How to Protest Safely: What to Bring, What to Leave & Your Rights (US + Canada)

Your bag’s packed, you’re dressed in black, tattoos covered, balaclava on, you’ve got your goggles and your phone and a carton of milk (put the milk back, we’ll get to that) and you’re heading out the door. before you get in the car or the uber let’s go over what you NEED to bring, what you should LEAVE at home, and what you should never EVER do.

the ALWAYS bring list

a decent sized backpack, because you’re carrying all of this:

• water, at least 2 bottles. one to drink and one for first aid or for someone who needs it more than you
• snacks that are small, high protein and easy to shove in your mouth while walking, so protein bars, nuts, jerky, whatever keeps you going if you end up stuck somewhere for hours
• closed toe boots that are comfortable, waterproof and already broken in, because you could be on your feet all day, moving fast, climbing over shit or getting out of somewhere in a hurry and that is not the day for new shoes
• your emergency contact and a legal support number written on your arm in sharpie. if you’re heavily tattooed or blacked out find some bare skin where you can actually read it, and skip your hands, feet and anywhere sweaty or rubbing because it’ll be gone by noon
• any meds you need, in the labelled prescription bottle if you can, enough for 1 to 3 days
• small bills. cash only, leave the debit and credit cards at home
• goggles or some kind of eye protection
• plain black long sleeves, long pants, gloves, a balaclava or mask** (see bottom for Canada specific notes), and a change of clothes. the goal is to blend into the crowd so cover anything identifiable
• a hat if you’ve got bright hair or tattoos on your head
• a burner phone with only the contacts you need saved, no names. if you have to bring your main phone it goes on airplane mode AND gets turned off the second you leave the house.
  *heads up that in some places a burner can be used as “evidence of intent” and hurt you more than it helps, so check with local organizers or look it up before you decide
• a sign if you want one, totally up to you but obviously we’re fans
• hand sanitizer. duh.
• a power bank

nice to have but not essential

• towel, duct tape, a first aid kit (or at least bandaids, alcohol swabs and saline), ibuprofen, blister patches, hair ties, sharpies, a pen and paper, ear plugs, extra masks, and extras of anything on the list above to hand out to other people
• a card with emergency numbers and any medical info someone might need if you can’t tell them yourself, like if you have asthma or you’re hard of hearing

before you leave the house

text your people (or leave a note somewhere you’ve already told them about) with your emergency plan:

• who you’re going with and how to reach them
• legal aid and bail fund numbers, and if you’ve got bail money, how to get to it or if you're in Canada; who can be your surety (the person who signs for you and vouches you’ll follow your release conditions) and how to reach them.
• where you’ll be and when
• when you’ll check in
• what they should do if you don’t

probably leave at home

• your main phone (see the burner thing above)
• jewelry with your name on it
• anything you’d be upset about losing, breaking or having seized

never ever bring

• contact lenses. chemicals get trapped under them and can do permanent damage, it’s agony immediately, and then if you take them out you’re blind as fuck in the middle of a crowd. wear glasses and bring a spare pair if you’ve got one
• anything that could be read as a weapon, and “could be read as” is doing a lot of work there so think about how a cop would describe it in a report
• illegal shit (DUH)

the stuff that depends where you live

• ID. in some places not carrying it is illegal and in others not having it makes getting out of detention way harder. if you don’t legally need it where you are, we’d leave it home, but check with local organizers first. 
  (for Canadians) - In Canada you mostly don’t have to carry ID or tell police who you are just for being at a protest. that changes if you’re being arrested, getting a ticket, or driving. if you do give your name never give a fake one, lying to police is its own charge.

