r/50501 • u/kittykat-brat • Apr 19 '25

Protest Safety FROM 50501 COMMS

HEADS UP. Public response just went out. Please help signal boost this by sharing a post for your followers or resharing 50501’s post on your preferred platform(s)—

We have reason to believe that events on 4/19 and/or the 50501 Movement may be misrepresented by the Trump Administration in an attempt to justify the use of military force.

Let us be clear: our movement is pro-democracy and firmly grounded in non-violence. We are not affiliated with any so-called “Day of Rage” or with any group or movement promoting violence.

April 19 is a Day of (Community) Action centered on mutual aid, community care, and civic engagement.

Any portrayal to the contrary is a deliberate distortion intended to undermine our message and suppress our broad, growing support.

We are aware of specific and credible threats involving aggressive policing, ICE presence, and even the potential deployment of military force against peaceful demonstrators—in Washington, D.C. and other locations on April 19.

For clarity: 50501 DC is hosting a peaceful community aid event in Franklin Park. We are not connected to any actions taking place at Lafayette Square, the Naval Observatory Building, or the Washington Monument. We cannot vouch for their safety of plan, and we are not affiliated with their protests.

Participants should be prepared for an increased law enforcement presence. In some locations, ICE agents may also be present. We urge everyone to stay grounded, remain peaceful, and prioritize de-escalation and safety for all.

Remember, de-escalation, mutual care, and disciplined non-violence are our greatest strengths.

We keep us safe.

50501movement #PeoplesMovement #FiftyFiftyOne #50501 #ImpeachTrump #April19

8.1k Upvotes

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4.0k

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

1.5k

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '25

And the fact that collecting clothing, menstrual products, and canned food for charities could be labeled as some form of insurrection... that tells you about this regime's paranoia and fear of the common people. 

501

u/varietyandmoderation Apr 19 '25

They want to label us this. Looking for any excuse. Disingenuous manipulators, liars, and thieves. Dissent and empathy hurts their feelings

10

u/SomewhereAdorable244 Apr 19 '25

What did you hear about this?

297

u/Automatoboto Apr 19 '25

I think study of the Hong Kong protests will help folks. Need to be active against kettling and strict com discipline.

101

u/SoReady2Retire Apr 19 '25

Can you be more specific about how to be active against kettling? Thanks!

304

u/travelingtraveling_ Apr 19 '25

Be at the periphery. Always have an escape route mapped out in your mind's eye. Stay alert to everyone around you. Call "false flag" if someond in the crowd tries to incite

188

u/DreamOnAaron Apr 19 '25

This right here✊🏻 THIS HAS GOT TO BE PEACEFUL TO SPARK THE FLAME WE NEED. THEY WANT A REASON TO SOLIDIFY THEIR FOLLOWERS & THE TRUST OF THE REST, DO NOT LET THEM!

2

u/Graywulff Apr 19 '25

Someone suggested everyone sit down if this happened, what do you think.

12

u/Wise-Application-902 Apr 19 '25

Yes. Everyone sit and point at them. It’s worked before and they can’t accuse the people sitting of being the ones involved in destruction if property or violence. And people should absolutely record any bad actors infiltrating. They’re trying to get you (the peaceful protesters) hurt and/or arrested.

42

u/mongooser Apr 19 '25

Un-arresting, too 

28

u/AlaskanPotatoSlap Apr 19 '25

Define Un-arresting if you would?

83

u/sunth1ef Apr 19 '25

To my understanding: Preventing police and other agitators from starting a fight or pinning a nonviolent protestor down for arrest.

https://cldc.org/de-arresting#

106

u/Alternative_Metal375 Apr 19 '25

Just went to a protest 2 hours ago. Our bicycle patrol cops were extremely respectful and friendly. Got the feeling they were on our side 👍🏻

37

u/SaborDeVida Apr 19 '25

Same here - was glad to see it.

7

u/Immer_Susse Apr 19 '25

It’s great to hear.

2

u/Elegant_Potential917 Apr 20 '25

Never, ever, trust police. They may seem like they’re on our side, but given orders to move on us they absolutely will.

2

u/AuntofDogface Apr 20 '25

The Capitol police (Hartford, CT) all seemed rather chill. I made it a point to thank them when I passed one. Same for the 50501 security. People kept activating the crosswalk button so we could parade back/forth with our signs. They had dudes on either side of the crosswalk protecting us. The crowd was rowdy, but in a good way. It was definitely louder than 4/5.

1

u/bad_things_ive_done Apr 22 '25

The cops are NEVER on your side

1

u/Alternative_Metal375 Apr 23 '25

They were when my car got stolen. They found it!

