How to Riot

Riot: A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized by disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against people or property. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are typically chaotic and exhibit herd behavior.(Wikipedia)

Preamble: This guide is here to give you tips and guides for mentally and physically preparing your body, learning to be more aware of your surroundings, the law (primarily U.K, but some U.S if I can find reliable sources), weapons (for self defence), pyrotechnics, vandalism, the “buddy system” and of course, escaping. It is not a guide on how to overthrow your Government or commit Treason. It’s not specifically a guide on how to fuck shit up, either. It’s just how to prepare for a potential ass-whooping by the Law and to fuck shit up a bit before legging it.
This guide is by no means comprehensive. Feel free to chip in with bits of information that you have encountered, learnt or created.

Contents:

• Locate a protest and types of protest.
• Physical preparation.
• Mental preparation.
• What to take.
• Legal issues.
• When you are there.
• Vandalism.
• Getting away.
• Safety.

Locate a protest, and types of protest.
Protests happen all over the World. Not least in the Middle East right now. However, many local activist websites carry notifications of protests. Head to your local City, ask around, check out sites like Indymedia as they have local area subsections.

Protests attract all sorts of people and so make sure you think of this when you wish to cause some mayhem. It may be a Student protest, an Ethnic minority, disgruntled workers, radical Right-wingers, radical Left-wingers, gays etc. Fuck knows – however always keep these points in mind
 

• A) What will these people think of me?
• B) Will I affect their goal? (In other words – will your actions be seen as the sole protest eg. “Anarchists riot and cause huge sums of damage. Protesters attacked” in the papers? I see a lot hee in the UK call any Rioter an “Anarchist” hence the wording)
• C) How many people will be there?
• D) Will this have an effect on the Police presence?
• E) What are they wearing? What is the reason for this?

So let’s deal with each point, shall we?

• A) Don’t be a dick in front of the people protesting. Sure you can be all angry and act like them, but unless people nearby are fucking shit up, don’t join in. When the crowd disperses over a larger area (usually towards the end) then you can be a vandal in the group. During the protest, keep it low-key and use back alleys to wheatpaste/spraypaint etc
• B) If you are a dick, then yes.
• C) The more people, usually the more Police. This is not always true, though – especially if the protest is known to be by a peaceful group (Hippies, Gays etc) but Police will be there if it is a drugs, politics or student protest as these are much more volatile.
• D) As I said above, judge by the type of crowd, message of the protest and the general Police presence in that area. Since the G20 and Student protests in the UK, Police tactics have been insanely heavy handed. Check this…

• E) What are they wearing? Well, you need to blend in, right? Well look at the sorts of people who are attending the protest, is there a colour scheme? Is there an unspoken bond or common theme running? Look, and look again.

Physical preparation.
You are going to have to be on your feet most of the day when you attend a protest. Learning to move fast and improvise routes can be challenging but there are a few ways you can help out yourself.

1. Don’t smoke. If you can’t do this, then next point. At least try not to smoke near the protest, and yes, I know it’s stressful. Your lungs and oxygen uptake will thank you. And so will your bank account because you don’t need a Lawyer.
2. Eat healthily. Get carbohydrates and protein in you. Always try to keep your body in top condition by only filling it with shit once in a while. Being sluggish in an unpredictable, crowded and potentially dangerous area whilst being a fatass is not going to be much fun.
3. I would reccommend taking a buddy to the protest/riot if they are trustworthy but if there are any doubts, then don’t risk it. If you want to take a buddy, perfect the “buddy bosst” as seen in that god-awful new Medal of Honor game. It can actually help you out if in a tight situation. If you are not with a partner, then learn how to run, approach and jump at walls in order to successfully climb over them. Same with fences and rootops of low-rise buildings. In short, concentrate on upper and core body.
4. Practice jogging. Here is a jog schedule/routine that is pretty straightforward. Also as a show of how awesome I am, I have not smoked in 2 days and I managed to run half a mile in just over 3 minutes, which isn’t bad for a lazy stoner student with a permanent medical physical condition. You have no excuse now. You’ll thank me after. Some good running songs? Here, here and here.
5. Breathing. Practice it with your jogging. Then turn it into sprinting. Also see point #1.
6. Learn to put up with carrying a backpack/weight most of the day. The amount in that will depend on what you want to take, which is covered later on.
    

