Know Your Rights
Protest Safely, Demand Justice
📌 First Amendment Protections:
- You have the right to peacefully protest in public spaces (sidewalks, parks).
- Inside gov’t buildings (like congressional offices): Rules are stricter. You can be arrested for trespassing if you refuse to leave.
📌 If Police Order You to Disperse:
- If given a lawful dispersal order (often announced), refusing can lead to arrest.
- Ask: “Is this a lawful order? Under what statute?” (Some cops bluff.)
- If you stay, accept arrest peacefully—do not resist.
📌 Filming Police:
- You can record police in public spaces (but they may illegally intimidate you).
- Say: “I am exercising my First Amendment right to record.”
✅ Pre-Arrest Checklist:
- Write a legal support number on your arm in Sharpie (e.g., National Lawyers Guild: 1-415-285-1011).
- Bring ID, but no other unnecessary items (they’ll be confiscated in jail).
- Wear: Comfortable clothing, no laces/jewelry (removed in processing).
- Have emergency contacts memorized.
🚨 If Arrested:
- Stay silent beyond giving your name/DOB. Anything you say can be used against you.
- Do NOT consent to searches (say: “I do not consent to any searches.”)
- Demand a lawyer immediately.
🔹 National Civil Rights Groups:
- Contact your local CAIR, MLFA, or National Lawyers Guild (NLG) chapter before the action. They provide:
- Jail support (tracking arrestees, arranging bail).
- Legal observers (neutral witnesses to deter police misconduct).
- Post-arrest defense.
- 📞 Hotlines: CAIR __________, MLFA ____________, NLG 1-415-285-1011
🔹 Local Bail Funds:
- Research if a community bail fund exists in your area (e.g., National Bail Fund Network).
🔹 Know the Charges:
- Likely charges: Trespassing, disorderly conduct, failure to disperse.
- Most are misdemeanors, but penalties vary by state.
⚠️ Avoid Felonies:
- No property destruction (could escalate to felony charges).
- No resisting arrest (even pulling away can add charges).
⚠️ Watch for Federal Property:
- If the congressional office is in a federal building, trespassing charges become federal misdemeanors (more severe).
⚠️ Immigration Status:
- Non-citizens: Arrests (even without conviction) can risk deportation. Consult an immigration attorney beforehand.
- Document everything: Write down badge numbers, witness info, injuries.
- Lawyer up immediately: Never plead guilty without consulting CAIR, MLFA, NLG or a movement lawyer.
- Publicize arrests: Media pressure can help get charges dropped.
If arrest isn’t an option, consider:
- Call zaps (mass call-ins to the office).
- Voter pledge campaigns (no legal risk, high impact).
- Projection protests (illegal but low-arrest risk).