SuperStorm Sandy brings out the Looters. Will the election results do the same?

A very interesting post from www.dailymail.co.uk about looting in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. This follows this post about self defense in New York and New Jersey. This follows this post about the San Francisco Giants celebratory riots. This follows this post about a race hoax at U.T. Austin. This follows this post about free phones for welfare recipients. This follows this post about Emmit Till. This follows this post about the likelihood of urban warfare in the U.S. and this about violent Flash Mobs which can result in activities such as Knockout King. You can read a very interesting book HERE.


'Even momma got outta house to loot new shirt': Looters brag on TwitterPolice have arrested 13 people in New York City on suspicion of looting



Looters have especially targeted Queens and Brooklyn, some even posting photos of their bounty

National Guard deployed 1,175 troops to protect New York City and Long Island amid fears

Borough President has begged for more troops to be deployed to storm-ravaged South Brooklyn

A mob of more than 50 thieves rampaged through Coney Island, stealing alcohol, flat-screen TVs and even diapers or Kit-Kats



By Adam Shergold and Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 10:09 EST, 31 October 2012
UPDATED: 17:02 EST, 4 November 2012

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Several brazen thugs have robbed their neighbors and their local shops of everything from basic food stuffs to expensive electronics and they are taking to Twitter to broadcast their spoils.

'Check out this laptop I scored,' SevenleafB tweeted earlier today. 'It's easy just reach out an grab it.'



It appears the looters are organizing through the hashtag #SANDYLOOTCREW.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz has now called on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to put a stop to the crime-wave sweeping South Brooklyn.

Scroll down for video





Looting for clothes: Tevon D'sean Jackson proudly announced on the social network that his mother had stolen him a new shirt





Catnapper: One person using the alias SevenleafB bragged about stealing a cat from a house during a looting-tour of New York

Police have so far arrested nearly a dozen people for the crime, but Mr Markowitz said that the FDNY, police, and other first responders are overwhelmed in the borough and desperately need relief.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, however, has stated that the only people he wants on the streets are New York's finest.

More...One in four New York buildings without power... and Bloomberg warns Manhattan blackout could last for days

After the storm: True scale of Sandy's devastation across Eastern Seaboard emerges as death toll hits FIFTY and damage set to top $50BILLION

The moment the bodies of two boys, aged 11 and 13, were removed from the home where they were killed by a falling tree during Superstorm Sandy



'Governor Cuomo also acted quickly by activating the National Guard prior to the storm, and I urge him to allocate as many troops as possible to Brooklyn—troops from New York or any other states that can spare them,' said Mr Markowitz in a statement.

'The devastation is so widespread and overwhelming that it’s in the best interest of all of our residents for a more significant National Guard presence to supplement the great work being done by our brave—but overwhelmed—first responders.

'In addition to flooding, power outages, lack of utilities, sanitation and water issues, and no transportation in neighborhoods such as Coney Island, Sea Gate, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Gerritsen Beach, Mill Basin, Sheepshead Bay, DUMBO, Red Hook and others, there have been unfortunate incidents of looting in some locations.



Recruiting: As if the cat and the games was not enough, brazen thief SevenleafB also encouraged others to loot in the wake of Hurricane Sandy

'All of our resources have been stretched to the limit, but in the name of public safety we need to send more National Guard personnel into Coney Island, Manhattan Beach, Gerritsen Beach, Red Hook and any other locations the governor deems appropriate.'

Neighborhoods like Brighton Beach and Coney Island are still without electricity, and suffering form a lack of basic services, causing residents to fear the worst and either stay inside their ravaged homes or risk the streets.



A mob of more than 50 thieves made the most of the opportunity on Coney's Island, starting down Mermaid Avenue on Tuesday morning as the water receded.

'People were running in and out of Rent-A-Center carrying these big flat-screens,' witness Aisha John, 20, told the Daily News. 'They were holding on tight. I couldn't understand how someone could steal a big TV in broad daylight, but no one cared.'



She said people were running out of a nearby Rite Aid with bags of diapers and wipes.



A young man calling himself Jesse James claimed he had helped himself to a TV at the Rent-A-Center. 'Look, they've been looting our wallets for too long,' he added.



Looters used tools to break through the steel security gates of Joann’s Discount Wine and Liquors at around 11.30am.



Prepared: A boarded up pizza restaurant in Hoboken, New Jersey

Ron Troyano, owner of said the atmosphere was one of 'complete lawlessness'.



The thieves then shattered his storefront and helped themselves to thousands of dollars worth of Hennessy and Grey Goose, he said.

Two police guarded Joann’s over night but failed to stop more looters from sneaking in through the roof and passing bottles down to each other from there.



Mr Troyano said that between the flooding and plundering, his losses were too high to calculate and he is not sure when he will reopen.



