#Police Safety

[guilty-feminist]

[millionmovieproject]

They aim non-lethal rounds at the eyes. Stay safe!

[romantichopelessly]

I do think that part of the reason that The Dreamer Trilogy is Like That is because the premise is inherently flawed in that The Raven Cycle was originally magical realism, a genre that doesn't rely on explanations for magic and magic systems and actually coasts on them being unexplainable, whereas The Dreamer Trilogy had to expand the world beyond Henrietta and start explaining things, which makes the whole premise begin to fall apart.

[alwaysbewoke]

[songofwizardry]

ok I'm not an expert but I'm not seeing much specific info going around here, and there's a lotta Palestine solidarity protests in the UK this weekend, so here is some (including UK-specific) protest info and resources (mostly pulled whole-cloth from Twitter)

policing is heavy at Palestine protests generally

Hamas is a proscribed org under UK law. that means "inviting support" for them or "wearing clothing or displaying articles" that implies you are a supporter is a criminal offence (if you're interested, here's the full list of criminal offences from gov.uk). Palestinian flags etc are ok*, but do not have something that could be mistaken for Hamas imagery. don't go out there looking for convictions pls.

*in spite of what Suella Braverman has implied, the London Muslim Community Forum has just confirmed that the Palestinian flag is not a proscribed flag and is not banned (apologies for quoting the "we advise the met police" group but I thought it was important to have that info explicitly)

don't talk to cops. that includes the police liasion officers in blue bibs.

particularly if you're concerned about your face ending up on social media etc, but also just good practice in general (both in terms of COVID and protest safety)—mask up. cover up tattoos etc.

have bustcards or contact details for protest legal support on you. Green and Black Cross can be contacted on 07946 541 511. write the number on your arm etc.

if you witness an arrest: check if there's a legal observer nearby and if so call them over; if not: if the arrestee doesn't have a bustcard, give them one, find out where they're being taken, and contact eg GBC or a protest support line

if you have the time and can help out, there will likely be arrestee support required after—GBC tend to post callouts on Twitter for this

other links

for particularly children and young people and their families being referred to PREVENT for pro-Palestine statements, contact PREVENTWatch and maybe also Palestine in School (newer initiative I think, I don't have an excessive amount of detail on them just FYI)

Liberty, Migrants Organise and Black Protest Legal Support have bustcards in different languages, including Arabic and Somali (also Liberty's website has lotsa useful info, including advice for disabled protesters, protesting and immigration status, and what to do if you're kettled)

GBC's thread on what to do if you see an arrest is useful, as are all their resources generally

if I've missed anything or made a mistake, lmk—as I said, I am very much not an expert. if you know people who are protesting, pass them the legal support line numbers; if you're attending, stay safe and be vigilant; and ofc carry water.

[uncanny-tranny]

Okay, are belly button piercings "trashy," or do you just associate them with femininity, or women, or sex work and strike it down as inherently less worthy? Are 'tramp stamps' "trashy", or do you just associate them with femininity, or women, or sex work and strike it down as inherently less worthy? Is pole dance "trashy", or do you associate it with women, or sex work and strike it down as inherently less worthy?

These are examples, but I find it interesting when people link things with womanhood or femininity or - gasp! - sex work and then immediately condemn, scrutinize, and dehumanize those who even dapple a little in these things, even if it isn't for sex work or to "look trashy." It's funny how the feminine or woman is seen as trashy until proven otherwise, and it's shameful that people still hold the bias that women must prove their humanity by not "being trashy" or "acting like a hooker."

[rebel-girl-queen-of-my-world]

Please use this tool to fill the inboxes of university administrators! Tell them that calling in riot police on your students and letting them be attacked by mobs is unacceptable!

[m-12-7-jo]

"Anytime you seek help from the police, you're inviting them into your community and putting people who are already vulnerable into dangerous situations.

But we can build trusted networks of mutual aid that allow us to better handle conflicts ourselves and move towards forms of transformative justice [...]."

"Don't feel obligated to defend property – especially corporate "private" property. [...] ask yourself if anyone is being hurt or endangered by property "theft" or damage. If the answer is no, then let it be."

"If something of yours is stolen and you need to file a report for insurance or othe purposes, consider going to the police station instead of bringing cops into your community."

"If you observe someone exhibiting behavior that seems "odd" to you, don't assume that they are publicly intoxicated. Ask if they are OK, if they have a medical condition, and if they need assistance."

"If you see someone pulled over with car trouble, stop and ask if they need help or if you can call a tow truck for them."

