Surviving Civil Unrest and Staying Safe
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Surviving Civil Unrest and Staying Safe
Surviving civil unrest and staying safe. What is civil unrest and how do we keep ourselves safe during it? Civil unrest has become a big problem around the country right now. A lot of very unhappy people are becoming vocal about their unhappiness. The problem is when that anger or unhappiness will boil over into full blown riots.
Riots lead to property damage, assaults, arson, and so much more. It is not a remotely safe situation to be in!
The biggest issue right now that I’m seeing is the mob mentality. A person is intelligent. People are stupid, and in a large group things can easily turn dangerous. The larger the group, the easier it is to become dangerous because there is an aspect of anonymity based just on the size of a group. Rational thinking goes out the window.
Here are my tips if you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Stay informed
We live in an age when we have these magical little devices in our pockets that tell us basically everything. Apps and alerts are a wonderful thing, pay attention to them. Don’t ignore the buzz of your phone telling you that something is happening. This isn’t a time when any of us can afford to ignore those news notifications.
Many groups will also post on social media about their activities. You can use this information to know where not to be until it is over. But be aware that these groups do move and can do so quickly. Or multiple people will start a bunch of small groups and they all merge into one big group.
A police scanner app can be extremely helpful as well. Most of them are free, and some have a paid version with different features. Research the features and determine if it is worth paying for. Some are worth it and some are not.
Blend in
If you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, do whatever you can to blend in! If people are carrying signs, you carry a sign. Chant right along with them, show whatever emotion the crowd is showing. If they are laying down to block traffic, do it.
The goal is to blend in long enough to make it to the edge of the crowd. Do not remain in the middle of it all! If you are on the “wrong” side of something and don’t blend in, it can easily turn you into a giant target. Think about my earlier example of people laying down in the street to block traffic in their protest. How obvious will you be standing up in the middle? Don’t do that. Work your way to the edge of the mob and escape. Get out!
Remember fire drills in school? Where the teachers just kept us all moving toward the doors. No matter what happened we kept moving in the tedious and boring line, and we all had the same bored expression on our faces as we shuffled out the door. Think of that as you’re trying to blend into this kind of situation!
Use Situational Awareness
Using situational awareness techniques can help you assess a situation quickly and react to it accordingly. If you are not practicing situational awareness, please go read that post and start yesterday! The brain is the single biggest muscle in your body. Use it! Train your brain, as well as your kids. Using situational awareness is actually a really good way to teach kids without scaring them.
Have a Plan
Just like having a fire safety plan, it is important to have a plan regarding where to go once you escape the mob as it becomes dangerous. In a large group it is very easy to become separated from others in your group.
Making phone calls may not be an option in such a crowd. Cell reception may be disrupted, or it could even be an issue of hearing. Having a plan ahead of time to meet the rest of your family or friends is vital.
If you find yourself stuck in the middle of a bad situation, know alternative routes to get out as well. Last night protestors blocked an entire freeway entrance in my town. If you were trying to get through that, would you know detours? If not, it is time to learn!
Go Home
Go home and stay at home. Home is a safe place that we all know well. It’s the home court advantage for perimeter defense. As of right now the riots haven’t made it into neighborhoods for me yet. Home is a pretty safe place to be currently. If that is the case for you, stay there.
If home becomes unsafe for you, you need to have a plan on when and how to get out, as well as where to go. Many preppers that I know have a designated place to meet and stay if they are forced to leave their homes for any reason.
A friend of mine has a plan to go to his dad’s house if things get bad. Dad lives out in the middle of nowhere and has space, as well as preps for his family. Everybody in the family knows to meet at dad’s house. There is also a code word sent in a call or text, just in case someone missed the memo that it was time to head to dad’s house.
Notes
Surviving civil unrest and staying safe. Hopefully you do not get caught up in an unsafe situation due to the high levels of civil unrest that are going on right now. Are you taking any extra steps to stay safe? Tell me about it in the comments! Read more tips on prepping.
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15 Comments
Scott DeNicola
It is amazing how absolutely crazy the world has gotten in a matter fo three months starting with COVID and now with the George Floyd situation. I understand the protests but I draw the line on burning down businesses and destroying property. I’ve actually decided to finally purchase a handgun for home defense something I never thought I would have to do where I live.
