Blast from the Past: The Protest We Need is "Human Carpet"
Back in the 1950s and 1960s this type of protest was known as "The Human Carpet." Here's what you do:
You fill your backpack (now I guess it would be your daypack or fannypack or whatever they're called) with water, extra bandannas, snacks, an empty plastic bottle, and your legal counsel information. I guess nowadays you'd add your phone. Wear long trousers and long sleeves and sunglasses and a hat. Extra points for a couple of "letter" bandanna-sized pieces of cloth.
Pick your target: The sidewalks, stairways, and driveways that constitute the approach to the building where enemy business needs to get transacted.
Time your assembly: Approach silently, together, within a 15-20 minute period, on foot, NO SIGNS, looking like ordinary tourists, etc.
Gather until you are closely packed in those sidewalks, stairways, and driveways. Still silently.
LINK ELBOWS. Silently.
SIT DOWN. Still silently.
Pass around your "letter" cloths until they can be held up in order to spell out (back then "NO MORE WAR" ) your short message.
Remain sitting. Silently, except maybe for an occasional song. "We Shall Overcome" is a perennial favorite.
Remain sitting. Have a snack. Drink some of your water to stay hydrated.
When they lob the teargas, wet your spare bandannas, put them around your face.
When they come to drag you away, keep your arms linked but otherwise go limp.
Stay silent. Unless you have to cry out in pain when being beaten by the cops. On the dozens of cell phone cameras around you.
That's a nowadays addition: "Those closest to the center of the carpet use phones to document."
Use the empty bottle to pee if you have to. Later on you can pass it along and those near the edge can uncap it and toss it at the po-pos, if needed.
Sleep in place, if you have to.
This is "The Human Carpet." Some of us will get arrested.
Some of us will get beaten up and teargassed.
But in the long run, if discipline is maintained, this is ferociously effective.
We used to do it when young men were being sent to die in Vietnam.
Now young women are going to be dying right here in America.
So let's roll out the Human Carpet again.
incitingly,
Bright
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