Best wishes to everyone who plans to protest global government at the UN Headquarters! Here are some tips on how to do the best job you can. The better equipped you are, the more effective you can be! Also, the less likely you'll be to have your experience marred by adversity.
Several lessons can be learned from the WTO protest in Seattle, December 1999. First of all, you should realize that the New York Police Department is MUCH larger, and FAR more aggressive than Seattle's! I do not advocate assaulting anyone. But be ready! You may need some defense against police aggression!
What to take:
Many useful supplies can be found in any department store. If not there, then in sporting goods stores, hardware stores, and building supply stores. Materials to make high quality protest signs can be found in office supply stores. (You wouldn't be much of a protestor without a sign!)
You should probably wear some protective gear to withstand thugs' (jack-booted and otherwise) attacks: A batting helmet is ideal for head protection. A football helmet or motorcycle helmet would also work, but a baseball helmet looks more "civilian." A worker's hard hat can do some good, but they're designed to withstand blows from above, not from the side. (You should also know the difference between a hard hat and a bump cap. A bump cap has no suspension system inside. It's only good for protection against minor bumps against sharp edges.)
Dust masks and goggles can keep pepper spray out of your eyes and nose. A gas mask would be more effective, but again, doesn't look very civilian. Gas masks are also harder to find. Dust masks and goggles can be found in any hardware department.
Leather gloves can protect your hands in case you have to defend yourself against physical assault. Shin guards, knee guards, elbow guards, etc. can be worn to protect those parts of your body. Baggy clothing can make their presence less obvious.
I don't recommend wearing all your protective gear at the outset. Don't give the appearance that you're looking for trouble. Keep most of it in a pouch until it's needed. (Hard headgear won't fit easily into a pouch, so you'll have to wear that.)
How to carry supplies: A backpack can hold lots of equipment. It can also serve as body armor if worn on your front. A tool belt or construction apron can carry some items. A fanny pack around the waist can also be a good idea.
You should carry a canteen, preferably filled with some kind of sports drink. You can carry tear-open pouches of sports drink (or orange drink) and replenish your supply from a water faucet. Sports drink will keep up your strength better than water. It's also more like actual tears, in case you have to wash pepper spray from your eyes and face.
Take a bag of cough drops with you. Shouting slogans can quickly wear out your throat. Some conditioning ahead of time can help. Start at least a month in advance. While driving to work, sing and shout. (About anything. Pick any subject on which you'd like to psych yourself up.)
Sun block should be worn. Otherwise, stay in the shadow of a building or of a protest sign.
Leg cramp pills would also be a good thing to take. Taking a daily walk (starting a month or two in advance) would help you be in shape for protesting. Also bring any other medications you normally need.
Wear substantial shoes. Hikers and soldiers don't wear boots for nothing! Anti-perspirant on the soles of your feet can prevent blisters. (But don't make a habit of it. God put your sweat glands there for a reason! Your body needs to expel its wastes!)
Putting on fresh undershorts every day can help prevent chafing. Take enough with you for several days, in case the protest becomes a live-in deal like Tiananmen Square. In fact, bring some high energy-density food with you, like bags of unsalted nuts, M&Ms, etc. (Some kinds of cheese will hold up quite well for a few days. But also eat some granola bars or something else with some fiber in it. Don't cork yourself!) You don't want to stuff yourself with a large volume of food before and during the protest. Restroom facilities may be scarce.
You might want to think of preparing for this as if you were preparing for a five day backpacking trip. You might even want to bring a sleeping bag. You can also wrap it around yourself and use it for body armor if needed. (A toothbrush would also be a good idea.)
An umbrella would be good in case of rain. Golf umbrellas are more durable, and can even help fend off billy club attacks.
Various other odd items may be brought. Some that are especially versatile, and could come in handy in a wide variety of situations are:
Duct tape! You can use that for just about anything! (Including wrapping your sleeping bag around yourself.)
Clear tape. You might want to cover your signs with clear tape to make them waterproof.
Electrical tape. Sometimes duct tape is too wide.
String or wire. Who knows what you'll have to tie together?
Shop towels. The blue ones like at the auto parts stores are nice and strong, and can be used to wipe pepper spray (or anything else) off of yourself. Half of a roll can fit easily in a backpack. Or individual sheets can be folded like napkins.
Plastic bags. Various sizes, up to garbage bags. They can carry almost anything. You might even have to poop in one and throw in in the trash! (You can pee into a storm sewer. Have your friends hold their signs around you.)
Children's scissors. So you can cut things. (Rounded points will not stick you as you carry them.)
Many-in-one folding pliers. Many handy tools fold conveniently into the size of a pocket knife.