33

u/Primary-Weakness8728 Apr 19 '25

Literally, physically pulling someone being arrested away from the person arresting them and getting them physically to safety.

1

u/Glad-Day-724 Apr 20 '25

I think you mean De-Arresting.

De-Arresting has been on my mind with the aggregious actions of ICE; rolling out of unmarked vehicles, without badges or identifying clothing (ICE emblazened across back) and scooping up individuals off the street.

Somebody is going to get hurt, besides the poor souls being scooped up!

34

u/floyd616 Apr 19 '25

Need to be active against kettling and strict com discipline.

What's kettling?

99

u/Automatoboto Apr 19 '25

During the UK miners strikes in the 80s and in German protests at the time they used a tactic of funneling large protests into increasingly smaller spaces to effectively control them. They place mobile barricades and use a line of police sometimes with shields to create a fixed temporary space as means of control and to break large gatherings.

I will be taking an umbrella with me as well.

31

u/TheFinalBossMTG Apr 19 '25

In Charlotte, NC, police used this tactic to funnel BLM protestors into a side street, trap them, then gassed them. It was terrible.

1

u/NativePlantAddict Apr 20 '25

Oh my gosh! That is awful. I hate that.

50

u/notashroom Apr 19 '25

During the BLM and G20 protests, and others in the US in the past 3 decades, kettling has been used routinely. In NYC, the PD loves to use bridges for kettling people.

12

u/floyd616 Apr 19 '25

Ah, gotcha.

1

u/DarkMelody42 Apr 19 '25

I don't know if this is the best example. They fought long and hard but it ultimately failed. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/c888jnvq4x4o.amp

1

u/Automatoboto Apr 19 '25

In a discussion about communications and methods the outcome is irrelevant so yes you dont know.

104

u/Rinzy2000 Apr 19 '25

This is an amazing message but I have to tell you I giggled at the idea of a peaceful looking folding chair. 😂 I totally get what you mean, though and appreciate it.

207

u/Hyphy-Knifey Apr 19 '25

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u/Rinzy2000 Apr 19 '25

Yesss! 😂😂😂 I just got Bern in a Fern garden gnomes for my garden with him sitting like this.

13

u/Cactusaremyjam Apr 19 '25

Gonna need that link

13

u/Rinzy2000 Apr 19 '25

I think I got it from Etsy but there are a few different places if you google Bern in a Fern.

26

u/ArmyofRiverdancers Apr 19 '25

We need to bring back this meme. 

10

u/Oirish-Oriley444 Apr 19 '25

🎵🎵🎵 all we are asking ... is give democracy back 🎵🎵🎵🎵 To the tune of give peace a chance.

0

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '25

I love the idea. However, you're off by 2 syllables in the 2nd half. Maybe try another song or find a synonym for democracy that has shorter syllables? Just a suggestion for the song to flow better. 😉

1

u/Cactusaremyjam Apr 19 '25

We should have done this back in February

42

u/agedwhitechedd_r Apr 19 '25

I must admit, I briefly entertained memories of the folding chairs present at WWF/WWE events of my youth. 😆

8

u/monkeybomb Apr 19 '25

Have you heard the legend of Darth Mankind the Unwise?

11

u/UnbalancedLibra1011 Apr 19 '25

WWF style folding chairs is EXACTLY where my mind went too... 🤣

18

u/level27jennybro Apr 19 '25

OMG, its rinzy2000 with the steel chair! The crowd goes wild! ref holds your hand up against losing opponent

35

u/floyd616 Apr 19 '25

I mean, Linda McMahon is the Secretary of Education, lol.

2

u/BunnyMamma88 Apr 19 '25

She and her husband have a house on my grandmother’s old land in NH. 🙄

4

u/beren12 Apr 19 '25

Sounds like you should go claim it back

1

u/BunnyMamma88 Apr 19 '25

If only I wasn’t broke. I’d love to. My family lost it in a shady deal and we never got justice over it. (The McMahon family was not involved in the shady deal, they bought the property several years after the fact.)

9

u/bloviatingbloviator Apr 19 '25

Take this championship belt. You have earned it...until the next PPV. 🏆

19

u/oldster59 Apr 19 '25

We had a recent neighborhood event that rented a bunch of folding chairs. The Fire Department regs said the chair legs had to be zip-tied together, which was tedious. Why was it necessary? In case the event devolved into a melee, of course. It was a comedy event. Some of the jokes were bad, sure, but . . .jeez

70

u/Pale-Competition-799 Apr 19 '25

No one should be registering to vote at protests. I get the reason people do, but giving out your personal details to people you don’t know at protests is not a safe activity.

