Preparation Tips

• Talk to a lawyer before risking arrest if you have personal exposure.
  • Active warrants or open criminal cases
  • Undocumented or otherwise unsettled immigration status
  • Under the age of 18
  • Any other issue that could cause the police to treat you differently than other demonstrators

• Fill out an arrest form than contains the information the jail support team would need in the event of your arrest.
  • Personal information that will help locate you in the jail
  • Emergency contact information along with instructions on what that person should be told (or not told) by the jail support teatm
  • Medical information that the jail needs to treat you properly
  • Any other pertinent information (pets that need taking care of, car that needs to be moved, property that needs to be collected)

• Avoid bringing any illegal or prohibited items.
  • Weapons (guns, knifes, pepper spray, etc.) or anything that looks like or could be construed as a weapon
  • Illegal drugs, including medicinal marijuana which is not legal on federal, foreign, or inter-jurisdictional property
  • Items prohibited by the organizers of the demonstration or the manager of the land, especially during large demonstrations on federal property

• Avoid bringing any valuables or items that you would not want to surrender to the police in the event of your arrest.

• Bring the items you think you will need.
  • Valid government identification
  • Jail support phone number
  • Money to pay post and forfeit (if offered)
  • Necessary medications
  • Anything else that you need

• The question of whether to bring your phone to a demonstration is a personal choice, because they could be subject to electronic monitoring, but phones may be deemed worth the risk based on the needs of the demonstration.
  • Discuss this issuewith organizers beforehand
  • If you decide to bring your phone, disabled all fingerprint or facial recognition unlocking features and instead use a strong numeric password

• Familiarize yourself with your organization’s action and communication plan for the demonstration and ask the organizers any questions you have about the plan before the demonstration.