Keep the Cops At Bay-Advice from Chile
A comrade from Chile wrote this up about how they are keeping police lines back from the main protests. What happened throughout the fall is that people were going to protest and occupy space and large numbers of police on foot and in vehicles would drop huge amounts of tear gas and short chemical water at people. The front line developed as a way to keep the most damaging police brutality away from most of the protestors. Here is some advice from them to us, with some annotations/explanation in parentheses: Also Spanish first and then the translation second:
La primera línea está conformada por: primeras lineas (combatientes) es importante que sean muchos. Estos primeras lineas deben tener a sus espaldas (atrás de la línea de fuego) gran masa de gente que este apoyándolos o manifestándose, así al momento de abandonar corriendo la zona de combate, ellos puedan replegarse y esconderse entre las muchas personas que tienen a su espalda. La capucha es importante para no ser perseguido por las policías y la cara no ser reconocida.
The front line is made up of: many lines (combatants), there should be many. These front lines should have behind them (behind the line of fire) a great number of people supporting or in the protest, so when they need to run away from the combat area, they can fall back and hide amongst the people behind them. It’s important to wear a mask so you won’t be chased by the police or have your face recognized
2. Entre los primeras lineas es importante que existan apagadores de bombas lacrimógenas. Estos apagadores deben tener:
- un bidón de 5 litros de con agua y bicarbonato (neutralizador de pH)
-guantes de goma o de construcción gruesos para tomar las bombas y no quemarse.
- filtros (mascarillas de gas y lentes protectores) para no ser intoxicado con la bomba.
Estos apagadores deben estar alertas y relegados, atentos a la caída de bombas para apagarlas y así evitar que la policía haga retroceder a los combatientes y no generar pánico.
In these front lines, it is important to have tear gas extinguishers. These extinguishers (or translator’s choice - ‘firefighters’) should have:
- A 5-gallon jug of water and baking soda mix (pH neutralizer)
- Thick gloves or rubber gloves able to pick up tear gas bombs and not get burned
- Filters (gas masks and safety goggles) so as to avoid being affected by the gas
These extinguishers should be ready and stand back, watching for tear gas bombs falling to be able to put them out and thus avoid allowing the police to push back the combatants and to not generate panic
Los picadores de piedra: personas que estén con instrumentos para extraer pedazos de pavimento de la calle y así abastecer constantemente a los combatientes.
Stone breaker - people who have instruments capable of breaking up rocks from the street pavements and thus be able to constantly supply the combatants (The stones are used in two ways, first to throw at the tear gas vehicles to keep them from advancing, and second as a barricade to keep police vehicles from getting past to do damage to the protestors.)
Personas que están atrás de la primera línea, es importante que contengan botellas tipo spray, con agua con bicarbonato, 3 cucharadas x 500ml. Estas se les tira en la cara (ojos cerrados) a las personas que esten afectada con bombas lacrimógenas. NO tocarse la cara en ningún momento y siempre respirar por la nariz.
You should have people who are behind the front line, with spray-pump bottles filled with water and baking soda (3 tablespoons for 500mL) This is sprayed in the face (with eyes closed) of people who have been exposed to tear gas. NEVER TOUCH your face and always breathe through your nose.
Escudos (antenas de TV adaptadas o barriles partidos a la mitad) o paredes fácil de mover para evitar que la primera línea sea baleada, bombardeada directamente en la cara, etc. Es sumamente importante que en el lugar existan médicos o enfermeros de primeros auxilios para socorrer a los caídos. (En Chile fueron estudiantes de medicina, enfermería universitarios organizados).
Shields (modified TV antenas or barrels cut in half) or walls that should be easy to move to protect the front line from being shot, directly gassed in the face, etc. It’s very important that there be first-aid doctors or nurses on site to aid people attacked. (In Chile, these were organized university students of medicine and nursing)
Also, front line protestors did two things to keep the police vehicles away. In addition to rocks, they set up a barricades with everything from burning tires to metal fences. Second, when there was street traffic, they would strategically block intersections, so that civilian traffic flow would go down streets directly towards the police vehicles, so that the vehicles could not advance on the protestors.