Flier to OWS Protesters: “Defending Against Tear Gas”

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“Maalox is a must.” That’s one of the many tips to be found in “Defending Against Tear Gas,” a fascinating flier making the rounds on the internet today (and shown in full below—click to embiggen), that instructs Occupy protesters on how to protect themselves when The Man breaks out the CS canisters for crowd dispersal. As some cops and local governments get physical in their dealings with occupiers, the flier’s info could prove vital to minimizing chaos and injuries. It also shows how information-sharing among the protesters and their sympathizers is spreading organically at a rapid clip.

The flier, which urges that its tips be used “only for defense purposes” and exhorts protesters to “never incite violence,” is distributed by an unknown party with a Hotmail account who says it is “not directly affiliated” with the Occupy Wall Street Movement. Its data appears to be crowdsourced from Wikipedia, Global Post, and Agence-France Press, among others.

“Tear gas is a non-lethal chemical weapon that stimulates the corneal nerves in the eyes to cause tearing, pain, and even blindness,” one part of the eerily elegant flier states. It explains that the best defense is a mixture of water and liquid antacid, applied from a spray bottle. It details how to “be proactive” and protect fellow protesters in a crowd who are less prepared for a gas attack. And above all, it stresses: “STAY PEACEFUL. Peaceful protest is the only way to be take seriously and be truly heard.”

 

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“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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