little travel bottles.)
- a sharpie or another type of marker (for writing bail numbers or emergency contacts on arms, hands, etc. it’s not enough to have your city’s bail fund number stored on your phone; the police won’t give it to you to look it up. give people a marker so they can write it down, preferably not washable so it isn’t easily removed.)
IMPORTANT: KNOWING FIRST AID
tear gas: if you’re hit, get out as fast and as soon as you can. take anyone you can with you. the longer you’re in the gas, the harder it will be for you to see, and it can irritate your airways, making it hard to breathe. if you’re hit, don’t run; it’ll only make things worse on your lungs. when you leave the area, take a cold shower. don’t use hot water (it will only reactivate the agent); don’t bathe (it will only spread the CS around). (source 1) (source 2) (cdc fact sheet on tear gas)
- move them to a clean and ventilated area where it’s as safe as possible.
- ask them if they’re wearing contact lenses. have them remove it. if they’re wearing glasses, rinse it with water.
- solution of half liquid antacid, half water. spray from the inside going out, with the head tilted back and slightly towards the side being rinsed. if they say it’s okay, open the eye slightly while doing this. (source)
bullet wounds: the most important thing is to stop the bleeding. be sure to check for an exit wound and cover that as well. treat both wounds, but treat the worse one first.
- stop the bleed (youtube video by uc san diego health)
- first aid in active shooting scenarios
- making a tourniquet (a commercial tourniquet is best, but improvised ones can work as well if done properly; the most important things to remember is that tourniquets are for limb injuries and are not meant for the head or torso and that they have to be very tightly wound on the injury.)
- how to apply pressure dressings
- adult cpr tutorial (youtube video by cincinnati children’s; think of “staying alive” by the beegees or “uptown funk”)
4. be a source of information
be responsible with this. people’s lives are at stake. that being said, the media is a fucking joke and the best way to get accurate information in a grassroots rebellion is amongst ourselves. record everything, but if you are going to share any information at all, be sure to blur people’s faces.
- signal (encrypted messenger app; messages delete after x amount of time): app store | google play
- tool for scrubbing metadata from images and selectively blurring identifiable features
- tech tips to protect yourself while protesting (by rey.nbows on tiktok, via vicent_efl on twitter)
- cop spotting 101 (google docs)
- know your rights (by personachuu on twitter)
NUMBERS TO CALL FOR ARRESTED PROTESTORS (ALPHABETICAL ORDER; SOURCES LINKED TO THE NUMBER)
remember to keep phones OFF unless absolutely necessary. cell phone towers, stingrays, location notifs can all be used to track you and other protestors. don’t fuck around. if your phone must be on, keep it on airplane mode as often as possible and only communicate using encrypted methods. no, snapchat doesn’t count. (a twitter thread on stingrays, for those interested)
- lawyers assisting protestors pro-bono (by riyakatariax on twitter)
- atlanta: 404-689-1519
- chicago: 773-309-1198
- minneapolis: 612-444-2654
5. miscellaneous links and links for protestors
- masterpost of petitions to sign, numbers to call, places to donate, and more (carrd by dehyedration on twitter)
- #blacklivesmatter (google docs by ambivaIcnt on twitter; includes information on relevant events, other masterposts, lists of petitions and donation links, how to protest safely and protests to go to, and more)
- george floyd action (google docs; includes information on apps to download, supplies to buy and donate, places to donate to, protest safety, resources on unlearning racial bias, and more)
- how to get out of ziptie “handcuffs” (by finnianj on tiktok, via katzerax on twitter)
- how can i help? by @abbiheartstaylor
- how to make a signal-blocking cell phone pouch
- tips for protestors by @aurora00boredealis
- twitter thread for protestors (by vantaemuseum on twitter)
- also, if you’re protesting, change your passcode. make it at least 11 characters long and don’t use facial/thumb recognition.
