Tips: how to avoid being arrested

From Occupy Together’s wiki

Desde Occupy Austin. Dylan H.

After viewing dozens of OWS protest videos, I’ve managed to uncover a ‘triggering’ mechanism that seems to set the NYPD personnel into an arrest frenzy.

There are two protest behaviors that get drastically different responses from the NYPD:

Protest Behavior Usually Leading to Arrest:

a) The protester, when asked to keep walking, fails to turn face and body in direction of the officer’s request. The second time the officer attempts to make this request, the protester is clearly seen standing his/her ground. The officer is then seen going into an arrest frenzy.

b) The protester is yelling within 2-3 feet of the officer’s ear, and at the officer. This close proximity yelling would be threatening to any person, officer or protester.

c) The officer physically pushes the protester with the force that should knock you down, and the protester stands their ground. Yes this is assault, but that levity will never be given the credit it deserves in court. The protester who is indignant enough to stand their ground and not continue walking in the direction of being shoved, they will be arrested.

d) The photographer, when asked to keep walking or is pushed away from a SPECIFIC spot STANDS THEIR GROUND!

e) There has been at least one arrest made, as if in retaliation for one person whispering into the ear of an adjacent protester. The NYPD are touchy.

Non Threatening Body Language – No arrest is made.

a) The protester, when asked to keep walking, exhibits compliance by physically turning head & body in direction of officer’s request.

b) The photographer, when asked to keep walking, or pushed away from a SPECIFIC spot, swiftly creates a large distance between self and that officer.

c) SIT if you are practicing civil disobedience and don’t argue.

d) Keep your hands in plain sight at all times and, if confronted, make no sudden moves other than those the officer has requested and will expect. Remember, the officer may not be able to tell you are not a physical threat to him in a chaotic situation.

Final Thoughts:

These are general guidelines, and may not guarantee that the protester will be free from arrest. If the NYPD are planning to ‘kettle’ several hundred, followed by an arrest frenzy, that would be a good example of an exception. Combative behavior is usually, from the perspective of the NYPD, interpreted as threatening. Yes, I know this sounds too simple minded, but the NYPD have a narrow window between combative and compliant. The further to the compliant side you can remain, the greater your odds of protesting without arrest.

Image by Dylan H. – Creative Commons