'We are supposed to come together as a community during times of crisis, not pick at each other like vultures,' he said. 'Next time I'm getting a gun.'



Looters also hit The Fresh Market five blocks down, 'destroying everything', according to employee Fernando Mendoza.



'They stole anything they could get their hands on,' he said yesterday. 'Someone even ran off with the cash register.'



'It was a mob of people. Fifty to a hundred. They were just running down the street grabbing anything that wasn't nailed down.'



A Rite Aid employee, who declined to give her name, said: 'They were literally walking out with shopping carts full of merchandise. They didn't even look worried. They looked like they were casually shopping.



'I saw an elderly lady walking away with batteries and a bag of Kit Kats.'



Urgent request: Brooklyn Bourough President Marty Markowitz (pictured) urged New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to send the National Guard to Brooklyn in order to put an end to looting

Although there have only been reports of a dozen or so arrests related to lootings, media coverage and online accounts indicate the actual problem is much more widespread.

Thieves have posted photographs of everything from video games to subwoofers to dehumidifiers.



Twitter user @OG_MLK posted a photo of a man grabbing hold of a big screen television with the caption Pics of my boy Demarcus swiping that tv #SANDYLOOTCREW.'

Another user posted a photo of a woman running on the street with a mannequin wearing a white shirt with the caption 'Last night even Momma got outta her house to loot me a new shirt... Luv U Momma #SANDYLOOTCREW'

Some accounts that claim they are participating in the illegal activities are clearly fake with only a few previous tweets. Others appear to be genuine.

Other people have used the hashtag to announce their disgust at the actions of the self-proclaimed 'loot crew.'

'Can we track down all the people on the #SandyLootCrew and give them the death penalty? Disgusting behavior in a tragic time,' said @randomscreenname.



Abandoned: Thousands of shops and businesses were boarded up before the superstorm struck, including this branch of Saks on Fifth Avenue in New York

Mayor Bloomberg has rebuffed Mr Markowitz's call for support, saying that the does not want the National Guard in Brooklyn.

'The NYPD had 80 light towers up last night in areas with power outages and the goal is to have 100 more for tonight,' he said earlier today.

Residents have said they are afraid to leave their apartments, even though they have no hot water nor electricity.

'People are turning on each other -- they're attacking each other,' said Dena Wells, of Ocean Towers.



'Even when there's no disaster, this building is disastrous,' the 39-year-old told the Huffington Post. 'But after the hurricane, it just got crazy. We have to get out of here.'

Photographs of alleged looters breaking into abandoned stores have been widely published, as well as tweets announcing the illegal intentions of some Brooklynites.

'It's getting dark, and it's real dangerous out here -- that's why there's a cop on every block,' said one NYPD officer. 'You could get your stuff stolen.'











Anybody in there? Firefighters believed the collapsed building in the north of Philadelphia was empty until they heard the man crawling out of the wreckage

The situation has been different in Lower Manhattan, however, and nearby Newark where the police have reported no instances of looting.

'There’s been no problems out here,' said one NYPD officer who asked not to be named to Fox News. 'It’s been really quiet and everyone’s been really helpful.'

Some Lower Manhattan residents have said that the neighborhoods above the devastated Financial District bustle as usual during the day and are desolate at night.

'It’s like a curfew,” Gina Williams, Lower East Side resident, said. 'As soon as it gets dark everyone goes upstairs because nobody wants to be out here.'

Newark Mayor Cory Booker announced on Twitter that his city came together after the hurricane.

'Police have reported ZERO looting or crimes of opportunity in Newark. And ceaseless reports of acts of kindness abound everywhere #Gratitude,' he said yesterday.



Emerging from the wreckage: The man raises a smile as he drags himself out of the collapsed building in Philadelphia... but he was arrested shortly afterwards on suspicion of looting

Looters, however, are becoming more greedy and more clever.

One cab driver described seeing the thieves in action when he returned to his home in Brooklyn’s Gerritsen Beach.

Eric Martine, 33, told the New York Post: ‘Guys were looting, pretending they were Con Ed and holding people up. It was sick.’

Police have allegedly warned locals that looters were disguising themselves as utility workers.

A police source told the Post that the ‘scumbags looting’ will not be tolerated and will be arrested ‘on sight’.

In the Rockaways, Queens, eight suspects were arrested: three at a petrol station, three at a Radio Shack electronics store and two at a clothing store.

The Rockaways were particularly badly hit by the storm. More than 80 homes in the Breezy Point section of the peninsula were destroyed by a fire whipped on by violent winds.

Furthermore, Queens and Brooklyn officers had an especially tough time tackling the looters as some police precincts had to be evacuated on Monday due to flooding.

None of the crimes were reported to have been violent and no one was injured.