Pen and note pad. You might want to record your observations and tell the folks back home what really happened.
Foil. Tape it to your helmet to keep the sun off your neck.
Don't go alone. If nothing else, your friends can hold your stuff for you while you go into a store for supplies.
How to get there and where to stay:
The UN Headquarters is on the east shore of Manhattan, between 42nd and 48th Sts. It's bounded on the west by 1st Avenue. Grand Central Terminal is about five blocks west on 42nd St. That's the closest subway station.
Cars are extremely impractical in Manhattan. The best way to get there is by train or subway. On the internet, you can do a search on "new york subway" and find helpful information. http://www.mapquest.com is a great place for maps. Or check the following:
Lodgings in Manhattan are exorbitant. Few people can afford to stay in a hotel there. The best thing to do would be park as far out of the city as possible, and ride the train in.
The subway runs only in New York City. The north suburbs are served by the Metropolitan North Rail system. Long Island is served by Long Island Railroad. New Jersey has its own rail system. New Jersey's rail system has a spur to Penn Station in Manhattan. Penn Station is at 32nd St. and 7th Ave. It's about a two mile walk to the UN. City buses run on every avenue, and most streets.
What to do and how to behave:
Peaceful protestors have the moral high ground. Thousands of well-behaved, civilized people make a very powerful statement. The enemy knows this. Therefore, watch out for agent provocateurs! Watch out for people who try to incite you to do illegal things!
Also beware of police who commit assault and battery, trying to get you to fight back. If you'll notice, all the equipment I recommended above for you to bring is defensive in nature. It is to enable you to withstand whatever assault and battery the thugs inflict on you.
Do not vandalize or loot anything! The enemy will probably have some their people do it just so they can blame you! (Of course, some of them are just thugs looking for an excuse to steal.) Do not let criminals hide among you! Do not obstruct any police who are trying to arrest a real criminal. In fact, you should block their way of escape so the police can catch them. Every cop who's busy arresting a real criminal is a cop who's not harassing you. This will also help get the cops on our side!
If a cop does arrest you wrongfully, go limp. Make them carry you. Do not cooperate, but do not resist. You might want to stash your id in your car when you park at the train station before you come into town. Your right to remain silent can be very effective!
Some cops might arrest you falsely, trying to get you to resist. They might make a "resisting arrest" charge stick, even when the original arrest is bogus!
If police ask you to testify against a legitimately arrested person, offer to write an affidavit. If he's not satisfied, offer to make a deposition to your local prosecutor. Of course, if they ask for testimony against a falsely arrested person, just tell the truth! "Sorry! I don't do perjury!"
Many thousands of people can fit onto the grounds of the UN Headquarters. But if enough people show up (I hope!) the overflow could go over to Central Park, about a mile to the northwest. It starts at 59th St. and 5th Ave.
It would be great for many thousands of Americans to protest the Millenium Forum, May 22-26, 2000 and the Millenium Assembly and Summit, beginning Sept. 5, 2000.
Millions of people see through the propaganda about the United Nations being a kind, gentle father figure. Everybody knows: power corrupts! Absolute power corrupts absolutely! The solution to the world's problems is not to concentrate all power into the hands of a global elite! The solution is to respect everyone's right to run their own life!
Seattle made a lot of news. 50,000 people gave them fits! This time, we have some additional advantages. Seattle is pretty remote. Only 12 million people live close enough to Seattle to drive there in one day. New York is within a one day drive for 85 million people! Look how big some protests have been in Washington DC! As many as 500,000!
Seattle made a lot of news. With this protest, we could make history! We could stir up enough interest to wake up the sleeping giant! The USA could opt out of the United Nations! By showing the world the true nature of the United Nations, we could make people uncomfortable enough to wake up and reclaim their freedom!
If you can't make it to New York, organize a protest at a public square in your own city. Such a local angle to a national story almost always gets attention in the local media!
Since the New York protest is to go on all week, it would be a good idea to also have your local daily protest throughout the week. In fact, have it at 6:00 PM so the TV stations can do live coverage! (TV news operations love to do live shots. They do them long after everyone has gone home. Providing some action for them to show makes live coverage irresistable to them!
Pick a spokesman for them to interview. Make sure he says that you'll be there every night through the week, and that you're protesting the UN's Millenium Forum, the first meeting of the unelected global legislature. That will attract more protestors, making a bigger, more attractive event for them to cover! Make extra signs for new protestors to carry. Also have the protestors marching in a circle and shouting slogans when it's time for the news. The more noise and action you provide, the more coverage you'll get!
This flyer is on the internet at: http://come.to/J.E.F.F./
Please visit the web site to see other articles about how your rights and well being depend on Godly government.
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