Protest threats, detection, protection and (counter) moves

This page lists theoretical defenses for selected groups of weapons used by police or military on civilians. This is just a thought experiment covering (theoretical) defenses against these attacks and not intended to spread fear, uncertainty or doubt about dictator and police states. The tables were initially filled with items from excited delirium (a protestor’s guide to “less-lethal” police weaponry) of 2008, then further investigated and added to.

The government just loves technology. They always assume that every problem —whether social, martial, economic, or ecological— is just waiting for some magic device to solve it. This is a another weakness of theirs. The tables are intended for educational purposes such as learning threat modeling. And while the information is accurate to our knowledge (in 2008) we don't have any first hand experience with more than a handful of these weapons. Do your own research and don't ever assume you are invulnerable.

Ideally we discuss these exploits and counter moves without the police being privy to those discussion, but that would make spreading possible counter moves too slow for the less-than-lethal development cycle (arms race) and effectively exclude non-techie activists from being able to defend themselves to some extent, so the next best solution is to discuss everything in the open, so everyone knows how they work and how to defend from them, maybe making us all a little safer by using such grounding for reducing our fears, than not discussing them at all.

Electrical

Weapon	More information	Attacks/Impact	Protection
Stun guns (tasers)	Stun guns are less-lethal weapons that use electricity to hurt or incapacitate their victims. Both stinger and taser have two modes: 'projectile' and 'drive stun'.	In projectile mode, both use Electro-Muscular Disruption (EMD) technology to cause Neuromuscular Incapacitation (NMI) in their targets. After a half-second, the pain is nearly unbearable and causes muscle contractions. After 2-3 seconds, the subject is dazed and dropped to the ground. More than 3 seconds completely disorients a person and causes them to stay on the ground, risking breathing impairment and heart damage. In drive stun mode, the stun gun runs electricity between two points in the gun itself and becomes, essentially, a cattle prod. This can cause burning, intense pain, and scarring, but is a pain-compliance weapon (as compared to the projectile mode, which will take anyone down, regardless of their pain tolerance).	With the newer tasers, you can’t just allow the prongs to not penetrate into your skin because of their “shaped pulses” that somehow shock you through clothing. It’s been suggested that you can’t just complete the prongs circuit, because if the prongs are in you, you’ll get shocked and/or burned. While we’ve found no information on DIY methods being tested, we did run across the commercial product announced early in 2008, only available to law enforcement, military, and manufacturers of products for those two categories. But their patent #7284280 (http://www.patentgenius.com/patent/7284280.html) is online and we can learn from that.
Stun shield	Stinger Systems makes a device called "The Ice Shield", an electrically charged riot shield. They come both concave and convex, angled towards or away from the bearer. They may have become less common since a malfunctioning one allegedly killed a prison guard.	It is unclear if they operate on a purely pain-compliance principle or if they will actually lock up the victims muscular system.	Short contacts on shield.
Taser XRep	These are basically wireless TASER darts that are fired out of a 12ga shotgun. It has the same NMI as a handheld taser. As soon as the shot leaves the shell, a ripcord activates it and it has 20 seconds of life. Its velocity is 260’ per second and it is intended to be used at ranges of up to 65’. It has 3 fins that deploy as fletching after firing and 4 prongs that stick into you on impact.	After impact, part of the body of the thing falls away, still attached by a cord, and 6 more electric barbs spread the shock out further on your body. If you grab at the projectile while it’s in you, the "reflex engagement electrodes" will send the electricity through your hand and arm as well, making it all that much the worse for you. It even has a damn computer in it to make decisions about how to spread out the shock between all of its nasty points to make your life as crappy as possible.	Same as for stun guns.

Chemical

Weapon	More information	Effect	Protection
CS	Odds are, if a canister starts spewing white gas, it’s CS gas. This is by far the most common "teargas" for controlling large crowds. CS gas is a solid (and not a gas), suspended in the air and eventually settling to white powder. Banned in warfare by the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, although that is mostly to keep the other side from reacting with more deadly chemical weapons. (This didn’t keep Blackwater from deploying it in Iraq a few years ago, but that’s a different story, or is it?)	It reacts with water on the skin and within 20 seconds causes a burning sensation (particularly in the mucus membranes, like the eyes) as well as uncontrollable shutting of the eyes. It can make your throat burn and tears pour out of your ducts, it slows your heart and ups your blood pressure, slows your breathing, and it can cut off circulation to your outer body. In some people it causes dizziness. In some people it causes contact dermatitis, with blisters and crustiness that can last for months (though it usually doesn’t). Mostly, the ill effects go away pretty shortly after reaching fresh air, and you’re pretty much fine after 20 minutes.	The obvious thing is to wear a gas mask and they are available, although expensive. (The only ones worth using are current military or police designs - don't try any old ones you may come across in markets or army surplus stores as many used asbestos in the filters!) A mask and hood offer limited protection and of course they are well worth wearing for disguise anyway. An improvement on the normal cloth mask is a special cycle mask as they contain activated charcoal which will filter out some of the CS. Goggles are useful for eye protection and are easy to get hold of and carry. CS contamination can be removed by washing with soap and water, or an alkaline solution of water and 5% sodium bisulfite. Fill a bottle and take with you.
CN	Example	Example	Example
CR	Example	Example	Example
OC (Pepper spray)	Example	Example	Example
PAVA	Example	Example	Example

Impact weapons

Build armour protecting your head, collar and shoulder, and kidneys and knees. Motocross armor is pretty amazing stuff, light and fairly low-profile under other clothing. Reinforce a banner to double as lightweight shield.

Launchers

Weapon	More information	Header text	Protection
Riot guns	Example	Example	Example
Sprays	Example	Example	Example

Projectiles

Weapon	More information	Header text	Protection
Chemical weapon canisters	Example	Example	Example
Muzzle blasts	Example	Example	Example
Rubber balls	Example	Example	Example
Baton rounds	Example	Example	Protect your knees
Bean bags	Example	Example	Example
Pepperballs	Example	Example	Example
Bolo	Example	Example	Example
Flash-bang	Example	Example	Example

Melee

Weapon	More information	Header text	Protection
Batons	Example	Example	Example
Close quarter weapons	Example	Example	Example
Orcutt police nunchaku	Example	Example	Example

Other

Weapon	More information	Header text	Protection
ADS (Pain ray)	Example	Example	Example
Water cannon	The modern riot-control water cannon has about a 2000-gallon tank and delivers around 250 gallons of water a minute. Modern water cannon trucks are controlled from within the cab with a joystick so that the operator is not exposed. Water cannon have fallen out of vogue with police in the USA, primarily due to the negative media attention they received in the civil rights era. English and Indonesian police have, in the past, added dye to the water to identify protestors, but this isn’t common practice.	The force is enough to knock a person over and they have been known to cause internal injuries.	Example
Sticky foam	Example	Example	Example
LRAD	Example	Example	Example
MEDUSA	Example	Example	Example
Dazzler	Example	Example	Example
Pulsed energy projectile	Example	Example	Example
Vortex ring gun	Example	Example	Example
Malodorant	Example	Example	Example
Netgun	Example	Example	Example
Modular crowd control munition	Example	Example	Example
LED incapacitator	Example	Example	Example