History repeated: New York's 1977 blackout prompted riots, looting and mayhem causing millions of dollars worth of damage

Meanwhile, in South Street Seaport - a stone’s throw from Manhattan’s Financial District - multiple stores were allegedly ransacked.

While a visible police presence is deterring any potential looters, some businesses have also enlisted private security.

Mayor Bloomberg reassured residents and business owners on Tuesday that there is a ‘very heavy police presence’ in the areas worst hit.

Shortly before the super-storm hit New York, thousands of National Guard troops were mobilised to prevent looting sprees on homes and shops.

Scores of trouble makers took to Twitter threatening to ransack stores and burgle abandoned homes as Sandy passed.



Prepared: Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo quickly activated the National Guard before the storm

The online threats prompted the New York National Guard to deploy 1,175 troops in New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley to maintain law and order.

The National Guard said they had been mobilised to 'provide command and control and logistical support', adding that one of the troops' main duties would be to 'protect against looting.'

The move came as President Obama declared a 'major disaster' in New York and Long Island after the Superstorm hit overnight on Monday, leaving the area looking like the set of a disaster movie.

Sandy hit the mainland at 6.30pm local time on Monday, having battered the eastern coast all day with 13ft waves, causing widespread flooding, damage to buildings and power cuts.

On Wednesday morning, the storm had claimed the life of at least 50 people, 22 of whom were killed in New York.



The damage caused by Hurricane Sandy is estimated to be $50 billion (£31 billion).





Members of the National Guard load a truck heading to flooded areas caused by Hurricane Sandy in the New York area

On Monday, a Philadelphia man rescued from the wreckage of a collapsed building was promptly arrested for looting.

The abandoned three-storey building in the north of the city had been reduced to rubble after Superstorm Sandy battered the east coast.

Firefighters working to make the building safe didn't think anyone was inside, until they heard someone crawling out of the rubble.

After helping him to safety, police officers arrested him for disorderly conduct on the suspicion that he had crawled in to the building, located on Cumberland Street, looking for things to loot.

The exact cause of the building's collapse is still unknown but Philadelphia was buffeted by 50mph gusts as a result of the storm.



Help: A member of the Army National Guard delivers emergency drinking water to the Hoboken Homeless Shelter to aid victims from Hurricane Sandy earlier today





Saviors: A member of the National Guard takes charge of an evacuation of elderly victims in New Jersey





Stepping in: A man walks his dog past two National Guard vehicles in central New York as the city tries to recover from the after effects of Sandy

The use of Twitter to organise looting has echoes of last year's London riots and follows a phenomenon of 'flash robberies' in America in which organised mobs descend on stores or individuals to steal goods.

The plans are made on social networking sites such as Facebook or by e-mail.

One Twitter user called 'GT: OpTic TUMES' wrote on Monday: 'Just started a looting clan. LL - Luscious Looters. Message @OpTicPauL. for tryouts must have mask. #HurricaneSandy.'

Another, Matt Worman, posted on Sunday: 'Bout to do some looting when this hurricane finally hits...gonna get a new laptop and tv...this hurricane might be the best thing to happen.'

Lucas Emil wrote: 'If this hurricane gets real bad I'm looting stores! I always wanted to do that...'

Looters often take advantage of hurricanes to loot - the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 became notorious for large scale lawlessness in New Orleans.

The practice became so commonplace that police officers were eventually told not to stop people ransacking stores.

Police were caught on camera looting a Wal-Mart store, later claiming 'they had received permission from superiors to take necessities for themselves and other officers.'



Evacuees: Victims in New Jersey were picked up by the National Guard and taken to safety





Hoping for a rescue: Brooklyn Borough President Markowitz has asked for the National Guard to be deployed to Brooklyn to bring order among looters

Abandoned homes were also pillaged during Hurricane Irene last year.

Some New Yorkers will remember the city's 1977 blackout which prompted riots, looting and mayhem that caused millions of dollars worth of damage.

Lightning knocked out electricity for 25 hours on July 13, 1977, at a time when the city was suffering from a financial crisis and high unemployment levels.

Reports at the time included 50 cars being hot-wired and driven out of the showroom to be dismantled for parts, and hundreds hospitalised after fires and fighting broke out.

Around 4,500 people were arrested after the blackout chaos which caused damage estimated at around 61 million.



VIDEO: The moment the man came crawling out...

