Recipes for Disaster: an anarchist cookbook

Sending a communique can be one of the riskiest parts of an action. It should go out from a one-time-only email account on a public computer, and the person who sends it should be careful not to be detected approaching, using, or leaving the computer. At best, it should be sent from an area far away from the action and the homes and haunts of those who carried it out. Alternatively, it can be sent through the mail?but the text should not be composed on a computer tied to any of the participants, and the paper, envelope, and stamp should never be touched without gloves on.

A simple text communique is often not enough to capture attention or convey the magnitude of an action. If possible, include photographs or video footage. One or more of the individuals involved in the action can be responsible for taking these during or after the action (see independent Media, pg. 346). Be carefid that such footage doesn't provide investigators with any useful information about your group. Independent media outlets are more likely to provide thorough and sympathetic coverage than mainstream media; if you don't know any independent media journalists you can trust to approach, you can anonymously tip them off or otherwise solicit their coverage.

In addition to seeking mainstream and independent media coverage, you can also arrange to have news and explanations of your action presented directly to the public through autonomous means (see Banner Drops and Banner Hoists, pg. 75; Graffiti, pg. 258; Newspaper Wraps, pg. 392; Stickering, pg. 520; Wi^eatpasting, pg. 598; also consider pirate radio). Consider how these can be used to communicate the necessary information without implicating those who apply them in greater crimes.

To avoid having your footprints used against you in court, keep an extra pair of shoes stashed in a secret place outside your home to use for night work; wear extra socks, so you can use shoes a couple of sizes bigger than your feet.

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Afterwards

Appendix: Approach and Entry

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Immediately after an action, make sure that everyone is safe and emotionally cared for, and that anyone who was arrested or injured receives support. Aside from taking care of this, split up and get quickly back to the business of being unremarkable law-abiding citizens. Resist the urge to rush to find each other and compare notes. Eventually, you may want to meet again, either in small groups or all together, to trade perspectives on what happened, but this will require at least as much security as your planning meetings did, since you may now be under suspicion. Consider limiting your involvement in aboveground political activities, but don't make any sudden dramatic changes in your lifestyle or commitments. It is less incriminating to maintain a visible routine than to drop out of sight completely. Keep your secrets to yourself and your wits sharp; often, the authorities won't strike until months or even years after an action, when they've had enough time to gather intelligence and prepare a case.

If you have to pass fences, consider going through them rather than over them. If you have bolt cutters, this may take no longer than scaling them, and involves less risk of being spotted. With chain hnk fences, just cut the same thread of wire in the fence top, bottom, and three or four places in between, then pull out the vidre with your pliers. The fence will then just fall into two. Keep in mind that a cut fence, if discovered, will immediately alert an otherwise unsuspicious person.

If you have to walk, try to stay off roads. If you need to drive, be aware of all the ways your vehicle can be tracked, including traffic cameras. Consult the recipe for Evasion (pg. 234) for more details about transportation and getaway driving.

If you have to cross a wall, you may need extra equipment. The simplest way is to bring your own ladder; if you leave this at your point of entry, however, it can attract attention, and if someone removes it you may be trapped.

Ditches and rivers can provide good cover, but it's always better to work dry, so plan

on exiting through one rather than entering, if possible. Remember that mud records footprints and other signs of human passage.

If a gate is padlocked, use bolt cutters to remove the lock. If you have the option, it is easier to cut a chain than a lock, and easier to disguise. Never leave a cut padlock or chain in view?it's a sure sign that someone's inside. If need be, replace a cut lock with an identical padlock of your own.

You can cover a vrindow or a portion thereof with duct tape before breaking it, if you want to do so quietly and without making a mess.