The Prepping Wife
I went into a gun store yesterday just to buy coffee, and it was busy! Seems like a lot of people have that exact same idea, and firearms are becoming a real necessity. Someone once said to me that the world isn’t becoming a better place, it is only getting worse. Which is sad, but very true.
Kelly Martin
These are definitely scary times and it’s sensible to have a plan to survive civil unrest. I think I’ll be staying at home as much as possible.
LuLu B - Calabrisella Mia
This year has been so difficult for so many – first the coronavirus and now the unrest happening in America. I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like there right now with all the riots and protests that, as you said, can go from peaceful to violent in a matter of seconds! These are great tips to keep yourself safe during this uncertain time! Stay safe!
jerry godinho
This is a very practical and realistic approach to civil unrest. In times like these, we have to be careful, and be aware of everything going on so we do not get attacked or shot. I like your practice advice and it makes sense. The end goal is to be and stay safe.
Mykki
I’ve been going to some of the protests recently so I thought I’d drop my two cents in here – most of the escalation is not coming from protesters and very rarely does any protester single out someone on the street for not “blending in” unless they’re yelling racial slurs at the crowd. No one’s going to bother you for going about your businesses and being respectful as you pass them by.
Blending is is important though, for when the police show up, because they have been targeting folks who stand out from the crowd or get cut off.
The Prepping Wife
I am so, so glad that the protests you’ve been attending are peaceful, Mykki! I love seeing people able to show up and support a cause that they feel is important. I only wish every single protest would remain a peaceful one, but they haven’t been. There have been a lot of these protests turned into full blown riots with people destroying businesses, looting, arson, and much more. It is very unfortunate because it has destroyed businesses and lives. I would love to see everyone staying safe in such a stressful time.
Lyosha
It is scary. I didn’t know the protests have taken that harsh turn. You give goo tips. Stay Safe!
Melanie williams
I can only imagine how bad it has been. However your points offer some really sensible and sound advice, but the key is most deffo to plan x
Kathrin
This is a valuable post. I have seen protests from my window (even here in England!) but luckily everyone stayed civil and it was peaceful. I do agree that we all have to take precautions and make sure that we stay safe – home is most likely the best place to be right now, for multiple reasons! Like other commenters, I sympathize with the cause of the protests, but am worried about the consequences: not only damage to property, but renewed Coronavirus outbreaks and more death and suffering.
The Prepping Wife
I am so glad that protesting in England has mostly remained civil and peaceful! This was a protest that I wanted to participate in, but I wasn’t going anywhere near the riots either. You bring up a very good point, Kat, about the Coronavirus. I’m very curious if we will see a spike in cases or another outbreak. We will see what happens in about two weeks.
Britt K
Knowing what is going on is key. If you support a situation and wish to be involved in a protest, awareness will allow you to know where to be and when. Alternatively, if you are prefering to stay out of the event, an awareness of what is happening will allow you to avoid the area. Furthermore, as you mentioned, if your home isn’t going to be a safe place with everything going on, you want to know in advance so that you can prepare to be somewhere different. You can’t expect to be fully prepared if you don’t know what you’re preparing for!
Subhashish Roy
So very pained to see all that is happening in US. Yes we must protest atrocities by policemen and what happened was so inhuman. But peaceful protests are the way. Damaging properties of innocent people and arson is no way acceptable either. I guess the best thing you suggest is to stay away from trouble and be at home as much as possible.
The Prepping Wife
People and businesses have already been destroyed by the Coronavirus. It is heartbreaking to watch them trying to rebuild and open once again, only to be destroyed by arson, theft, and property damage from riots. I’m with you, protesting is fantastic, and very warranted at the moment. But the damage is not.
Tracy C
Great tips, Erica. It’s so important to be aware and alert to what’s going on around you. I’ve never been happier to live out in the country. It’s a shame that so many of the largely peaceful protests have been overtaken by a small minority of people who seem bent on looting and destroying businesses. Change is needed–police brutality and racism can not continue, but everyone needs to be aware so that they can stay safe.