Whether you are planning on going to your first demonstration or a seasoned activist trying to remember the number for GBC Legal, my hope is that this page will help you before you head out to fight the good fight.

Before the demo:

• Pack your bag:This means making sure you have everything you need and not having stuff you don’t need. Water, spare phone batteries, a bust card and food are all useful. Incriminating stuff that police officers who are out to get you can use as evidence are not.
• Plan your journey: It is a weekend and there is likely to be station closures or line closures so make sure you know how to get there. But just as important is knowing how you could get back. Stations which were open during the day may not be later if there is disruption or they are ordered shut by police or station management.
• Buddy up: Let friends know where you are planning on going and try to go with some other people. You should meet up somewhere it will be easy to find each other at the start and try to stay together and keep an eye out during the day.

On the demo:

• Stop and search: It is very possible that a section 60 will be authorised for tomorrow. This means that police officers can search you. However there are several important points to remember:

1. They still have to tell you what they are searching for. For example, if looking for weapons, there is no reason for them to look through your phone.
2. You can get a friend to film the search. If you don’t have a friend nearby, put a recording device on and allow it to record dialogue at least.
3. If practicable you should be searched by an officer of the same sex as yourself. Feel free to make a fuss if there is an officer of the same sex watching whilst one of the opposite sex conducts the search.
4. They should provide you with a receipt once the search has been conducted.  Ask for it if they don’t.
5. DO NOT give them your name – you don’t have to. In this scenario they will just write down  description of you, which is effectively useless to them.

• Legal Observers: Whilst you are on the demonstration look out for legal observers. They are likely to be wearing a high visibility jacket and jotting notes down about police behaviour. Most will be happy to answer a legal question you might have if they have the knowledge and aren’t busy documenting some police activity – but be considerate if you use their service. Legal observers are usually volunteers and are not often qualified legal professionals. They are extremely helpful, trained and dedicated however.
• Kettles: Police may well try to ‘contain’ you, but it is usually easy to see when one of these kettles is about to start. The idiots in yellow high-vis and NATO helmets will start forming what start as pretty loose lines and progressively make the containment smaller coming together and adding more officers. Most of the time you are allowed to leave a kettle as long as your not in a big group. If the officer refuses do argue your case as a human being who has done nothing wrong and is therefore being unfairly detained.
• Masking up: If you feel as though you want to cover your face for any reason, feel free to do so. Though police can force you to remove these in public order situations (which is what the police call a group of people).

In a police station:

If for some reason you end up in police custody, then the following is important to remember.

• Details: You do have to give the duty officer (the one behind the desk) your details.
• Contacting people: You have the right to let someone know that you have been arrested, as well as the right to free legal support. Feel free to use your own solicitor and not the one the station offers you. Good firms with experience in dealing with protest cases include:

1. Bindmans: 02078334433
2. Hodge Jones & Allen: 07659111192

Feel free to write either of these on your arm before the protest.

• Medical assesment: If you are injured you have the right to see a medical professional.
• In a cell: There won’t be much to do in a cell so if offered accept the offer to read the PACE code of conduct. If not offered, ask.
• Interview: DO NOT say anything in an interview. They often mean police are lacking evidence. An interview is not your opportunity to explain what happened, it’s only for the benefit of the police. You will be able to explain what happened in a court room – that is where justice is meant to happen. You have the right to silence in your interview so feel free to ‘no comment’ the whole way through or not say anything at all.

After the demo:

• Relax: Whether you had a police free day or spent a night in a cell, make sure you relax. It’s probably been a stressful day for you to varying degrees and it is only fair that you take this time to do something which you consider fun.
• Precautions: If you weren’t arrested, but are worried you may be for whatever reason, feel free to do what you want to prevent any nasty knocks at your door. Dye your hair, get rid of clothes stay and away from home. Whatever you feel is necessary to avoid that knock.

There are a number of helpful organisation that will do what they can to support you if arrested or if you fear arrest. A few are:

• Green & Black Cross (Write their number on your body before the protest: 07946 541511)
• Legal Defence & Monitoring Group
• Defend The Right To Protest

(Disclaimer: I am no expert, just an activist. I may have got stuff wrong so please feel free to suggest revisions to this page.)