"Keep a contact list of community resources like suicide hotlines. [...] people with mental illness are sixteen times more likely to be killed by cops than those without mental health challenges."

"Check your impulse to call the police on someone you believe looks or is acting 'suspicious'. Is their race, gender, ethnicity, class, or housing situation influencing your choice?"

"[...] create a culture of taking care of each other and not unwittingly putting people in harm's way." As in, encourage others to avoid inviting police into community and public spaces, including rallies and demonstrations.

"If your neighbor is having a party and the noise is bothering you, go over and talk to them. Getting to know your neighbors [...] is a good way to make asking them to quiet down a little less uncomfortable."

"If you see someone peeing in public, just look away!"

"Hold and attend de-escalation, conflict resolution, first aid, volunteer medic, and self-defense workshops in you neighborhood, school, workplace, or community organization."

"Don't report graffiti and other street art[tists]. If you see work that includes fascist or hate speech, paint over it yourself or with friends."

"Remember, you can support friends and neighbors who are being victimized by abusers by offering them a place to stay, a ride to a safe location, or to watch their children. Utilize community resources like safe houses and hotlines." (You could also offer to store money for them in a safe location if they need that)

Source: 12 Things to Do Intead of Calling The Cops.

[letters-to-rosie]

I think one thing that people can sometimes lose sight of is the reason we say ACAB isn't because all cops are terrible people on an interpersonal level (though a lot of them are lmao). It's because the raison d'être of policing is, above any protecting of the populace that happens, keeping the masses in line with the interests of the powerful. It always has been.

This applies to Arcane, too. At the end of the day, the Enforcers exist to enforce a set of laws and a social structure that immiserates and prematurely kills an entire population. The first scene of the show is about that.

So it's not against ACAB to enjoy a character that is a cop, but it is... perhaps naive to think that good apples will fix a system that at its core is about oppressing the many for the benefit of the few. Until that raison d'être goes away, policing will never be able to do anything else at its core.

[carcasscounty]

Holy fuck, how do y'all make OCS

Dr. Petrov, a level 4 animal behavioral scientist for the foundation, and his genetically spliced 939 instance (Aka, "Maggie")

[icemintfreeze]

sigh hello everyone, it’s been a while but I’m going to be stepping back from all my socials- for a year I’ve been getting stalked, and the perpetrator nabbed all of my information as well as my family’s, and he is actively threatening them (and threatening to lie and get them in serious trouble).

Im.. At a genuine loss here? I’m sorry for being gone for so long but I’m genuinely terrified (tags below)

[commiepinkofag]

Take Action

KOSA Remains an Unconstitutional Censorship Bill 

KOSA remains woefully underinclusive—for example, Google's search results will not be impacted regardless of what they show young people, but Instagram is on the hook for a broad amount of content—while making it harder for young people in distress to find emotional, mental, and sexual health support. This version does only one important thing—it moves KOSA closer to passing in both houses of Congress, and puts us one step closer to enacting an online censorship regime that will hurt free speech and privacy for everyone.

TELL CONGRESS: OPPOSE THE KIDS ONLINE SAFETY ACT

[alwaysbewoke]

[unsexynudity]

its kinda scary how many people dont know how to deal with cops so heres how to deal with cops

you get pulled over. roll down ur window, hands on the steering wheel

they'll ask for license, registration, and proof of insurance. tell them where it is before you grab it, warn them that you're going to grab it, and move slowly

if they ask "do you know why i pulled you over today" or they try to accuse you of anything, act clueless always

if you have a self defense weapon such as a pocket knife or pepper spray, inform them that you have it and tell them where it is

if the cop pulls you out of the car to arrest you, don't fight it because they'll charge you with resisting arrest. you are, however, allowed to ask WHY they are arresting you. if they tell you that asking why is resisting arrest, they are lying

when being arrested, don't say ANYTHING unless "i want a lawyer". don't answer any questions, keep your trap shut

if a cop tries to search your vehicle, you have the legal right to tell them not to.

same thing with your house. they can't search your home without a warrant, and if they don't have a warrant, you are legally allowed to send them away. be prepared for them to come back with a warrant tho, so hide ur illegal shit

don't cooperate with cops and don't give them incriminating evidence against you but don't resist arrest ever and also follow instructions (unless instructions are dangerous, such as them urging you to answer potentially incriminating questions)

don't swear at cops, they can charge you with a misdemeanor

be safe out there and remember. never trust police officers

[secret-sageent]

kinda crazy how badly i need a sheriff's secret police bomber jacket