I will be discussing what happened at a right-wing protest in Oregon today, but I’m not advocating a position. I’m simply pointing out some facts that we, as prepared people who care about our civil liberties and rights, should be aware of. The quote above, from God’s Ultimate Tactical Handbook, should be your guide.
Today, in Salem, Oregon, the government held a meeting to discuss attaching a mandatory vaccine provision to the budget. When right-wing protesters arrived, the building was ordered closed under COVID guidelines.
Side Note: COVID is the excuse for all kinds of tyranny. Under Oregon State Law, any meeting of a government body MUST be open to public. Most states have these open meeting laws. A government official can say “COVID” and set aside that law as they choose.
The right wing protesters attempted to stage a sit-in non-violently. The Oregon State Police attempted to push the people out, and made one arrest. When people didn’t immediately leave, the OSP pepper sprayed the crowd and began firing pepper balls at everyone.
The crowd walked outside and immediately the Salem Police began making announcements that the Oregon State Police had declared the assembly as unlawful.
At this point, all that had happened was non-violent civil disobedience of attempting a sit-in. This is in OREGON, where ANTIFA/BLM have burned down buildings and the assemblies either weren’t declared unlawful or no action was taken by the police.
The crowd was ordered to leave the Capitol grounds or face arrest for disorderly conduct or criminal trespass.
At this point, there were about 400 protestors, and around 15 were armed.
One group was near a side entrance and tried to re-enter the building, but the police prevented their entry. One woman attempted to open a window and a phalanx of Oregon State Police stormed out, firing pepper balls at the crowd and arrested the woman. When some of the men stepped forward, the police detonated a gas grenade and ran back in the building, taking at least two people with them.
At this point, I began monitoring the police reaction, and there are some lessons to be learned.
First, once again, the police responded far more forcefully on the right than they do on the left. There is a reason for that. The reason is that the right is more likely to follow police orders. Police are like everyone else, they’ll take an easy win. The right is also very reluctant to resist the police.
Second, police spotters were calling out people who were arriving to reinforce the protest, giving vehicle and personal descriptions, while mentioning which groups were armed and then tracking their movements. The lesson for anyone who attends these protests is don’t park near the event. You are an easy target for law enforcement or counter-protesters.
The police also began calling out patrols and observation posts that the protesters were running. This is a win on the side of the protesters because usually, protests focus only on the location that they are protesting at, which allows the police or counter-protesters the entire perimeter to organize on. Any preparedness activity, even just hiding out at your bug out location, must also include patrolling and observation posts. You need to know what is going on outside your perimeter.
The police also called out over the radio the license plates of all vehicles in the immediate area. This causes a few problems, because your vehicle just being in that area does not imply that you were at the protest. You could have been shopping in the area, but you are now on the official “BAD GUY” list. The lesson here is, once again, stop being lazy and park a LONG way from the actual protest and walk in on foot. This will also allow you to make a “Surveillance Detection Run” on your way back to the car, to make sure that ANTIFA, who is known for following people to their cars, isn’t following you.
There was a police radio broadcast to the scene commander, asking him to take a call from an intelligence unit inside the crowd. As I frequently warn, at protests, especially right wing ones, state & federal law enforcement will have an undercover presence inside the crowd. Be careful who you talk to and what you say to them. If you doubt me, ask the Michigan Militia guys what happens when you just say dumb crap to people you don’t really know.
A while later, the crowd gathered at a door and someone suggested getting a chain to force the door open. A short time later, a guy, mostly like a FEDERAL AGENT, showed up with a metal object, and someone took it and broke the glass on the doors. As soon as the glass was broken, the police, who were immediately inside the doors, pounded the area with pepper balls.
There are two lessons in that:
- I guarantee you that the guy who broke the glass will be arrested within 24 hours, because the feds completely set him up, taking advantage of the situation. Don’t get me wrong, he was in the wrong, but he wouldn’t have smashed the window if this other helpful soul hadn’t magically appeared with the object. Don’t let yourself get talked into doing dumb things.
- The police are monitoring the livestreams, too. There’s a lesson in there.
After this incident, the police rolled up in force, blocked both ends of the streets, and rammed the vehicle parked in the middle of the road, tossing it aside. They again declared the assembly unlawful.
As it began to rain, one the senior police officers met with the protesters and within 3 minutes there was an agreement to get out of the road. If the protesters got on the sidewalk across the street from the capitol, then the police would leave.
Both sides agreed immediately.
Here’s the deal: The right-wing side is way too ready to do whatever the police tell them to do. The Constitution guarantees you the right to peaceably assemble, and to petition your government for the redress of grievances. When the government refuses to allow you to do so, you NEED to stop caving in to their orders.
Second lesson in the ending: Another one I’ve mentioned repeatedly…the right side gives up the minute the weather becomes less than ideal. “I demand my rights….as long as it doesn’t rain or get too cold”. Train for it…If civilization collapses, it won’t only be during good weather.
I noticed an ANTIFA streamer on the scene. She was wearing body armor with a “PRESS” patch, and immediately under the PRESS patch, she had a combat knife. ANTIFA is well known for stabbing people, by the way. They always demand Geneva Convention protections for their medics and press, yet a PRESS person being armed invalidates that. I also know, from my work inside them over the summer that she wasn’t there to report the news, she was there to GATHER INTELLIGENCE. You should also be gathering intelligence.
When BLM/ANTIFA blocks a road, the police block traffic for them, and arrests anyone who tries to interfere with the unlawful activity.
When BLM/ANTIFA enters a restaurant and harasses customers, the police stand by and watch, arresting anyone who resists ANTIFA assaults.
There is even the famous video of when a BLM/ANTIFA group in Louisville surrounded a man’s house, telling him that they were going to kill him and burn his house down for having a Trump flag, yet the minute the man, who was alone, armed himself INSIDE HIS OWN HOME, the police arrested HIM.
From a preparedness situation, understand that the police are not coming to help you, and in fact they will hinder lawful self-defense.
From a broader perspective, understand that this whole thing has already been lost.
During the Revolutionary War, there were cool slogans like “Don’t Tread on Me” or “Liberty or Death”. This time around, that right’s motto is apparently “Always Home By Dinner Time”.
Be careful, be vigilant, and prepare yourselves.
Tactical Wisdom 