Read more:

Looters 'swipe' up the mess in chaos zones - m.NYPOST.com

Hurricane Sandy Looting, Fights Plague South Brooklyn (PHOTOS)

Hurricane Sandy: Residents of NYC's Loisaida Neighborhood Scramble for Food, Water & Entertainment Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/10/31/hurricane-sandy-residents-nyc-loisaida-neighborhood-scramble-for-food-water/#ixzz2Auf4x9Gl

Police have reported ZERO looting in Newark

Looters target Coney Island after Sandy sweeps through





Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225663/Superstom-Sandy-looters-brag-Twitter-Even-momma-got-outta-house-loot-new-shirt.html#ixzz2BTBNn6XJ

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The need for self defense

A very interesting post from http://jpfo.org about self defense in New York and New Jersey. This follows this post about the San Francisco Giants celebratory riots. This follows this post about Civil Unrest. This follows this post about a race hoax at U.T. Austin. This follows this post about free phones for welfare recipients. This follows this post about Emmit Till. This follows this post about the likelihood of urban warfare in the U.S. and this about violent Flash Mobs which can result in activities such as Knockout King. You can read a very interesting book HERE!

The need for self defense




In light of the terrible catastrophe produced by the Super Storm "Sandy" of 10/29/12 - it seems apposite to re-post one of the late Kirby Ferris' items. It is part two of a three part series he wrote about being prepared -- "What you can do, for yourself, right now".



The original remains as he wrote it but we have added a video clip to the bottom of the article which seems rather relevant to the circumstances produced by such weather devastation. We see an opportunist gang group committing an unprovoked attack on a citizen during the storm and robbing him as well as inflicting serious injury. It is the beginning of the clip which is most horrifying. The report states that the man was Jewish -- and as if his thirst for violence and brutality hadn't yet been quenched, one of the perpetrators sadistically steps on the unconscious man's head before walking away.



While we have noted the limitations on lawful carry in this sort of region it is hoped that the message is taken to heart and proves that the law-abiding citizen, anywhere, should not be constrained from implementing his/her constitutional right to be able to protect themselves.



Read the Kirby Ferris article - "What you can do, for yourself, right now Part 2". Prayers go out to all the many who are in dire straights after this catastrophic event.

Chaos in New York, New Jersey

 A very interesting post from www.badeagle.com about the government chaos in New York and New Jersey. This follows this post about the San Francisco Giants celebratory riots. This follows this post about Civil Unrest. This follows this post about a race hoax at U.T. Austin. This follows this post about free phones for welfare recipients. This follows this post about Emmit Till. This follows this post about the likelihood of urban warfare in the U.S. and this about violent Flash Mobs which can result in activities such as Knockout King. You can read a very interesting book HERE.

Chaos in New York, New Jersey


by David Yeagley



The photo op hugs of Obama and New Jersey governor Chris Christie are over. Obama came, and left. That’s it. The rest is a riot, literally. Its all about looting.





NJ Gov. Chris Christie welcomes Pres. Obama.



Or is the media selling hysteria again?



Volunteer professional utility workers from out of state (and in state), coming to help people in New York and New Jersey are being turned away by local union workers because the volunteers are non-union. The liberal Democrat unions would rather have everyone suffer, and maybe die, than break their union power (and benefits). Even local utility workers are not trusted by the people.



Staten Island (the white, working, middle class?) is totally abandoned. Worst of all.



NYC Mayor Bloomberg refused to let the National Guard in–because he doesn’t want any guns on the street. He’s using huge generators in Central Park to power the media for the NY Marathon on Sunday. Why can’t generators be shipped in or airlifted in from elsewhere?



In many places, there are large neighborhoods with no heat, fuel, food, or water, and another monster winter storm is moving in for all.



This situation is worse than Katrina, in New Orleans. Riots, looting, hunger, and freezing temperatures, it is unbelievable.



The Democrats are in charge of all this. They were very quick to blame Bush and the Republicans for every discomfort and want during the 2009 storm on the Gulf Coast.



Is there any reason the National Guard cannot air lift supplies and drop them off in parachutes? (I suggested this on Twitter from the first day after the storm.) This is what the National Guard is for–to help masses of people in crisis. They are trained for this. But the Obama administration doesn’t like to use trained people to do trained jobs. Ask Delta Force.



Where’s that Democrat craze for martial law?



Where is all the efficiency, the improved service? The Democrat governors promise to cut all the government red tape, all the regulations–all the things that Democrats love, because they want to get help directly to the people. This is unbelievable irony. Democrats promise to deliver the people through lifting the tyrannical impositions they themselves have placed upon the people.



What happened to the Occupy Wall Street spirit? That great outdoors spirit of camping out? The Democrats did better providing for the anarchist slobs of OWS than they are real people in need.



This is a spectacle of criminal neglect, indifference, and dereliction of duty.



Exactly that kind of behavior we see in the Democrat leadership of the Benghazi fiasco. Will there be deaths in New York and New Jersey that we can properly call “murder” by Democrat fiat?



No power for New York. No power to the people. They’ll all have to tough it out like good hippies, anarchists, and liberals. This is the government of their choice. Even when average liberals work, and work hard, it doesn’t change their delusional ideas about government. They still look to the nanny state to take care of them. Perhaps these horrible, tragic conditions will awaken them all to the fact that the government simply cannot take care of anyone–but itself. The masses cannot depend on the few Democrat elitists with large mouths and empty promises.