Mental preparation.
This is just as, or if not more important than physical preparation. Without enough mental training and discipline you may as well kiss those legs goodbye.

• Become more aware of your situation. No, I’m not telling you to smoke Crack, but notice the colour of people’s clothes, their height, noticable features and the general mood. Spotting these can help you if you were to either get in trouble, be accused of starting/partaking in vandalism or asked to give a statement…or just leg it. Studies have shown that people who witness a violent crime only remember a small portion of the facts and fabricate the missing parts.
• Learn to deal with stress. I won’t tell you how to find a stressful situation, but always remain a semi-spectator. Always give yourself that room to move and escape. This goes for protests, too.
• Learn to deal with confinement. If it’s a big protest, there will more than likely be in excess of several thousand people, so learn to keep your cool when being crushed and being swept along in this crowd of people (remember, it may be a Liberal Hippy Student Fag who is in front of you, pushed into your face. Calm! Read step #2). Also if you are arrested, well, deal with confinement in another way.

What to take.
I will divide this category into ‘essential‘, ‘somewhat essential‘ and ‘take if you want or can‘. These items are designed to keep you well, safe and as far from getting arrested as possible. Remember to secure your backpack/carrying method as you may be pickpocketed in a big crowd, as well as bearing the weight in mind. You don’t want to end up like this:

• Food and water. You’re moving all day and will be burning calories every second of it. Take whatever drink you fancy, but remember that Lucozade etc do not rehydrate you. Water, squash and lemonade are good to keep you going. The colder the better. As for food? Well carbs and protein, but carbs mostly. Sandwiches, Cornish Pasties, sausage rolls, Scotch Eggs, Pasta etc. Make it before you go as the food in Cities will rape your wallet until it bleeds.
• Cellphone. If it is possible to use it in flight mode (ie. Disable the signal) then do so. Police sometimes use surveillance in the area and are now watching Social Networking sites such as Twitter to predict the movement/objectives of a crowd. Unfortunately we now rely on shitty 3rd-party websites designed by a teen with no life but now a millionaire to stage a Protest. What a sad world we live in. Cellphones are also good to take photos and videos with in case of any Police attacks, general lulziness or for your own documentation purposes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7I-enS27fI

  One of the reasons you will want to have a video camera on hand. The higher res, the better.

• First Aid Kit. You may not need it, but better not than need it and not have it. You might scuff your knee or elbow, or get fucked up on some barbed wire, or maybe the cops got baton-happy. Either way, it helps to have it.
• Digital SLR. If you have one and are going along for the ride, you can always play the Student Journalist card. Don’t have to riot, but you can take photos of Police misbehaving…oh, and Citizens. Just realise it can be damaged by either Protesters or Police.
• Balaclava/face obscuring object. In Britain we have what is called the “Forward Intelligence Team” which is basically Orwellian-speak for Police who go to protests, rallies, demos, attending everything and anything else inbetween with huge cameras to take hi-res photos of suspected troublemakers etc. Always keep your face covered, and to blend back into a crowd, you can change it etc.
• A few days of your medication/prescriptions and medical notes in case you get taken back to the Piggy pen.
• Dictaphone/Pen and Paper. Useful for interviews, Police encounters or if you want to be a quasi-Journalist.
• Marbles. Perfect weapon against Mounted Police. Horses can’t stand up and they will all come tumbling off while the Horse recovers and scarpers.
• Latex gloves. If you plan on vandalising buildings or looting items, cover your hands/fingerprints. Nothing is as incriminating as having colourful hands and a Police Officer looking at you.
• Shinguards. You can also put these on your forearms. Police tend to target certain areas (as you can see in the graph below)

• Baby wipes and other sanitary items. It can be a long day.
• Spare clothes. In case the Cops spot you (you can usually tell as they point and tap their helmet…oh ha ha) so you can get changed SOMEWHERE ELSE.
• 5% baking soda solution in case of irritant agents.
• Spraypaint/Markers. Self explanatory. Same can be said for stencils etc.
• Shatter-resistant eye protection.
• Suncream.
• Spare clothes. Seen committing a crime? Change of clothes! Remember shoes can identify you, too. Duct tape over them?

