Staying Healthy for Civil Disobedience Actions
national |
miscellaneous |
news report 
Saturday March 01, 2003 15:15
by R. Raghillaigh - BALM Squad
A useful list of heatlh and safety tips for direct action, prepared by the good folks at Boston Liberation Action Medics (BALM) Squad. -Best of luck to all at Shannon.
Staying Healthy for Civil Disobedience Actions
General Preparation
THE POLICE WILL USE FEAR AS A WEAPON AGAINST YOU.
- The more prepared you are, the less they can intimidate and control you.
- Get training—legal, "know your rights", health and safety, nonviolence, civil disobedience, etc.
- Talk through your plan with the group, anticipating what might go wrong and how you will respond. Discuss the likelihood of arrest and other potential outcomes.
- The more you can anticipate and imagine possible scenarios ahead of time, the less likely you are to have long-term problems from stress and trauma.
- Talk with people who have done similar actions in your area. Find out how they were treated by the police, the courts, the media, the activist community, etc.
- If possible, arrange for a support person for AFTER the action—someone who can look after your emotional health, give you massages and do whatever else helps you feel safe and cared for.
Check out and print up the list of tips and preparations at: http://www.bostoncoop.net/balm/cdprep.html
Pass it along.
For more information"
- http://www.action-medical.net - street medic site with lots of good information on plastic handcuffs and other health issues
http://www.geocities.com/ifaid2000/processing.html
- basic suggestions for arrest
http://www.nlg.org/wto/arrest.html#III and
http://students.washington.edu/afa/filecabinet/legal.html
- more arrest suggestions
http://g8 binder.emmett.ca/papers/legal_tips.html - even
more descriptions and suggestions for arrestees
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/hvp/programs/stress/handout.html - info on coping after a stressful event
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/general/fs_effects.htm - a fact sheet on effects of trauma