general protest etiquette, or how not to be a douche

• know what you’re protesting
  don’t be the person who shows up to a Black lives matter protest and asks another protester to explain it to you. this one’s for my fellow white allies specifically. read a few sourced articles before you go, or better yet read books by the people the protest is actually for
• know your limits 
  protests get out of hand and they’re exhausting and scary and emotionally heavy, so check in with yourself going in and have a plan for when it gets to be too much. if you’re not up for it mentally or physically on a given day that’s fine, but pushing past what you know you can handle and then making other protesters responsible for your safety is not
• if you’re not an organizer, it’s not about you ffs
  (white allies, again). you don’t need the megaphone, you don’t need to be at the front, you don’t need to be in every photo. a protest is not your instagram post
• if you take photos BLUR EVERYONE ELSE.
  faces, tattoos, anything identifiable. do not be a fucking snitch
• if you’re bringing a phone, use signal, it’s end to end encrypted.
• turn off your biometrics.
  face unlock, fingerprint, all of it, off. it’s a lot easier for a cop to hold your phone up to your face than to get a passcode out of you. honestly i do this any time i’m dealing with government at all, borders, airports, checkpoints, everything.
• know your rights
  especially if you’re an immigrant, undocumented, a minority, disabled, etc. look up the protest laws where you are, like whether you can be on public land but not government property, and then decide how much law breaking you’re personally comfortable with
• have an escape plan.
  know where it’s happening, scope it out ahead of time if you can, know your exits and where you can go to be safe
• bring a buddy, or better yet a group where everyone has a job
  someone with first aid training, someone who goes for the car and meets everyone at the pickup spot, someone on lookout. no friends going? check social media and join a group or start one, meet up beforehand, clock what everyone’s wearing, make a plan, and ALWAYS leave together. if someone gets detained, know where they were taken, which officer took them, the badge number and what the vehicle looked like
• go sober and pay attention.
  you’ll notice who the medics are, the weird guy on your left who’s definitely a cop, someone trying to start shit, someone who’s hurt or about to pass out. being switched on keeps you and everyone around you safer
• be fucking nice to each other 
  share snacks and water, tell someone their shoe’s untied, hold their stuff while they pee. this should be common sense but here we are
• don’t vandalize recklessly.
  there are cameras everywhere, and whatever you start can take on a life of its own and land on everyone around you and on the whole movement. don’t be a selfish fuckface
• if you’re white, use it.
  if you’re comfortable, form a line of white bodies between Black and Brown protesters and the cops, it can prevent a lot of violence. and FILM ARRESTS AND POLICE INTERACTIONS
• don’t panic and don’t run.
  herd mentality is real, if you bolt other people bolt, people get trampled and the cops get interested. moving quickly is fine. if you need out, walk fast and calm to the edge of the crowd, then take side streets home with your group
• don’t police other protesters.
  if someone’s behaviour is bothering you that much, take yourself or your group somewhere else, or home

if shit happens

tear gas

it’s a thick powdery fog that sticks to anything wet, so sweat, spit, tears, the inside of your nose, and it burns like hell. panicking makes it worse. airplane rules, sort yourself out first and then help others. move away from the cloud quickly and calmly and keep your breathing slow. it’s heavier than air so get to higher ground if you can, and help the people around you get out too.

flush your eyes with water. street medics also use LAW, which is half unflavoured liquid antacid and half water, or a baking soda solution, 1 tsp baking soda per cup of water (about 250ml). either one only works if it’s properly mixed. blink a lot, tears help. blow your nose and spit, don’t sniff or swallow. change your clothes and shower as soon as you can, cold water only because hot makes it burn more. and this is where the milk comes in: don’t. it works worse, it goes off in your bag, and you can end up with an eye infection on top of everything else.

pepper spray

same deal, get away calmly, change your clothes asap, and don’t touch your face or anywhere that got hit. it’s oil based so it spreads, and water alone won’t get it off (it’ll help with the burn though). LAW, baking soda solution or watered down baby shampoo work better.

cops being violent

say as little as possible, you don’t have to chat with them. some places require you to give your name if asked, so know the rule where you are before you go. stay calm, keep your hands visible, and film if you can do it without making things worse. even better, plan with your group that whoever isn’t involved does the filming. get the badge number, or if you can’t see it, height, eye colour, tattoos, anything.
For Canadians: say as little as possible, you don’t have to chat with them. you can walk away unless you’ve been detained or arrested, and if you’re not sure, ask “am i free to go?” if you’re detained they have to tell you why. 

the military or national guard

follow their orders. if you’re planning civil disobedience, go in expecting tear gas, rubber bullets or other “less lethal” rounds, and getting detained. think about what that means for you specifically, because if you’re undocumented, a person of colour or otherwise marginalized your risk is not the same as a white protester’s. take your cues from organizers and keep yourself and the people around you in mind.
For Canadians: the military showing up isn’t really the Canadian move, what you’ll actually see is public order units, mounted cops, pepper spray, “less lethal” rounds, and kettling, where they box in the whole crowd and nobody gets out. if police tell everyone to leave, decide fast whether you’re risking arrest, because staying after that is where the charges stack up (see masks in Canadian notes below). if you’re planning civil disobedience go in expecting to get detained, and think about what that means for you specifically, because if you’re racialized, Indigenous, disabled or not a citizen your risk is not the same as a white protester’s. take your cues from organizers.

getting arrested or detained

you did your homework so you know your rights. say you’re remaining silent and ask for a lawyer right away. don’t resist, even when it’s bullshit. get the badge number if you can. ask for your phone call. mass arrests don’t go like a normal arrest, you might sit for hours with no phone and no idea what’s happening, so stay as calm as you can and follow instructions. you can deal with the legal side once you’re home and safe.