• Shield. I will cover these later.
• Sound system. It’s possible. I’ve seen it done. remember speakers, car batteries and thick-guage wires.
• Drugs. Strangely enough it’s quite relaxing to have a J in the middle of chaos. However your chances of being kicked to shit and arrested by a Cop has increased tenfold. Don’t take more than you would need either as you may look like a delaer with a mob of potential buyers
• Fireworks/Flares/Pyro. Great for throwing into any blocking lines. Sure it will piss the Cops off, but it’s the Protester’s “shock and awe” tactic.
• Forearm protection against attack dogs. Thick rubber, stuffed long-sleeved tops or fat rolls of bubblewrap are pretty good protection against Police dogs.

It’s almost impossible to put this into a logical order, as the people who made this aren’t logical in the slightest. Here are some tips for protests and general life in this Police State.
 

“Bust Cards”

Most Protest preambles will involve steards and other officials handing out “Bust Cards” which are basically small, A5 pieces of paper which have legal contacts and information on. Here is a scan of a sample one so you can study it and I have summarised the main points.

Stop and Search

Before ANY stop and search you should be told:

• – Officer’s name and Police Station
• – Entitled to a free copy of the search form (although the Cops can deny if it is not practibale there and then)
• – Object of the proposed search (weapons, drugs, stolen goods, vandalism items etc…but it’s all very vague)
• – Grounds to suspect YOU (and not under section 60 or 44 where it is someone else or a friend)
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• – You do not have to explain why you are there.
• – The Police can only give you a pat-down and remove outer clothing (such as coats, jackets and gloves) as well as search your bags and empty your pockets unless you are in a ‘private area’ (such as a station, someone’s home or a Police van). I will write a guide on how to hide bits on your person and not get in trouble if you get a quick pat-down)
• – You are not requited to be actively compliant. You can “go limp” as passive resistance if you wish but remember, the cops can use reasonable force (“reasonable” = whatever it takes to do their job, basically) to conduct their search.

Things you should always do

• – Take the name, station and number of the Police Officer you have come into contact with.
• – The situation, scene of the search. Details matter!
• – No need to comply, but it can bit you in the ass. Just be respectful and attempt to alienate yourself from the protesters (ie. Remove balaclavas and say you were taking photos/not joining in unless they saw you committing a blatant crime)

Weapons.

These can be divided into sub-categories, simply as there are so many types. Ranged, non-lethal, defence/shield, ramming and covert. Assume every weapon, even non-lethal can kill somebody if used incorrectly such as being aimed at the head, vitals or spine.

Ranged weapons.

• Stones. The most obvious answer here. Naturally available and around most areas. If not…
• Concrete slab. Smash up/put at an angle and stamp on to create pieces which can be lobbed with devastating effect.
• Nuts and bolts. You’d be surprised, a quick trip to B&Q on the way means you could quite easily lob a fistful over a crowd and fuck them up. Quite badly, too.
• Paint bombs. With the phasing-out of incandescent bulbs these are getting harder to find. To make one you just take an incandescent bulb, remove the bottom with pliers and care, then fill with paint, re-seal and wrap up in a ziplock bag at the TOP of your bag or in your hand. Explodes on contacy. Use red, lime green or any other interesting colours. You could also put talcum powder into it for a fun blast of white.
• Smoke grenades. Easy to make if you look enough online and can be made with relatively easy to acquire chemicals. I have heard you can mix wasabi sauce concentrate into it to make a tear gas grenade, but I have yet to try it.
• Firecrackers and fireworks. Self explanatory. Hold, light, throw.
• Molotovs. See above. Also you best be prepared to run unless it’s a full-blown riot because you will get fucked up for using the things further down this list.

Non lethal.

• A short stick. When used right you can subdue somebody by placing a sturdy stick over the top of their wrist, pushing down and pulling their hand up. Of course, this is only if you are in a tight spot and need to run.
• Handcuffs. Someone pissed you off or in a spot of bother? Handcuff them and leg it.
• Vinegar in a water pistol. Laugh all you want. You won’t be when it goes in your face. You can smuggle CS gas etc back from places like Germany and France, but if you don’t want to risk the awesomeness, then go for this method.