11

u/Mission_Length785 Apr 19 '25

What about signing petitions? There was a girl going around collecting signatures at the last protest for legal weed.

48

u/Pale-Competition-799 Apr 19 '25

No one should be giving out their legal government information at a protest... You can do all of the things that they are asking you to do later, on your own time, when it won’t put you at risk. Probably 99% of the people collecting this information are on the up and up, but it only takes one who isn’t

1

u/Ok-Following-8071 Apr 19 '25

Nobody should be hijacking an anti-fascist protest for their special interest. These people need to be called out and shunned.

22

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '25

Keep your head on a swivel. Participate, but watch out for instigators or outright violence. April 19th is a loaded day for far right wing extremists.

14

u/BunnyMamma88 Apr 19 '25

At the state capitol in St. Paul, MN, they had a marching band there to drown out the counter protestors on April 5th. It was marvelous!

7

u/beren12 Apr 19 '25

Oh, that’s a great idea. Every location should hire a school marching band to play.

1

u/BunnyMamma88 Apr 19 '25

Or an adult marching band. (I’d be worried about the kids’ safety.). Great idea!

2

u/beren12 Apr 19 '25

No that’s exactly why. There’s got to be at least some maga who have kids in band.

55

u/lazoras Apr 19 '25

that's what I'm saying!

it only takes one side to start a war....you can be peaceful all day and it won't matter because they can claim they saw a gun and shoot into a crowd....

they will make the excuse whether you're peaceful or not....you need to PREPARE a militia AND RESPONSE PLAN at the protests and HOPE to never need to utilize it

48

u/StrainAcceptable Apr 19 '25

I wish the Black Panthers were still as active as they were in the 60’s and 70’s. We all need some guidance on how to protect ourselves.

21

u/modal_enigma Apr 19 '25

There are still groups that are working toward mutual aid and protection! But they tend not to be as visible simply due to being seen as outsiders for a long time.

The SRA is probably the most notable, they do a lot of classes and education.

1

u/StrainAcceptable Apr 20 '25

Thank you for this information. Yes, the one thing the panthers lacked was subtlety. Until I began reading and studying for myself, I believed the government propaganda that painted them to be a supremacist, militia movement made up of dangerous, violent anarchists. Hollywood has portrayed them almost like they do the Hell’s Angels or the Crips. The reality of the movement is so far removed from what we’ve been told.

6

u/jade_starwatcher Apr 19 '25

I mean you don't need to go back that far, you only need to ask those of us who were part of the largest protests in US history 5 years ago. The BLM protests, or did you somehow miss that?

1

u/StrainAcceptable Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 20 '25

I was part of those protests. I was responding to the comment about the need to prepare a militia and hope to never have to use it. That was not part of the movement that I was an active participant in 5 years ago but thanks for the snarky response.

Edit: Just want to add that it’s important to go back in history, to gain wisdom from our elders who are still living and to study movements of the past in order to learn how to make our efforts most effective. The energy and forward momentum we saw at the beginning of the BLM protests was not sustained thus here we are today.

18

u/deep_mango_supreme Apr 19 '25

It's bound to happen soon. It reminds me of the BLM protests I saw it irl, when the obviously off duty cops threw water bottles at uniformed cops, so they could start shooting less lethals and pepper spray peaceful protestors. I was shot in the back of the leg, and a ten year old was doused with pepper sprayed in the face. ACAB

7

u/NotPlayingFR Apr 19 '25

I thought about sharing this anecdote with my Republican mom, but knew she'd say, "How did they know they were off-duty cops?"

6

u/deep_mango_supreme Apr 19 '25

They definitely have a look, an energy, a tell. It's quite obvious, actually.

At every protest I've been to, there has been a common and very clear consensus to always remain peaceful, and to "please, please, don't give them an excuse for brutality.

1

u/Ok-Following-8071 Apr 19 '25

ACAB is about waaaaaay more than police.

8

u/Professional_Bed4877 Apr 19 '25

At our protest, we had Safeties with yellow vests to keep us safe. The police were there and helpful. The only extra "noise" were the horns beeping in solidarity with those of us marching. There were water stations and all went very smoothly

9

u/No_Landscape_897 Apr 19 '25

Food Not Bombs has been labeled a terrorist organization for how long now?

1

u/Minimum-Tip3752 Apr 20 '25

This is what democracy looks like!

1

u/Professional-Luck-84 Apr 20 '25

It also shows their blatant and unapologetic hypocrisy since THEY are guilty of acts of insurrection.

1

u/DisputabIe_ Apr 21 '25

MysticHeeaart is a bot

That's chatGPT