For Canadians: they have to tell you why you’re being arrested. say you’re remaining silent and that you want to talk to a lawyer, then actually stop talking. if you don’t have a lawyer ask for duty counsel, it’s free. you might only get one call with your lawyer so make it count. don’t consent to searches, but don’t physically resist either, even when it’s bullshit. don’t sign anything before you’ve talked to your lawyer.

the thing nobody warns you about here is release conditions. people get let out with rules like stay out of downtown, don’t go to protests, don’t post about it, and breaking those gets you rearrested. read every condition before you agree to it and tell your lawyer if one basically bans you from organizing.

if you’re not a citizen: the Charter covers everyone in Canada, so you have the same right to protest and the same right to silence and a lawyer. showing up to a peaceful protest and going home does nothing to your status.

the risk is getting charged and convicted. if you’re on a study permit, work permit or visitor status, even a fairly minor conviction can make you inadmissible and put you on the path to removal. permanent residents have more cushion but a serious conviction can still cost you your status. so if you’re not a citizen: leave when dispersal is ordered, stay away from property damage and trespassing, tell your lawyer your immigration status immediately, and never plead to anything until an immigration lawyer has looked at it too. an arrest is not a conviction, so don’t panic and don’t sign your way into one.

if you’re a citizen and want to back up the people most at risk, print the CCLA protester tip sheet and hand them out, and stick close to your non citizen friends when cops start moving in.

if you’re an immigrant to the US

if you’re on a valid visa, your first amendment rights to protest and free speech apply to you too, in theory. in practice the administration is very into sweeping up and deporting people who weren’t born in the US, and rights only matter if someone respects them.

the ACLU has a good breakdown of immigrant rights. short version, you can stay silent and ask for a lawyer, you can refuse a search of you or your stuff, and if an immigration agent asks for your papers you have to show them but you don’t have to say much else. some states make you give your name, beyond that you can wait for your lawyer.

immigration lawyers are straight up telling people on student visas or work visas like H-1B or O-1 to think hard before going, and to be careful what they post too, including photos of themselves and their people. anything that could even loosely be read as incitement, calling for overthrowing the government, or being connected to a group the US labels terrorist or unlawful can come back on you. DHS has said it’s watching immigrants’ social media for what it considers antisemitic activity, and that includes green card applicants and international students.

if you’re a citizen and you want to back up the people most at risk, carry a red card. they’re free and printable from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and lay out everyone’s 4th and 5th amendment rights, english on one side and another language on the other. they’re meant for someone vulnerable to hand to law enforcement, but if everyone in the crowd has one nobody stands out.

and if you’re on a visa and the cops order everyone to disperse, leave. getting arrested for ignoring orders or “inciting” can cost you your status.

if you see someone getting arrested

you have the right to film it, so film it openly, don’t hide that you’re recording, and don’t physically intervene. if you’re white, just being there with your camera out can be enough to stop it getting worse.
For Canadians: If police try to take your phone - you can refuse - they have no right to take it without arresting you

Canada specific notes: 

** masks are legal at a lawful protest. but if police declare it an unlawful assembly or a riot, wearing a mask or disguise becomes its own criminal charge with way bigger penalties than just being there. so the second there’s a dispersal order, either you’re leaving or the mask is coming off, and if you’re masked for health reasons have that reason ready.

also look up whether there’s an injunction where you’re going. encampments, campuses and pipeline sites get them a lot and breaking one is contempt of court, which is a whole other level of fucked.

-

that’s it, that’s the list.

none of this is meant to scare you out of going, it’s so you go prepared and come home with everyone you came with. you don’t need to be fearless or know everything or be at the front, you just need to show up, look out for each other, and not be a dick. if you’ve been sitting on the fence wondering if you’re “the protest type,” you are. pack the bag.

want protest dates, petitions, and actual things you can do this week sent straight to your inbox?

join the Cuntry Club House, it’s our email list and it’s more action items than ads, promise. and if you want something to wear to the next one, don’t. wear plain black like we said. wear the Lick Pussy Not Boots tee literally everywhere else, 20% of every one goes to Anti Police Terror.

[product: lick-pussy-not-boots-tee]

 

SOURCES: 

• Concealment of identity amendment (Justice Laws)
• CCLA Know Your Rights: Protesting
• CCLA Protesters FAQ 2025
• BCCLA Know Your Protest Rights
• rabble.ca: Interacting with police
• rabble.ca: Casseroles arrests
• The Eyeopener: G20 bail case
• Mondaq: Immigration consequences of criminal offences
• Mass Tsang: Immigration inadmissibility
• Stop and identify statutes (Wikipedia)
• Stop and ID state map (Mappr)
• Stop and identify overview
• ACLU: Stop and identify statutes chart
• 9th Circuit fingerprint ruling / EFF comment
• FOSSlife summary of EFF protest guide
• ACLU privacy at protests video coverage
• Cal Poly ASI: Red cards
• WAISN: Red cards
• L.A. TACO: Immigration red cards
• USCIS announcement
• AP via Bangor Daily News
• USC visa services update
• Citizen Digital: tear gas first aid