Covert.

Anything nowadays can be considered a weapon. Use your imagination. You can’t even carry a fork for a post-protest picnic without the cops nicking you for an offensive weapon, given the circumstances. This video says it all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKjetpjDSS0

• A newspaper. You can roll it up and poke people, hit people and if you use a couple of pages, you can wrap them tightly enough around your knuckles to make an impromptu knuckle duster. Remember, wrap it tight!

Defence.

• Shinpads. If you get a baton hit, these will take a lot of the force. Better that than your exposed, bony shins.
• Heavy-ish clothing. A trenchcoat or puffer jacket can absorb a medium amount of force.
• Stab/bulletproof body armour. This can absord and spread a LOT of force, obviously. They are about £60 on eBay and are good condition from surplus Police stores.
• Gas mask. Defence against tear, CS or other irritant substances.
• Shield. You can make one from plexiglass or MDF. In fact, just about anything. Also try to round the edges off so the Cops can’t grad it off you. More info here.
• Helmet. Having a rock/brick/fire extinguisher or whatever else thrown at you is not fun, not to mention a Police baton to the noggin. Whatever protection you have can help. Well, maybe that’s not completely true…

   

   

  

• Gloves. Leather, fingerless or whatever. Just think that you might like to keep your digits intact after. Gloves are good for absorbing a bit of shock, but mostly for increasing grip if vaulting over an object etc. Oh, and they can keep your hands warm.

With pussy protesters these days trying to break Police lines through random acts of heroism to get on the front page of the paper, we have forgotten the real meaning of a riot. Not to be a posey cunt, but to achieve said fame through acts, not a retarded jump at a Cop or standing on top of a car.Shields are great for breaking through Police lines if they are a wedge shape. The more shields the better, as some can provide defence/blockades whereas others can and should be employed to wedge through Police lines.

So without further-a-do, here is the guide I found (which I am not going to shamelessly plagiarise)
 

Riots are a place for people to culminate in a similar fashion, express similar views and possibly get arrested or stoned with Hippies. Of course, vandalism will occur and in many forms. Vandalism can cover anything from smashed windows to graffiti. I will cover different types and tips on getting away with it:

Smashing windows: This is piss easy, but is best to do from a distance. You can take a slingshot to the Riot but if you are searched, prepare for an arse-fucking from Hell with no lube and a black cock. The best method is to use “ninja rocks”, small pieces of ceramic from a spark plug and throw towards the window. Targetting big Companies/Corporations such as McDonalds, Starbucks and other crappy places (well, except for Big Macs and the Apple Pies) as they feel it will economically harm them. It does, but bear in mind they can afford Lawyers and if you are caught, then you’re fucked. Of course, the more the merrier and the less chance of you being caught. Distance weapons/implements include:

• Brick fragments.
• Paving slab fragments.
• Ceramic “ninja rocks”.
• Whatever you can lob and easily get. Also wear gloves as the British Police have a tendency to waste time and resources looking for fingerprints and other forensic data. At the end of the May Day 2010 Protest, the Cops scratched off spraypaint and after about £150 of Forensic testing later, found out it was made in China. Lol, fail.
• Coins. Yes, if you throw them hard enough at a single-pane glass, it’s possible.

And some close-quarter weapons:

• Fire extinguishers. Notorious in the Student Protests of 2010 (post link to coverage).
• Glass-shatter hammer. You can steal these from a Train or Coach and literally take a tap to smash/shatter a pane of glass. The bigger surface area, the easier. You can also make your own with a small wooden stick (not from a tree, go to B&Q or somewhere) and a small metal nub.
• Steel toe-capped boots. A hard enough kick. Aim towards the centre of the glass pane as it’s weakest there. If you can’t manouver yourself that way then just kick away and hope for the best.
• Wrapped-up hand. If you can wrap your hand up confidently then you can smash a window ala-Bruce Lee style. Don’t try without proper wrapping techniques or adequate confidence. http://Guide on wrapping your hands …to-hand combat.

