I’ve modified this Original Reddit Post a bit. Let me know your thoughts and criticisms, if there is anything I should add, or correct.

Also, fuck Reddit and Spez of course. However we should be pragmatic. There is a vast amount of information on reddit and a lot more people use it for now. I’m manually moving things I feel are important on to the Fediverse for archival and general use purposes. And sharing sources for full disclosure.

Protests and events

Guides

Know your rights at protests

Basic Tech Security Practices

Practical protest prep

  • Go with a buddy, set a check-in time, write an emergency contact on paper.
  • Bring water, needed medications, earplugs, weather gear.
  • Don’t bring a cell phone, unless it is free of personal data and hard to trace back to you.
  • Consider disabling FaceID/biometrics and using a passcode on your primary cell phone.
  • Decide in advance what your risk tolerance is; leave early if things escalate.
  • Bring a first aid kit if you know how to use it.
  • Wear protective clothing
    • Eye Protection
    • Ear Protection
    • Gas mask
  • have an escape route
  • don’t let yourself be kettled or corralled
  • be aware of your surroundings

How to deal with Chemical Irritants (Pepper Spray and CS Gas) in eyes

What to do after exposure to pepper spray

  • Move into an area with fresh air, if possible.
  • Flush the affected area to wash away the contaminants.
  • Avoid using soap around the eyes as it is an irritant.
  • Remove clothing that may have come into contact with the spray to decontaminate and prevent re-contamination. Cutting off clothing rather than pulling it over the head helps avoid further irritation to the eyes and skin.
  • Avoid touching the affected area, as it is easy to spread the oil-based solution to other areas of the body by doing so.
  • Blink the eyes rapidly to help flush out the chemical.

In most cases, pepper spray symptoms resolve within 10 to 30 minutes and do not require medical care.

  • Popular strategies for removing pepper spray include baby shampoo, milk, antacids, and lidocaine. However, an older 2008 study comparing these strategies found no evidence that they were more effective than water.
  • A 2018 randomized controlled trial also reported no difference between baby shampoo and water alone in relieving the effects of tear gas and pepper spray.

Treatment Methods

  • Sterile saline solution [safest method]
  • Distilled water (safe and cheap if a lot is needed)
  • liquid antacid solution (Many claim to prefer but does introduce some risks)
    • Understanding and Dealing with Pepper Spray - Street Medics [video]
    • how to make
      • 50% liquid antacid (Magnesium Hydroxide or Aluminum Hydroxide)
        • Max alcohol of 0.20%
        • No mint/citrus flavor
      • 50% distilled water
      • If keeping as a backup in a kit, add water preserver and store in opaque HDPE containers
    • possible risks
      • not sterile
      • might introduce harmful chemicals if the wrong ingredients are used, if bottles are cleaned incorrectly
      • might introduce allergen
      • might be contaminated from improper preparation

How to deal with carcinogenic hexachloroethane (HC) gas

Minneapolis, MN: notoriously carcinogenic hexachloroethane (HC) smoke deployed on residential streets HC gas might be colored green

  • Move into an area with fresh air, if possible.
  • Remove clothing that may have come into contact with the spray to decontaminate and prevent re-contamination. Cutting off clothing rather than pulling it over the head helps avoid further irritation to the eyes and skin.
  • Treat eyes with as with other chemical irritants above
  • Wash skin with soap immediately
  • Get tested to see if you have been exposed
    • tests aren’t available at most doctors’ offices, but can be done at special laboratories that have the right equipment
    • useful only if you were exposed with in 24-48

Ways to support without being on the front line

  • Volunteer/donate to nonprofit legal services
  • Support rapid response networks and local immigrant-led organizations.
  • indivisible - take action now
  • Archive proof of crimes being carried out
  • donate to local food and clothing banks if possible
    • Money donations often go the furthest
  • Derpenheim@lemmy.zipEnglish
    24·
    2 days ago

    Lol trying to make enough money to eat next week apparently. Was hoping I’d be less “starving peasant” and more “brave war hero”

    • AlecSadler@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      7·
      1 day ago

      I don’t have much but happy to send you some bulk rice and beans if it helps? I realize this sounds worse than I mean, but genuinely trying to help.

      • Derpenheim@lemmy.zipEnglish
        2·
        1 day ago

        I really appreciate the outreach, but I’m scraping by. Save it for someone who cant quite make it work

    • CubitOomOPEnglish
      10·
      2 days ago

      Stock up on dry goods if you can. You know what they say happen before things get better.

      • Derpenheim@lemmy.zipEnglish
        5·
        2 days ago

        Oh yeah. Dry goods, canned goods, my grandma got us some seeds from some of her friends and we’re giving that a go. Vegetables cost more than the pop tarts lol.

  • UnspecificGravity@piefed.socialEnglish
    13·
    2 days ago

    FYI the encrypted radio advice is fully illegal in pretty much the entire US. Not particularly well enforced nor likely to incur any big penalties, but might we worth knowing if you are putting yourself in a situation where the feds are probably looking for stuff to charge you with.

      • u/lukmly013 💾 (lemmy.sdf.org)@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
        3·
        2 days ago

        I don’t know what exactly the topic was, but I gues it might have been ham radio, in which case, yeah, it can’t be encrypted, but you would also need a license and ID yourself with your callsign. Found the link.

        Transmission Frequency:
136-174 MHz / 400-470 MHz

        Meshtastic uses (one of) license free bands (915MHz), that’s basically free for all with Tx power limits. But that also means a lot of RFI from many random devices: thermometers, car keys, etc.

    • CubitOomOPEnglish
      43·
      2 days ago

      Shit, I forgot only the government is allowed to break the law.

      • UnspecificGravity@piefed.socialEnglish
        13·
        2 days ago

        I explained why it might matter to some people. It’s okay that it doesn’t matter to you, but maybe try to give complete advice before you decide what everyone else’s risk profile should look like.

        Your pepper spray and oc mitigation advice is out of date from current guidance too, but not dangerously so. I assumed it was an honest mistake, now I think it’s just lazy.

        • CubitOomOPEnglish
          5·
          1 day ago

          You are right, I’ll add a note on the encrypted radio that it’s probably illegal to do.

          Can you share what aspects of the chemical irritant mitigation advice is out of date?

          Update: I’ve added other treatment methods like saline solution or just distilled water and also added the possible risks associated with the antacid solution. However I’m leaving it there since there are videos where people claim it works much better and faster than water.

  • lectricleopard@lemmy.worldEnglish
    15·
    2 days ago

    Taking care of my family. I have a son w a diagnosis, and an in law thats recently paralyzed.

    15 years ago, I’d have been in the thick of it. Im too old, or too young depending on your perspective. I do watch, and do what I can to be ready if it comes closer to home. Im not gonna be caught with my pants down.

    • CubitOomOPEnglish
      7·
      2 days ago

      Good luck.

      Take care of your family and develop relationships with your neighbors.

  • MojoMcJojo@lemmy.worldEnglish
    38·
    2 days ago

    You’re wasting your time trying to make yourself safe online. There are zero layers of opsec you can put in place that will hide you from a nation-state. remember that.