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The ultimate G20 protest kit

Are the dominant images of Toronto this weekend going to be of police in riot gear tussling with black-clad protesters through a hazy cloud of gas? Let’s make sure they aren’t.

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The feds are throwing us a $1 billion spectacle, and it would be impolite not to show up, but let’s do it with class. The most potent weapon we have to make the Harper government pay politically for the billion dollar security mess it has unleashed on the city is non-violence. Here are some tips for a peaceful, euphoric weekend of resistance.

KEEP IT REAL

There are many ways to be part of G20 dissent, from hardcore protester to non-marching demonstrator. If the later appeals to you, cook up a storm. The Toronto Community Mobilization Network will be organizing meals for those long days and nights ahead. Volunteer as a cook or dishwasher with the People’s Kitchen at the Convergence Centre at 1266 Queen West or simply show up with stews, salads or baked goods. The Centre will be a major organizational hub and hangout.

If food prep isn’t your thing, check your place for a spare bed. Our rebel visitors won’t be staying at the Royal York, that’s for sure. Open your home to a protester by going to Adopt-An-Activist at g20.torontomobilize.org/adopt-an-activist.

Another option for the non-marcher: make art – the more the better. Make the streets look like Nuit Blanche, except with even more police. Turn out artful messages and stick them somewhere.

You want people to be able to understand them, so go big. Use rich and contrasting colours, fabric or vinyl. But if you’re thinking of putting up messages along the perimeter fences, it won’t happen.

Make music. Join in the festivities by holding spontaneous street concerts or join marches with your portable instruments. Tambourines, shakers, cowbells and claves fit nicely into knapsacks, as do small djembes. Make your own noisemakers or load up on dollar-store instruments and share them around. Leave the tuba at home. You might have to evacuate.

Write, report and take pictures. Documentation will let people know what’s safe in the moment, and in some cases will help keep police accountable later. Send your photos, videos or G20 reports to NOW upload them to the group NOW Magazine on Flickr (flickr.com/groups/nowmagazine), Facebook (facebook.com/nowmagazine), Twitter @nowtoronto (with the hashtag #G20) or email them to web@nowtoronto.com.

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In everything you do, seek inspiration from the legendary teddy-bear catapult of the Quebec Summit of the Americas protest in 2001. Find your own inner playful panda experience.

Do you wanna dance? Try Saturday Night Fever, the free roving all-night dance party that starts at 11 pm in the Church Street Village with DJs, MCs and bands. Follow fever2010 on Twitter that night for further details.

If you do check out the action at the perimeter, know that the security zone will be hardcore. The fences will attract the most militant protesters, and this is where police are most likely to use force tactics.

Just ensure you know what you’re about and make it joyous.

HANG WITH BUDS

Only fools go solo. Make sure you build an affinity group of at least three. Talk about your plans in advance and keep channels of communication open – be they cellphones or person-to-person meet-up time arrangements if you get separated. You’re going to need allies to check your gut reactions.

You can also split resources. One member can be responsible for communications – perhaps carry a netbook (for WiFi connection in case cells get jammed) and digital cam to record events.

Stay in your group. You might have to make snap decisions. There will be fools out there primed to provoke police, so you’ll have to decide whether to stay in the vicinity or vacate. (If you are one of those fools, think again.)

It’s likely that you’ll be marching down a street when some group starts yelling, “To the fence!” Take a moment to make sure that’s where you want to be. Have an exit strategy, and remember to assume that everywhere you’re going you’re going on foot.

BODY BASICS

Time to put down the flip-flops, put up your hair and, at the risk of losing some style points, take this street protest sartorial advice.

The biggest health issues at summer demos are heat- and sun-related, so wear a hat, use sunblock and don clothes that cover your limbs to prevent sunburn and dehydration.

But these measures might prove helpful for another reason. We’re counting on non-violent, fun protest, but if things get hairy, be prepared those (cotton) leg and arm coverings are better at repelling pepper spray.

Remember to wear your glasses – not your contacts, which can trap tear gas against your eyeballs. And leave jewellery at home. Also make sure your sunscreen isn’t oil-based – those trap chems.

As for your feet, wear something you’re happy standing in. No, not Tevas – closed toe. Stay away from paramilitary boots, which make you look like a nut or an infiltrating cop. Hiking boots are always a friendly choice.

IN THE KNAPSACK

Water. Lots of water. And energy-boosting hard candy, energy bars or nuts. Electrolyte powder on hot days can also help ward off sunstroke.

If you feel like hitting the front lines, you may need swimming goggles, though we hope not. They protect your eyes from tear gas as long as you don’t fiddle with them and compromise the seal. A squirt water bottle is also good for washing out the peepers. Some recommend treating pepper spray with a half-water, half-Maalox mix sprayed into eyes and mouth. For skin, apply canola oil, then alcohol after being sprayed.

If you do get hit, exposure means burning, stinging, runny nose, tears and coughing, and in rare circumstances confusion and headache. It’s all temporary but lasts up to 30 minutes for tear gas and two hours for pepper spray.

By this point, you’ll probably also want to breathe. Folks with breathing problems need to be extra careful, but respirators and kerchiefs can be useful for everyone else.

Some advocate soaking kerchiefs in apple cider vinegar to filter tear gas chemicals for a short time others argue that it’s hard on the lungs. Once you get away, put on the change of clothes you’ve cleverly packed (in plastic bags).

Also worth sealing: your ears. If cops get excited and bust out their new toy, the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), you’ll need drugstore earplugs – and for added protection noise-cancelling muffs on top of them. You can find a good pair of muffs for under $20 at Home Depot.

news@nowtoronto.com

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