Christie may have thought he was really going to get some help, quick. That was more of an expression of desperate need than of sound reason from experience.



Bloomberg didn’t want Obama coming into NYC, but he also doesn’t want the National Guard. Apparently, all he wants is the Marathon


Obama can’t even act like a president for more than a few photo ops. He runs from serious problems. He is afraid of the military. He appears quite cowardly, actually. Liars usually harbor profound fear. They are never sure what is going to happen, or when their lies are going to be exposed.



Remember Benghazi. That says it all. Bye-bye, Obama.

San Francisco Fans Trash Their Neighborhood to Celebrate World Series

A very interesting post from www.Vdare.com about the San Francisco Giants celebratory riots. This follows this post about Civil Unrest. This follows this post about a race hoax at U.T. Austin. This follows this post about free phones for welfare recipients. This follows this post about Emmit Till. This follows this post about the likelihood of urban warfare in the U.S. and this about violent Flash Mobs which can result in activities such as Knockout King. You can read a very interesting book HERE.

San Francisco Fans Trash Their Neighborhood to Celebrate World Series



http://www.vdare.com/posts/san-francisco-hispanics-trash-their-neighborhood-to-celebrate-world-series

By Brenda Walker on October 30, 2012
San Francisco baseball fans were thrilled to see the Giants sweep to victory in four straight World Series games against the Detroit Tigers. However, some diverse residents of the city thought that rioting and property destruction were a fun way to commemorate the win.

See Pictures HERE!



Interestingly, all the tagging, fires and violence took place in the Mission, the city’s Hispanic neighborhood. It appears that the Giants have many Hispanic fans. That’s not surprising: the Giants have many Hispanic-named players, all of whom speak with accents as far as I could tell.

Followers of the cheap labor aspect of immigration may have noticed that the practice extends to baseball: foreign players with a temp visa work hard for peanuts. Teams then pitch the ethnic angle to local tribal members, like the Giants’ Latino Heritage Night, which included a Carlos Santana bobblehead — only $125!

Another sign of the times: the Giants’ deluxe new stadium by the Bay shows its baseball history by a heroic statue of Willie Mays, but the team had no black American players in the recent World Series.

Back to the riot, er celebration:



Arrests, vandalism, fires mar Giants victory celebration, KTVU Oakland, October 28, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO — At least 35 people were arrested, dozens of businesses were vandalized and a San Francisco Municipal Railway bus was set on fire during rowdy celebrations that followed the San Francisco Giants’ World Series win on Sunday night, police said Monday.

The Giants swept the series against the Detroit Tigers in four games, clinching it in a 4-3, extra-inning game that set off raucous celebrations throughout the city.

The arrests, most of which occurred in the city’s South of Market and Mission neighborhoods, were for various felonies and misdemeanors, police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said.

Bonfires were lit in the middle of streets in the Mission District, and a Muni bus was set on fire at Market and Kearny streets. Muni spokesman Paul Rose said that bus had just been revamped and cost $700,000.

Rowdy fans also climbed on top of other buses around the city, and Rose said the agency received reports of broken windows, graffiti and other damage. He said the total damage is still being assessed.

At about 12:45 a.m., a number of large bonfires were burning on Mission Street from 17th Street south. Crowds there were fueling the fires with plastic garbage and recycle bins, which could be seen melting in the flames.

A voice came over a police loudspeaker declaring the gathering an “unlawful assembly” and ordering people to leave the area immediately.

Nearby, fires were still smoldering on Valencia Street, although cars were still being allowed to drive through the area. Police officers wearing riot helmets and carrying batons lined the edges of the street, blocking people from entering the roadway, which was littered with broken glass.

“We responded to approximately 76 fires last night,” San Francisco Fire Department spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said. “At this point we’re attributing most of them, if not all of them, to celebratory-type activity.”

Of those fires, four were vehicle fires. One involved the Muni bus and another a U-Haul vehicle that burned at 25th and Dakota streets, Talmadge said.

She also said there appear to have been at least a handful of injuries.

“I believe there was one person that may have been injured at one of the bonfires,” she said. “The crowd kind of pushed the individual into the bonfire.”

Talmadge said two police officers may also have been hurt.

She noted that there was “bottle throwing and that kind of activity,” which she said “puts a damper on things for those who are celebrating.”

At Civic Center Plaza, where the game was being shown on a large screen, a 22-year-old man was hit in the head with a bottle and was taken to a hospital, police said.

Talmadge advised merchants to keep their trash and recycle bins out of sight for the next few days, especially along the Mission Street corridor, as more rowdiness is possible.

Vandals sprayed graffiti on storefronts along several blocks of Mission Street between 16th and 24th streets, where burned debris was still piled up on the sidewalk.

