Updated activism safety and efficacy materials will be landing here semi-regularly until the lights go out (I live in Texas, so the smart money is on August).

Buckle up for November and beyond!

Quick Resource List

In no particular order. Most of these resources are available multiple places on the web. I’ve tried to source them from a range of sites, and encourage you to work back up the URLs to see what else the hosting sites offer. Please note that I’m not necessarily endorsing any of these sites/organizations, or espousing what they are advocating for. But it’s important to know the range of issues that motivate activists, and how these tactics have been developed.

The Ruckus Society: Action Safety and Community Care in Times of Rapid Response

Earth First!/DAM Collective: Blockades – a how-to zine for direct action

Earth First! Direct Action Manual

The Swarm Approach to Warfare: An Introduction for Frontliners: Anonymously authored introduction to the modern warfare concept of “swarming,” principles of which were utilized on the frontlines of the 2019 Hong Kong Democracy Movement and the 2020 George Floyd/Black Lives Matter actions.

First We Take Columbia: Lessons from the April 1968 occupations movement: How-to advice for today’s Gaza activists by participants in both the Yale and Columbia 1968 solidarity encampments.

The Do-It-Yourself Occupation Guide, 2024 Edition: Updated version of a text used by activists in 2009-12, focused on the occupation of buildings. Posted by The San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center (Indybay), a non-commercial, democratic collective of bay area independent media makers and media outlets.

The Breakdown: How Do I Prepare My Phone for a Protest? (Updated 2024): How to keep your cellphone and communications safe at a protest.

Physicians for Human Rights: Preparing for, Protecting Against, and Treating Tear Gas and Other Chemical Irritant Exposure: A Protestor’s Guide

Frontline Medics: Police formations

S.A.L.U.T.E. model for reporting potential threats:

The Master’s Tools: Warfare and Insurgent Possibility: Essays by Tom Nomad, an organizer based in the Rust Belt.