The most important non-obvious thing I’ve learned ahead of tomorrow’s No Kings Day rallies is this:
Turn off Face ID on your phone!
For tomorrow, at least, you don’t want to get ICE Agents, fake ICE Agents, or others to get into your phone — and the wealth of information it contains about you simply by holding it up to your face.
If you have an iPhone, go to “Face ID & Passcode” and turn off “iPhone unlock.” I’m disabling a few others as well, just in case. Replacing them will be easy. But I may leave the Passcode off until we are out of the present mess, as ICE can come by anytime.
I expect that they may threaten to use the “Erase Data” sequence (I think entering the wrong password a certain number of times), but that’s a dim memory from that Riverside attack years ago, it you have this option turned on. They may threaten to do this, or to confiscate your phone, and that will be disruptive (especially for people who don’t have data backed up) — but I don’t plan on giving an inch.
Other tips:
Call 911. As soon as you see anyone being dragged or arrested by anyone wearing a mask. This applies to all situations, not just No Kings. You don’t know whether you’re watching a kidnapping, so err on the side of getting the time, place, and your audible report of what’s happening onto the record.
Don’t go solo. Get to know someone else from your rally, stay near them throughout, and keep an eye out for each other.
Don’t run from them. Their rules of engagement probably allow them, ridiculously, to presume that you’re a “fleeing felon,” and so they can justify shooting you. (And they may not mind if they hit others around you, either.)
Don’t sit. It makes you a target, especially for lazy cops who want to arrest someone but want an easier target — especially if they’re going to lie about your activities anyway.
Do bring photocopies of your state ID. Do not give them the state ID itself. These people claim to be beyond the reach of the Constitution. If you’re a non-citizen, you do have to have proof of your status in public, but see if they’ll accept the photocopy and have the original within reach. If you’re a non-citizen, and maybe even if not, you may want to bring multiple copies of your identification, because multiple people may demand it of you. They may be entitled to your address, but not your phone numger.
Don’t talk to them, except: (1) Ask if you are under arrest — and for what. If you are not under arrest, walk away. (2) If you’re being held, you can tell that that you want to talk to a lawyer.
This will be updated, and your suggestions are welcome.
An interesting question is how to deal with suspected provocateurs?
Walk away from them. They are more likely to be (1) Narcs, (2) Mentally imbalanced, or (3) Intent on fomenting a national general strike right there at your rally. Unless that appeals to you, be elsewhere with alacrity.
There are hundreds of millions of guns in circulation in America. At what point do those get turned on the ICE apparatus? Will it come to that? If so, what’s the tipping point? Someone important gets killed or disappeared? Asking for a friend.