Hello, freedom fighters from Catalunya.
I am one of your kind from Hong Kong.
Watching your tsunami rises, I would like to share something about our protests.
Please note that, as you know, we have not won yet. And I believe Catalonia and Hong Kong are very different in nature, so these info are only for references.
Headless movement
DO NOT LET ANY POLITICIANS LEAD YOUR MOVEMENT, no matter how much you love him/her.
DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM, MAKE THEM LISTEN TO YOU AND DO WHAT YOU WANT.
They can assist, but don't give him the rights of stopping the movement!
Organizing
In earlier times, we organized our protests through a forum called "LIHKG". We threw ideas in that forum, set the date and details through voting.
Now, since we have gone guerilla and underground, and "LIHKG" has been infiltrated with provocators and spies, it becomes harder to organize publicly.
On Telegram, we have our public channels focusing on some further details:
1. Create and distribute promotional arts and posters for the upcoming protests.
2. Certified Scouts Channel: Scouts equipped with binoculars and good mobile network, reporting real-time police movements (with photos as proofs).
You can also just stay at home and if you hear police siren, report.
3. Set up regional "Lennon Walls" in different parts of the city, which
- explain why we protest and justify our action.
- effectively motivate people who were not into the discussions (e.g. elderly)
- promote and distribute said posters information about the next protests
4. Other information, e.g. signals for attack and retreat, logistic systems, escape plan.
Promotion
Through "Lennon Walls", we distribute informations that people wont see on TV.
The main goal is to break the impressions of us being "crazy rioters", but actual people with dreams and hopes.
VERY IMPORTANT: "AirDrop" on iPhone is a great tool to spread the promotional articles, try to do it in the main stations and hubs.
If you want people to support your actions, educate them with proofs and facts.
We run our protest like a business or election campaign: You want to sell your product, make a good impression with overwhelming amount of promtions to justify your actions.
Minimum Equipment
- Helmet
- Safety glasses (At least ANSI Z97)
- Gas Mask for Tear Gas (With at least A1 Cartridges + P2/P3 Filters)
On the Field
- When you are doing something "special", wear gloves and make sure someone is blocking the news cameras and CCTVs. Same as when you are gearing-up.
- Lock your phone with passwords, NO fingerprint scans.
- Make roadblock to slow down police vehicles.
- Set roadblocks with city bikes. They are heavy and hard to clear out.
- Do not make too many fires as roadblocks. Fires don't do a good impression, and to be honest, not very useful comparing with a pile of stuff on the road.
- Take a spanner with you and detach some infrastructures on the street (like sidewalk fences) for roadblocks.
- Always check the scouts channel.
- Do not panic.
- Everyone please wear similar clothing. Put some masks on. Not just the radical protesters, EVERYONE.
Infiltrators
- Do not aggressively look for infiltrators while protesting. Because that's what they want: make you lose trust to each other.
Fighting
- Hit their joints, not the head.
- Jab, not slash.
- Run if you are outnumbered. You are not Rambo.
Retreat
- Change your clothes in somewhere without CCTVs before back home.
- If better, throw away the clothes.
- Use coins for public transportation.
IMPORTANT
- Peaceful and Radical Protests are two sides of the same coin. You fail when you lose one.
- Whatever happens, even if you don't support what others are doing, before everything is clear, don't draw the line and say "they are not with us", or "those are provocateurs".
In-fighting means the start of the collapse of the movement, and that's what the they want.
Hong Kong is NOT China.
Catalonia is NOT Spain.
Wish you all good luck and all the best!