Thursday, 19 September 2024 — NetPol
As we near the one-year anniversary of the genocide in Gaza, protests are being planned around the country. Many people are joining protests at the Labour Conference in Liverpool this weekend, and demonstrations are planned in towns and cities across the UK.
We’ve gathered together some key Know Your Rights information for anyone taking part in Palestine protests.
5 Key Messages – Mic Check
We advise everyone taking part in protests to learn the 5 Key Messages, to help keep yourself and your friends safer! If you’re with a group at a protest, you can use GBC’s Know Your Rights ‘mic check’ to quickly brief people on the key messages. A mic check is a fun, interactive way to get people informed. The leader shouts the first line, and then asks the crowd to repeat it back to them. If you’re getting a coach up to the protests, try using this with your fellow travellers!
You can find and share the 5 Key Messages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X.
Bustcards
You might have seen legal observers handing out Bustcards at demonstrations. We suggest everyone carry one if you’re going to a protest. Bustcards have key legal support information and contact numbers on, including numbers for protest lawyers who can give you free police station support in the event of an arrest. Find the bustcard for the Labour Party Conference protests here. If you’re in another part of England or Wales, you can find your local bustcard here.
Police Liasion Officers
The ‘friendly’ police officers in light blue bibs that you see on protests are Police Liaison Officers (PLOs). They are specially trained officers whose job it is to engage you in conversation, and document any and all details that you give to them. PLOs are the frontline of police intelligence gathering at protests. If they try to engage you in conversation, you can reply with “No Comment” to their questions, or simply ignore them until they leave you alone.
Finally, if you’re organising a protest, we suggest you check the key advice for organisers on the Green and Black Cross website. It’s important to think about how you will handle the police right from the start of your planning, so you can be prepared.
Our friends at Manchester GBC will be covering the Labour Party Conference protests, with legal observers out on the streets to support you. If you want to request a legal observer for a protest you’re helping to organise, you can request one by emailing legal-observer-network@protonmail.com
The New Dark Age 
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