Mayela Santamaria, an employee at CJN Dentistry at 2484 Mission St., was busy washing the spray paint off of the door of the business.

“This is not the way to celebrate,” Santamaria said. “This is ridiculous.”

Preparing for civil unrest

A very interesting post from  www.backwoodshome.com about Civil Unrest. This follows this post about a race hoax at U.T. Austin. This follows this post about free phones for welfare recipients. This follows this post about Emmit Till. This follows this post about the likelihood of urban warfare in the U.S. and this about violent Flash Mobs which can result in activities such as Knockout King. You can read a very interesting book HERE.

Preparing for civil unrest




By Claire Wolfe

The most remarkable thing about civil unrest is that there hasn't been more of it.



Politicians are making a hash of this country—and much of the rest of the civilized world. We know it. They know it. They know we know it. But we don't feel we can do anything much to stop them.



That right there is the pre-condition for civil unrest—when people are frustrated and politicians are nervous.



Worse, that was how things stood before last fall's crash. Before pols on both left and right launched the biggest mass transfer of wealth in history—transferring our wealth (what we had left of it!) to their friends on Wall Street and in the banking industry. In other words, that's how things were before things got bad!



Now everybody's talking about the ongoing catastrophe (even if we are in a momentarily sunny mood). But almost nobody is talking about the logical—maybe even inevitable—consequences of cynical or desperate politicians abusing an already fed-up populace: civil unrest.



I mean people taking to the streets. Or mass resistance. Or crackdowns because the government fears we might do something to upset its apple cart. It's going to happen. Somewhere. At some time. It's going to.



One of the few VIPs to mention the matter openly was Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor and the ultimate insider's insider. He commented on the millions of unemployed or soon-to-be-unemployed and the "...public awareness of this extraordinary wealth that was transferred to a few individuals at levels without historical precedent in America." He told "Morning Joe" Scarborough, "Hell, there could be even riots." I'd say that's an understatement.









Although few in power are talking about it, rumors abound that governments at many levels are planning for civil unrest. One rumor is about a document supposedly being circulated right now among top federal officials. It's called the "C&R Document"—with C&R standing for "conflict & revolution." The much-storied paper is said to be a plan for controlling the American people when we get out of hand. True? Who knows. But the very rumor tells us a lot about these times.



Other things are not mere rumor. When the federal government established a North American Army command in 2002, its purpose wasn't to repel foreign invaders. It was domestic operations—something long and rightly forbidden by the Posse Comitatus Act. In February of 2009, when military commanders in Canada and the U.S. signed a pact allowing their armies to operate inside each other's country they didn't even bother to get authorization from Congress—an illegal and unprecedented move. And once again, the purpose was handling "domestic civil emergencies."



For several years, the Centers for Disease Control tried to get states to adopt something called the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act (MEHPA). This act would allow state governments to become police-state dictatorships in event of any ill-defined health emergency—vaccinating people by force, destroying or seizing property without compensation, and rationing medical supplies, food, and fuel. To their credit, most state governments rejected the act. A few adopted portions of it before a fervent opposition campaign caused the CDC to back off. However, the concept of a health dictatorship hasn't gone away. Not hardly. Within days of the news that a new strain of swine flu had arisen in Mexico in April 2009, states were again considering legislation to give themselves martial-law powers in event of an epidemic.



And what of the dozens and dozens of federal agencies that now have SWAT teams? Seriously, what justifies the Bureau of Land Management or the Department of Housing and Urban Development having paramilitary units?



Now maybe you like the idea of an Army that watches over its own citizens. Maybe it makes sense to have a government seize total dictatorial power in event of a health emergency. Maybe you believe SWAT teams will never be used except against bad guys. But do you really trust these people?



After all, these are the same folks, and this is the same mentality, that not only spent $325,000 to produce a souvenir photo of a presidential 747 zooming low over the Statue of Liberty, but ordered the New York Police Department, the FBI, the Secret Service, and the New York mayor's office not to tell the public. Never mind that they realized full well that passenger jets and military planes plunging low over Manhattan would evoke panic.



Still, peace reigns. Mostly. At least here in North America. But not everywhere. Not long ago, France was brought to its knees by night after night of rioting. In that country it's become almost common for workers to hold their bosses hostage in hopes of winning economic concessions. Greece, too, saw its normal life and business shut down by days of rioting. So did Iceland—a country that's normally the picture of civility.



Can the U.S. be forever immune?



It might not take much—and it could be something out of the blue, something impossible to anticipate—to set us against each other and against the "Trust us; we'll fix it" political crowd.



In a way, this national silence on a matter so many people are afraid of is similar to the silence about general preparedness issues before 9-11 or Hurricane Katrina. Only Mormons and us wingnuts spoke of preparedness way back when. Since then, of course, advice on preparedness is mainstream and common.



