The Training -- Post Review

Well.

Interesting view of how "law enforcement" is supposed to see their role and behavior during a protest whether or not it involves a so-called "riot" or "civil disturbance."

This particular training document was pulled out of the FEMA vaults by Unicorn Riot who's been on scene and subject to North Dakota "law enforcement" for much of the Water Protector actions over the past many months. Their media reps have been arrested and been witness to much of the violence perpetrated by "law enforcement" against the Water Protectors, and their documentary evidence will no doubt be utilized in the numerous pending lawsuits against the North Dakota and allied "law enforcement" bodies, and in the many pending trials of arrested Water Protectors.

That aside, the FEMA training document is much lighter on specifics than I anticipated. It's an overview of a course of training for crowd control rather than a detailed course itself. It contains some details of training that is applied in the field, and some of us have witnessed just how it's been done under differing conditions and perceptions of "threat" from the crowds of protesters/protectors. While this course advises "law enforcement" to resist the urge to resort to force, and even resist the urge to dress up in RoboCop costumes, we know that too often "law enforcement" can't resist resorting to violence and gross intimidation of loud but unarmed and often unresisting protesters. They just can't help themselves, can they?

No, says the training guide. Don't do that. Keep use of force to only what's necessary under the circumstances. Don't provoke the crowd. Be respectful. Yadda yadda. All the things "law enforcement" is supposed to do but doesn't. People have a constitutional right to protest ("peaceably") without force used against them.

Right.

Of more interest, perhaps, are the descriptions of protester "types" and what they do. This is yet more of the "intelligence" of our Overlords, wherein X is presumed to mean Y and Z is the expected outcome. Except that's not what happens. Yet "law enforcement" -- or whatever Overlord interest -- acts as if X->Y->>=Z is true no matter what. Leading to appalling episodes such as the assault on the Water Protectors the night of November 20-21. It didn't matter what was really going on, all that mattered was that a "riot" was under way that had to be suppressed.

It wasn't true, but it was believed by "law enforcement" to be true.

What actually happened has still not been acknowledged by "law enforcement."

Still, this training manual is an interesting read if you want to know how our ever more notorious police think -- or are expected to think.


The document is interesting for the way it characterizes threats, how the psychology of crowds is perceived, and what force protection and munitions should be employed against protesters.

Other than that, it's potentially useful against "law enforcement"... but we'll let that mellow for a while...