Just remember that you will get Royally fucked for smashing windows. I’m not advocating it, rather telling you how to do it and making you realise that the Law will come on you harder than a pack of rabid, horny Negroes.

Graffiti: Any moron can spray and pray not to be caught. Experience helps if you want to do a few throw-ups but in a fast-moving situation such as a Riot, and with the Police presence, you probably won’t have time to do a big piece. Instead, go for stencils.

How to make a stencil.
 

How to keep them on the sly.
It’s possible to cut a Stencil out of the bottom of a paper bag so you can spray on the sly.

You can also carry them in your backpack, so go for an A4 size (cereal box or other thin cardboard) and keep them in an A4 plastic wallet to keep it flat and free from rips. Don’t forget to wear gloves!
 

Good spraypaint.
It’s possible to buy some cheap ones in a Pound shop. Not the best but it does the job.

Flyposting.
This is easier than going for a piss. You will need:

• Something to paste up. Print off some images/advertising/witty slogans with a LASER PRINTER so the ink doesn’t smudge.
• Wheatpaste. This stuff is stronger than superglue when done right. My friends posted some bits up round a City and they are still there 2 years later! How to make wheatpaste.

The best way to apply whatever you are pasting is to put a layer on the surface, put the printed material on it, and then go over it to seal it against the weather. It’s almost impossible to get off as time passes, and looks badass if done right. carry the wheatpaste in a bottle and apply with a latex glove to avoid getting fucked by the cops for almost being caught red-handed.
 

Damn those kids look cool being in the papers and on the TV!
Wrong. The Media/Journalists will attempt to identify you if you are caught breaking the law. You may want to get your boat race all over Facebook and the Telly, but prepare for something like this or this. Also if you go to a Protest/Riot looking to get famous then fuck off. We don’t need a Che Guevara.

If I run down this alley, nobody will see me or suspect me.
Running = instant suspicion. Behave calmly wherever you go, and note that most side alleys are going to be blocked off at some point as Police surround the area the Protest is happening in. If you go in, don’t expect to come out in a hurry.

What’s thie “kettling” thing I keep hearing about?
Police catch a small group of Protesters, they stand round them and refuse to let any out until they get tired, hungry and almost piss their pants due to being kept in the same place for hours on end. Pretty fucked up, so if you see Police beginning to form round a group or yourself, grab your mates, notify as many people and get them the fuck out of there. Always keep on the move! Police move in once you have stopped moving because they won’t rick grabbing the wrong person etc.
More info: 1, 2 and 3.

Safety.
Well if you have read all of the above you should be fine. To summarise it, here are the main points:

• Take medication/food/water with you. Enough to last 2 days if things don’t go to plan. Also take money, as well as £20 cash in case of emergencies.
• Take a card with any medical conditions on, phone numbers of emergency contacts etc, or put them on speed dial in case shit hits the fan.
• Go with a partner or group and stick together. Look out for one another and if you see cops heading yourway, tell your mates and get the fuck out of there. Mates can help you if you need to hop a fence or watch your back.
• Clear any dodgy texts or pictures off your phone. Put them on a truecrypt volume or a memory card which you can hide at home/someplace not on you that day. The Police can search your phone/camera so take anything dodgy off of them!
• Search your bags/clothing for drugs if you don’t want to take them and get shafted by an already pissed off Police Officer. they won’t give you any breathing space as they have also had a shit day.
• Secure your bag against pickpockets with a padlock or ziptie cable. Yes I know they can cut the bottom of your bag, but 8/10 won’t.
• Anything legally dubious – don’t risk taking it if you can’t risk the punishment. Anything these days in the UK is considered an offensive weapon.
• Wear something defensive. Expect no mercy.
• Arrange an exit strategy. Time, places etc. If it goes tits-up then change accordingly.
• If you get caught in a “kettle” then follow this guide. It takes teamwork!

Further reading:

• How to avoid arrest [.txt file]
• Guide to Public order situations (VERY good read!)
• DIY guides (covers a wide variety, highly reccommended)
• Delia Smith’s “Blockading for beginners”
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• Download the .txt version of this so you can propagate it. I will be updating every so often and the link will be auto-updated.
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