In another sense, this silence is different. Because when unrest finally erupts, it's not going to be us merely taking care of ourselves. It's going to be "us against them." It might be workers against bosses. Or the poor against bankers. Or blacks against Hispanics. Or little folk against Big Men in public office. Or farmers against the USDA. Or xenophobes against xenophiles. But however it happens, the implications aren't as Boy-Scoutish as just taking care of ourselves in an emergency.









Defining civil unrest

Look up "preparations for civil unrest" on Google and...What's that echo I hear?—you'll find nothing that's going to help you. In fact, you won't even easily turn up a good definition of what civil unrest is.



Like "indecency," the definition seems to be in the eye of the beholder.



I wouldn't consider a peaceful anti-war march to be civil unrest, for instance, but a police chief might. Similarly, I wouldn't consider acts of localized non-violent lawbreaking (like environmental activists chaining themselves to a tree) to be civil unrest; but a timber company official probably believes otherwise.



Civil unrest occurs when anger, frustration, or fear turn disruptive on a mass scale. Or when government officials crack down because they anticipate such disruptions. Crackdowns can lead to further frustration, leading to further crackdowns and so on—especially when the crackdowns look unwarranted and tyrannical.



In other words, civil unrest can arise from the anger of people or the folly of government or both together.



Anger over an unpopular policy, a new war, a collapse of the currency, panic over a pandemic, a food shortage, a bank run—anything like that could cause civil unrest, especially in a population that's already on edge and no longer trusts its authority figures.



Another thing you won't find via Google is how various types or levels of unrest are likely to affect us and how we should respond, if we're affected. Again, although the men and women at the top are quite concerned for their own sakes, they (and their media mouthpieces) would rather not talk about what we should do in event of civil panic.



But that's not good enough for we independent-minded people, is it?



Here are my definitions of levels of civil unrest and a little bit about how they might affect us:



LEVEL ONE: The lowest level of civil unrest is when people turn on their own neighborhoods—as happened during the race riots of the 1960s and the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. Level One civil unrest can be deadly and destructive, but primarily to people who live, work, or must travel in the immediate area. Level One unrest is spontaneous, Dionysian, is confined to a narrow geographical zone where the protestors live. Police response may be harsh, but it's localized. Unless you're in the middle of it, you're unaffected.



LEVEL TWO: Level Two civil unrest may also be focused on a single area. But in this case, rioters or protesters have deliberately targeted a business district, a facility, a transportation system, or an organization to impose maximum disruption. One example: the World Trade Organization protests in Seattle in 1999; young people with violence in mind and rage in their hearts attacked an entire downtown, affecting hundreds of businesses and tens of thousands of workers who hardly knew what hit them. Another example: This spring, protesters in Thailand shut down the Bangkok airport, affecting who knows how many individuals and businesses. Level Two unrest is usually planned or semi-planned. The target is chosen deliberately. Although still focused in one area, Level Two can disrupt normal life and business in a whole region or country.



LEVEL THREE: Level Three comes when mass unrest or authoritarian crackdown causes disruption at state or regional level. Then, no matter what the original cause or location of the trouble, everyone in the region is affected. Effects might include travel restrictions, random ID checks, mass arrests, food and fuel rationing, controls on money and banking, roadblocks, and other harsh "emergency" restrictions.



LEVEL FOUR: Level Four is Level Three—but on a national or even international scale. It's martial law. If things ever get this bad, it's likely that the government itself will be a far bigger threat to everyone's well being than whatever the original cause of the clampdown was.



And of course, any level of civil unrest can lead to laws, regulations, and harsher police policies that end up affecting everybody in the long run.









Yes, it can involve us

We make a mistake if we think civil unrest is strictly an urban phenomena. It can happen anywhere.



When 400 government agents and soldiers descended on one isolated family in the Idaho mountains, the roadblocks, helicopters, Humvees, media presence, and furious protestors surrounded the Randy Weaver family and brought the normal life of Boundary County, Idaho, to a halt. The siege against the Branch Davidian church in Waco, Texas, wasn't conducted in the inner-city, either. Yet both of these were large scale catastrophes with all the hallmarks of civil unrest—individuals or groups resisting, government insisting.



I can easily envision strictly rural-based unrest that urban dwellers will never even hear about (except perhaps in highly distorted reports). What happens, for instance, if farmers, 4H families, owners of saddle horses, and holders of small chicken flocks decide to resist en masse the National Animal Identification System (NAIS)? It's easy to imagine, in these crazy days, USDA SWAT teams descending on the countryside to make arrests, forcibly register or destroy non-compliant animals, and burn down non-registered facilities.



