Resources: Self-protection, armour & shields

Affinity groups, protection, shields

Here are some tips on preparing yourself for a "white overalls" or other similar civil disobedience action. The idea is to help individuals defend themselves from assault by the agents of the state.

Remember: the cops are trained to hurt people. Whenever you hear that two hundred people have been injured on a demonstration, you can safely assume they were not hurt by tripping up and grazing their knees.

This may all sound quite scary, but it is better to be prepared for the depredations of the constabulary than to run around with head wounds.

Think: if we are not intimidated and if we are not injured, attacks will become self-defeating.

We will be able to go home knowing that we have done the right thing: will they?

People

Buddies: People are most vulnerable to assault and arrest when they are on their own: having at least one friend with you will mean they can watch your back while you watch their's - a "Buddies" pair.

The WOMBLES strongly recommend that people coming to a mass action are not on their own: find a friend who will come with you AND THEN NEVER LET THEM OUT OF YOUR SIGHT!

Groups of "buddies" - consisting of 16 to 30 people - come together to form Affinity Groups. Collections of these groups can then combine to form a much larger bloc. Movement communications between and within affinity groups is vital; if there are agreed movement signals, make sure everyone knows what to look out for.

To make each affinity group self-sufficient it is a good idea for AT LEAST one person to have some simple first aid training - preparations for large actions often include practical first aid advice sessions. Anyone with existing health problems should seriously consider letting other members of the affinity group know of any special considerations in treatment that might apply.

Health: Water Water Water!

Regardless of the weather conditions, wearing or carrying protection can be a very hot business, so you should bring as much fresh water (not beer, not fizzy drinks or fruit juice - you need WATER) as you can carry - for yourself and others. Do not rely on helpful shopkeepers remaining open. Do not rely on others to carry it for you. You will need AT LEAST 2 LITRES. Drink plenty of fresh water before the action begins.

People with medical training should make themselves known to the wider affinity group at the earliest opportunity. Possible injuries include those from baton strikes to the head, face and upper body, crush injuries from police vans running over people, or from horse charges. In Britain, tear gas or other chemical weapons are unlikely to be used though some cops carry pepper spray or small amounts of CS spay. In all cases, the purpose of the gas is to create panic: therefore, do not panic! The effects are temporary and will not normally harm you.

Overalls

"The white overalls have occupied places of concealment directly by means of their physical presence there, to reveal the decision to ignore those who constitute the real and not the virtual componments of the social system."
(From "The Age of Clandestinity")

We cover ourselves with white overalls to make the invisible - the marginal, the refugee, the sweatshop worker, those who society ignores - visible.

New York Ya Basta! wore yellow chemical-proof overalls in solidarity with the yellow suits worn by chain-gang prisoners working on the streets in their country.

White overalls can be bought for about £3 each from DIY stores. They are easier to find in 'trade' shops like Travis Perkins (rather than the consumer-orientated B&Q). Some building supplies wholesalers offer discounts (and delivery) for bulk purchases.

Head

At secret training bases cops are instructed in how to cause maximum damage to an individual with a two-foot long steel bar: they will normally first aim for your shoulders or arms, kness or hips to incapacitate you. If that doesn't work, or if they are really angry/scared, they will aim for the head/neck. Not surprisingly - this can be a somewhat painful experience if are not using protection. The only rational response to such tactics is at minimum to wear some form of protective headgear.

The best option is a motorcycle crash helmet (from £25), but these can restrict your field of vision. On the positive side, they offer all-round protection for your head and face. On the down side, they are almost impossible to smoke in. Remember to fasten the chinstrap or the cops will be tempted to pull it off.

Builder's helmets (£4-£8 each, from DIY stores) are effective for direct head strikes but offer little protection to the side of the head, the face or your neck. Also, this type of helmet has no chin strap so they can be easy to dislodge or lose. But, while not perfect, they are better than nothing.

If you use one, remove the plastic frame inside it and replace it with some bubble wrap (2-3cm thick). You can then wrap tape around the top and around under your chin to make a chin strap. Don't make it too tight otherwise you won't be able to get it off again.

Bicycle helmets cost from £10 each, and offer better protection than builder's helmets and normally have the added advantage of having a chin strap to hold it on. Again, little face or neck protection but they are a good compromise solution.

Body

As all good WOMBLES should already know, the idea is to make good use of the things that everyday people leave behind. This includes old sofas, mattresses, bubble wrap and cardboard.

For example, for the body: take one sofa cushion and remove any external covering. Use a knife or scissors to cut the cushion in half down the centre of the thin end, so that you have two pieces to form a front and back. Then cut a semi-circle out of the top of each piece to create a space for your head to go through.

Use strong electrical tape to bind the two pieces together with as much overlap as possible to create double-thickness sections for your shoulders.

The body piece can then be worn either within the white overall or over the top. If you wear it over the top you will need some rope or string to tie it around your body securely. Cops have been known to try to pull protection off of people.

Limbs

People can be injured by being kicked or batoned across the legs, ankles, shoulders and arms. These are designated target points for police assault. You could use cricket pads for your legs, or football shin pads, both available from sports shops. Hockey or American football gear works just as well, but is expensive. Skateboard protection (especially elbow, knee and wrist pieces) have been proven useful too. Knee pads can also be bought from DIY shops.

Arm pieces can be made from bubble wrap, cushion foam and cardboard. Fold the card over a couple of times to make triple-ply sheet (about 50cm long x 20cm wide). Take a piece of cushion foam (about 20cm wide x 50cm long x 5cm deep) and tape the card sheet to it. Make sure that the cardboard is on the outside so that it will disperse the pressure from a blow.

Wind the bubble wrap around your arm and the cushion/card to create sleeve; wrap tape around a few times to make it secure - not too tight as you will need to get it off at some point. The same approach can be used for making padding for your legs.

Shields/Barriers

Plastic or light aluminium dustbin lids are really good if you can find them, though you may need to do some work to make a comfortable strap to attach it to your arm.

If you can afford it / find it, perspex sheeting is among the best for making tall "tower" shields. It is tough, lightweight and transparent so you can see what is going on in front of you (or you could paint it / attach posters or banners to the front). Shields can also be made from alternating sheets of thick cardboard and plywood, glued, bolted or taped tightly to create a lightweight barrier.

Magic Flying Carpet: simple to make though it is a little heavy to carry; take a suitable size piece of carpet (eg, 2m high by 4m long) and use nuts & bolts to attach handles/arm straps to it. The strength is in the tight fibre of the carpet weave.

In all cases, securing it to your arm is the most important issue. You normally need at least one strap to hold the shield in place (just below the elbow), with another located as a hand grip so that you can control its movement. You mant to pack extra padding between the straps and the shield for added protection.

The attachment of the handles/straps has to be completely secure: its a good idea to test the designs as you proceed to make sure the shield does it job. The positioning of the straps will depend on whether you wear the shield on your left or right arm. (The grey sections in the diagrams represent the straps.)

Alternatively, think inflatable: rubber dinghies have been used before in Italy (use loads of clingfilm to bind six or seven of them lengthways so that you have a wide group shield).

Vehicle inner tubes: ask local garages / car workshops if they have any spare car wheel inner tubes. They usually cost (as second-hand) only 50p at most, and so a few of these taped to a bit of stiff board (or layered cardboard) can make an effective lightweight shield. Lorry inner tubes make good, large defensive barriers, but can cost up to £20 each new (maybe try scrap metal merchants or car-breakers' yards for supplies).

REMEMBER: Not all actions will require such preparation and equipment.

See the 'Bodyhammer' booklet (PDF attached, 1.11mb) for extra info on shields and group movement tactics.