What to Expect Tomorrow: A Protestor’s Guide
Introduction
Tomorrow, thousands of Americans will take to the streets to participate in “No Kings Day.” For many, it will be the first protest they’ve ever attended. For others, it’s one more march in a long tradition of resistance. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, know this: preparation is power!
Given my health issues I debated whether I would go to the No Kings protest tomorrow or not. I have decided that I will go. I’m happy to say that my wife and I will be attending together! I might not be able to march far and I will be slow, but damn it, I cannot in good conscience sit by and do nothing while Trump continues to destroy what is left of our country, our democracy. Even if all I could do is stand there, then that’s what I will do, because I will be supporting thousands of fellow citizens who care about democracy, as much as I do. If our grandson ever asks me in the future what I did to stand up to Trump and his authoritarian power grab, I want to have an answer much better than, “Nothing at all.”
Tomorrow will feel a bit odd to me, as my previous experience with protests has been on the other side of a protest sign, as a military policeman. I was stationed at Fort Presidio, San Francisco, in 1969-1970. I was assigned to an elite Army riot control unit that had to be ready to quell riots anywhere in the world in less than 6 hours. We trained daily in riot control during my time there, because the Vietnam War was going strong and US citizens wanted it to stop. Having crowds of students protesting the war and ruining our weekends was an interesting experience. It was made even more interesting because I knew that many of us soldiers, dressed in our riot control gear, would much rather have been on the side of the students, waving signs and throwing flowers. But we were trained well and so we did our jobs to the best of our ability.
I do not have much faith that the National Guard troops some protestors will be facing tomorrow will have received the extensive training that I did in riot control training. We were trained to stand in position with our shields and gear and take whatever the crowd literally threw at us, from rocks, to flowers, to spit. Our job was to be professional and we took pride in that. We were specifically trained not to react, a difficult thing to do as it is counterintuitive. Instead, our job was to follow orders and stick to our training.
The training we received included hours of practice on how to manipulate an angry mob. We learned different riot control formations, like the “wedge,” which can be used to literally slice a crowd in half, then use it again to make smaller halves, essentially slicing and dicing the mob into manageable smaller groups, which sucks the power out of the crowd rather quickly. Take the mob’s power and it will soon disperse. We learned many useful methods of crowd control.
If US marines are deployed anywhere tomorrow in response to No Kings Day, I am very concerned on what they will do, how they will react, because this is not something they have been trained for. Like Army infantry men, marines are trained for warfare, in the ancient art of killing. Kicking down doors and dragging people out of their houses, or shooting the inhabitants is not the kind of training needed to deal with protests that go sideways.
That said, I am anticipating a straight-forward peaceful march in Beaverton tomorrow, because that has been the way Beaverton rolls for as long as we have lived here. To my knowledge, so far there has been no deployment of weekend warriors in Oregon, so I expect to just see a lot of police. Then again, the day is young and tomorrow will potentially involve a big crowd and the purpose is to protest, so anything can happen. Thus, it’s worthwhile for all of us to give some thought about what you are going to do when facing different potential protest situations.
Protestor’s Guide
Know What You’re Walking Into
I can only assume that if you are showing up to a No Kings Day protest, you have a pretty good idea what this gathering is about. We not gathering to throw rocks, burn cars, damage property. We are gathering to stand up and be vocal about our support for our democracy. Yelling slogans of support is okay. It’s free speech. We are there to carry signs and show our solidarity with each other and the thousands more who are gathering all over the country for the very same reason. We are gathering to send Trump and his authoritarian cronies a message: “Hands off our democracy!”
As of Friday afternoon when I am writing this, what I know is that the National Guard has been deployed in Los Angeles. Marines have finally also arrived there, but are only guarding buildings, so far. Texas has deployed National Guard in several cities, too, as has Missouri.
Take a minute out of your day to Google or use an AI to find out specifically what your own local authorities have planned for responding tomorrow.
What You can Expect
Here are some potential things you may run into during the course of the protests tomorrow.
- Barricades:
- Especially near courthouses, federal buildings, and main intersections.
