Recipes for Disaster: an anarchist cookbook

In the meetings with your affinity group and the bloc, you'll want to establish a plan of some kind for the day (these almost never come off as intended, but they help to get everyone in practice thinking about the situation, and it's good to be prepared to have something to do in case everything does work out), and a structure to facilitate communication and quick, democratic decision-making within the bloc, as described above. Structure will make you adaptable and thus effective, whether or not your plans come to fruition. You should establish a meeting point for the bloc, plans for dispersal, and a possible time and place for regrouping, if that would be desirable should the bloc be divided early. Share legal information, what resources will be available for those who are arrested. Go over every possible scenario, what you can expect from each other in each of them. Psychology is important here: plan for the worst, but don't demoralize your-selves^?you're considering the possible problems so you'll be ready for them, not to talk yourself out of action.

Finally?^if there will be more than one language spoken among demonstrators or locals, make sure to learn a few important phrases in each of them: "we are not against you, we want no trouble with you," "don't run, walk!," "medical assistance needed!"

During the action

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It is often wise to write the phone number of a legal contact on your body in permanent marker shortly before an action, so you can be sure it will be available to you if you are arrested, regardless of what else transpires (see Legal Support, pg. 329). You may need to know other cell phone numbers and so on for the day's actions: try to learn them by heart or, failing that, write them on your skin in an ink that you can rub off if necessary. You'll also want to have enough money on you for food, transportation, and phone calls, but no more, as it will probably disappear in the event of arrest. Remove piercings that

could be torn out. Do not carry your address book, unnecessary anarchist propaganda, or anything needlessly incriminating or illegal. Take your I.D. with you if you want to be processed as your "true" identity in the event of arrest; if you plan on withholding your identity from the police, make sure you have no identifying papers on you. Carry plenty of water and high-energy foods with you; be prepared for emergencies?if you get separated from everyone and have to spend the night hiding out in a dumpster, you don't want to be starving, too?but don't weigh yourself down with anything unnecessary. Carry with you whatever first aid supplies you know how to use that might be useful. Be aware of what medical assistance?such as street medics and clinics?is going to be available in the streets, and have a plan if you have to go to a hospital (a fake name and social security number, and an alibi, if you fear you might encounter police there); be similarly aware of whether legal observers and media will be present in the streets, and whether you'll want them around or far away from you.

Be prepared for the situation at hand. If the police outnumber you and are waiting for you and there are reporters and civilians in the area, don't come in a gas mask and body armor like the folks in your favorite street riot photographs?they're not going to gas and beat you, they're going to try to encircle and arrest you, and you'll need to be able to move quickly and blend well to avoid it.

Clothing is the one essential feature of the bloc tactic, and the rock upon which it rests or founders. Far away from the action itself, you may want to practice moving and acting freely in your bloc gear, so you won't still be getting used to it when it's too late. The whole idea of a bloc is to look indistinguishable from each other, so make sure whatever your bloc theme is, everyone is on the same page about it, and that your ovm clothing doesn't bear any featiures that distinguish it. In a worst-case scenario, you can make a t-shirt into a mask: use the neck hole for your eyes, and tie the sleeves behind your head.

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Blocs, Black and Otherwise ^2