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. These tables are intended for educational purposes such as learning magic device threat modeling. And while the information is accurate to our knowledge (it was 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 attacks 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

OC, CS, and CN - the three main chemicals of choice for law-enforcement use - are very different chemically, but affect people in similar ways.

Weapon	More information	Effect	Protection
CS (2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile - C10H5ClN2)	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. Recent studies have shown CS gas to mutate chromosomes, cause miscarriages, and mess up your liver and heart	The obvious thing is to protect your eyes and respiratory system against particulates and "organic vapors", and there are two basic ways to achieve this: A full-face respirator or gas mask, and a half-face respirator paired with goggles. See Protection From Riot Control Agents http://buggrit.com/gas-masks.html. 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 (chloroacetophenone - C8H7ClO)	More toxic but less potent than CS gas, this is the active ingredient in the older “mace” self-defense sprays. (Mace, a brand name, now usually uses pepper spray instead). CN is used as a riot control agent, but far less frequently than CS. This is the original "teargas," but has mostly fallen out of favor. Apparently, the lingering smell is that of apple blossoms.	Like CS gas, this compound irritates the mucous membranes (oral, nasal, conjunctival and tracheobronchial). Sometimes it can give rise to more generalized reactions such as syncope, temporary loss of balance and orientation. More rarely, cutaneous irritating outbreaks have been observed and allergic contact permanent dermatitis.	Same as protection from CS.
CR (dibenzoxazepine - C13H9NO)	Example	Example	Example
OC (Oleoresin Capsicum)	Alias pepper spray.	Example	Example
PAVA (pelargonic acid vanillylamide [desmethyldihydrocapsaicin])	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

Sousveillance

A general counter strategy against police misconduct, abuse and brutality has been recording what happens during a protest. This of course, has gotten the police to target journalists and observers, both official and unofficial.