- Respect the barricades. When the crowds start pushing through barricades is an automatic trigger for a physical response from the police. And the police will get very physical.
- Checkpoints
- You may be asked to produce identification at various points or in some areas.
- Lots of police, many in riot gear with shields and batons.
- You may see more police looking rather threatening than you have ever seen in one place locally before. This can be unnerving. Be aware, it is meant to be unnerving. Stick to your script, yell your slogans, wave your signs. This is free speech in action.
- Drone surveillance overhead may be visible in large cities.
- Snatch-and-grab tactics in high-risk zones. Be aware.
- This will depend on the city and the location of any particular protest, but there may be parts of the city or buildings that are off-limits for protests. Breaching barriers in front of these places may result in being snatched by the police, arrested, and going for a ride in a paddy wagon to jail.
- Possible curfews activated late in the day.
- Los Angeles has already implemented curfews; other cities may have also done this. Look into this before you go!
What to Bring (and What Not to Bring)
This is practical, essential and important.
✅ Consider Bringing:
- Water (in a reusable bottle).
- Snacks. You may find yourself delayed returning home for longer than you anticipated.
- ID (but stash it securely).
- A mask (not just for COVID—helps obscure identity). It is perfectly legal to wear a mask during a protest as long as you are not doing anything illegal while wearing that mask.
- Goggles (to protect against tear gas or pepper spray). This isn’t an item most of us have lying around, but if you have a pair, you might want to bring them.
- A small first aid kit.
- A bandana soaked in vinegar or water in a Ziploc (tear gas countermeasure). This could become something you will be very happy you brought along.
- Cash.
- A card with legal aid numbers written down.
❌ Please Don’t Bring:
- Your phone completely unlocked, or with facial recognition on!
- Anything you wouldn’t want searched or confiscated.
- Loose items you can’t run with.
Regarding Tear Gas
There are essentially two types of tear gas used by authorities and the military: CN gas and CS gas. In military police school and active duty at Presidio, I got gassed a lot! In school, it was a bunch of times. The purpose was not just for the fun of the drill sergeants, it was training. In fact, I got so used to CN gas that I could calmly walk through a building with CN gas hanging in the air. CS gas is another thing entirely.
I first got hit with CS gas in basic training. I saw grown men screaming, running, throwing down their weapons, climbing trees. I remember seeing the grenade go off, then due to shock, breathing in a small cloud of gas. The next thing I knew I lost complete control of my sinuses. I was covered in snot from face to shoes and all my exposed skin felt like it was on fire. I kept my weapon on me, but ran like the wind.
I’m sorry to say that apparently both the police and military now use CS routinely. CN gas is hardly used anymore. You will smell tear gas before you ever see it, and although you’ve never smelled it before, you will know that something bad is coming your way. Avoid it if at all possible. If you do get caught by a cloud of CS gas, be aware that it sticks to your clothes for days and will continue to burn your skin, so you need to get out of your clothes as soon as possible. A wet cloth, or one soaked in water and vinegar solution, will help clean your face and eyes.
Mental Prep: How to Stay Safe & Calm
- Have an exit strategy. know your route in and out of wherever your particular march is starting.
- Stick with a buddy or group. Have an agreed-upon place to reconnect if separated.
- Record events if needed, but know your rights. There is no law preventing us from recording tomorrow’s events with our phones as much as we want to.
- Don’t escalate. If you are threatened or assaulted, document it using your phone, but don’t provoke.
- If detained, stay silent! Ask for a lawyer. Don’t sign anything!
What to Do If Things Go Sideways
Worst-case scenarios:
- If tear gas is deployed, don’t panic. Move upwind, cover your mouth, rinse your eyes.
- If kettled (trapped by police), stay calm and link arms with others.
- If arrested, call legal aid. Don’t resist physically! Doing so will be used against you.
Conclusion: The Real Power of Showing Up
The goal of tomorrow’s protest isn’t to create chaos. It’s to show the entire country, the world, that silence in the face of authoritarianism is no longer an option! Your presence matters. Your voice matters. And your safety matters.
March with courage. March with clarity. March with pride.
Resist.
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