Peaceful protests don’t always stay peaceful. What starts out as a movement for social change can turn deadly in the blink of an eye, transforming peaceful communities into battlegrounds.
The unpredictable nature of civil unrest is exactly why you should avoid such situations. Or, if you get caught up in civil upheaval inadvertently, you need to keep a low profile by becoming almost invisible.
In this article, we will explore some practical tips and strategies for avoiding and surviving civil unrest. To deepen our understanding of how to survive civil unrest, we need to start by examining the different stages of social unrest.
Sociologists and cops identify distinct stages of civil unrest. All instances of Civil Unrest start quietly. This is the latent stage, where tension is simmering just beneath the surface. It may go unnoticed, but authorities and the citizenry know latent tension exists.
The next stage is known as the spark. It’s a specific incident that overturns the semblance of stability, and crowds take to the streets to voice their concerns. This attracts all types: those wishing for dialogue and peace, but also those agitating for violence, with a strong element of criminal opportunists who are there for the plunder, the looting.
Depending on how authorities and civil leaders manage the tensions, the unrest may de-escalate or escalate. Escalation will drive the unrest to what is called the crisis point. At this stage, lives and property are at serious risk.
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The scale of the civil unrest can vary, it could be confined to a small geographic location or cover large swaths of land or large sections of cities. The crisis point could also last a few hours or be protracted over a period of days.
Understanding the causes, stages, and progression of civil unrest is an essential step toward staying alive if you get caught up in circumstances beyond your control. Each stage of civil unrest needs to be approached differently.
Latent Stage
Avoid areas where civil unrest may start. If you have to enter such areas, make sure you have a clear exit route that will enable you to escape before police or protestors cordon the area off.
Remember, main access routes will be closed first, so try to find back roads, service roads, or other routes that are normally not used.
When entering such areas, do not wear clothing that identifies you with the “enemy.”
The Spark
This is the event that sets the unrest in motion. When you are in an area where latent tensions are high, you must watch news outlets. X and other platforms usually carry the information before the official news outlets do.
Also, keep an eye and ear out for sirens, helicopters, gunshots, and loud crowds. Chanting and singing typically go hand in hand with protests. Crowds chanting can be heard from afar.
If you suspect that a spark has occurred and that the situation is turning violent, you need to act fast. The most dangerous places will be in front of a protesting crowd, caught up in a band of looters, or caught in the crossfire between protesters and authorities.
Greyman tactics need to be employed to avoid notice from either side. You don’t want protestors thinking you are part of the authorities, the class of individuals, or the system they are protesting against.
You also don’t want authorities to think that you are in any way part of the frontline protestors. Not only because you get shot but because drones or other cameras could identify you as a protestor, opening you up to prosecution at a later stage.
Crisis Point
This is the most dangerous phase of civil unrest. There are two distinct areas of danger. The first area is at the battle line, where protesters and authorities clash. The next is the inner landscape of the unrest or the place where the protestors rule.
Depending on what exactly is going on, this could be the most dangerous place to be.
In this lawless no-man land, you can find yourself at the mercy of a deranged mob, or if you are hiding out in the shadows, you can find yourself being hunted by criminal opportunists who seek the cover of chaos to perpetrate heinous crimes.
Disappearing
You need to stay calm, stay informed about what is going on, and stay out of trouble. No matter in which of these spheres of danger you find yourself, you need to try to disappear. Finding shelter where you can ride out the storm is one way of disappearing. You can also try to disappear into the crowd.
In the first instance, you need to get an undetectable hideout, where you can hide and stay unnoticed until it’s safe to move or remain hidden until you can try to get out.
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In the second instance, disappearing into the crowd means you need to employ grey man tactics to remain unnoticed. You must do whatever you can to “DON’T STAND OUT.” You will need information on who and what is being targeted, but you should be able to figure that out quickly.
Suppose there is a possibility that you will be targeted. In that case, you need to eliminate any items that could distinguish you as part of the targeted class. Also, it would be good if you could fake some kind of alternative persona that is a member of a group sympathetic to the cause but not directly involved.
Different stages of civil unrest will pose different challenges. Knowing where in the conflict’s progression you are will help you make life-saving choices. The best advice would be to avoid these areas altogether, but you may end up in a pinch; I hope this article will help you escape.
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