The future could see rural resistance to invasive census-taking, forced vaccination programs, land takings, water-rights policies, or the destruction of herds for real or bogus health reasons. As country people increasingly see governments as foreign organizations driven by the interests of city dwellers, pharmaceutical companies, and mega-agri-business, it wouldn't surprise me.



If we ever have serious food shortages, expect rural areas to be besieged.



Even when civil unrest confines itself to the cities, airports, or highways it can affect us in crazy ways. Here's a funny example of unpredictable (in this case mild) consequences. A friend was due to have her first book published in Canada. She was very excited—then disappointed when weeks dragged by and the book didn't appear. Turns out that a band of Indians was blocking a highway bridge the printer's truck had to cross. The union truckers, in solidarity, refused to route around the protest. Just one small consequence. But you can see the unpredictability.



The simple truth is that we don't know what kinds of unrest to anticipate. We don't know when, or if, we'll see civil unrest. But thinking about the problem and preparing ourselves mentally and physically to deal with it should be just another aspect of our personal preparedness.



What we can do

1. Keep standard emergency preps up to date. First thing to do is make sure all our typical household preparedness supplies and plans are current. As BHM readers know, backup food, water, and other supplies are our mainstay for everything from bad storms to long-term unemployment, from power outages to social breakdowns. During civil unrest, especially at Level Three or Four, we might not be able to get out to buy things we need—or we might consider it more prudent to stay at home. On the other hand, if we ourselves are part of the unrest, we may need those supplies to sit out a siege.



2. Don't fall into foolish complacency. We who live in the country tend to have an "it can't happen here" attitude toward political violence or social upheaval. We see those things as urban pheonomena. And mostly, they are. But there's no ironclad rule that says they have to be. If anything disrupts the supply chain, for instance, rural areas could be the first to be cut off from food, medicines, fuel, or other necessities. If government breaks down to the point where it can't deliver food stamps, housing vouchers, social security, or bureaucrats' pay, the rural poor and unemployed could become just as restive as their urban counterparts.



3. Watch your health. As I write this, the airwaves are shrilling about swine flu. This outbreak may fizzle; after all, perfectly normal flu kills many every year without causing panic, martial law, or incessant media coverage. On the other hand, it's certain that one day some illness will rampage across the globe. Few things inspire public panic more quickly than contagious disease, and once again rural areas are not immune. Take all the standard recommended precautions like frequent handwashing. Make sure your preparedness kit includes surgical masks and disposable gloves as well as a selection of frequently updated medications. And be ready to lay low at home for a long time in the event a serious plague gets loose.



4. Make common cause with your neighbors. I've said it before, but establishing a strong bond with people in your community—right now—is vital to every sort of emergency preparedness. In event of a Level One or Two emergency, these are the folks who could come to your house to make sure you're okay. They might give you a ride out or a place to sleep if you accidentally end up in a "hot zone" of riot or protest. In a deeper or more long-term emergency, they could pool resources with you to make supply runs. They can advise you if they've spotted a roadblock. They might let you cross their land to avoid a route that has become dangerous.



5. If you grow crops or raise food animals and the unrest is due to a food shortage (or something has driven city people out into the countryside), prepare to protect your resources day and night. Here again neighbors can do each other valuable services, like taking shifts guarding fields, barns, private roads, and gardens. Yes, this is an apocalyptic scenario. Not a likely one. But if it happens, it's a Level Three or Level Four emergency—delivered to your own front yard.



6. Get advance word on local conditions when traveling. We're used to hopping into our vehicles or onto airplanes and going wherever we want to go. But as the worldwide economy deteriorates, it's wise to keep an eye on our destination. Right now, this warning pertains more to overseas travel than jaunts within the U.S. If you plan to go abroad, visit online sites like Travelfish.org. They'll have bulletins about adverse conditions in areas you plan to visit; you may even be able to receive alerts via email that will warn you about anything from political protests to disease outbreaks in places you plan to go.



7. Watch for signs of trouble when in an unfamiliar area. Sometimes the only advance notice you get is the notice your own senses give you. When walking, driving, biking, or otherwise traveling in unfamiliar places, stay in what gunfolk call "condition yellow." This is different than the meaningless colored threat levels the Department of Homeland Security puts out. It just means "be alert!" Never simply allow yourself to slouch along obliviously. Always be aware of who's nearby and what's going on around you. If you spot trouble developing, turn. Avoid it if at all possible.



8. If you stumble into a "hot zone" of unrest, be prepared to think on your feet. Not many people are qualified to give you advice about how to behave if you unavoidably find yourself in the midst of trouble—a riot, a mass protest that suddenly engulfs your familiar downtown, a spot where police are bashing heads or hurling tear gas seemingly at random. That's because not many people have ever been there and every catastrophe is different. If street-level chaos surrounds you, do your best to keep a cool head, move away from the worst of it if you get the chance, and get inside if possible.



9. If you're swept up in mass arrests during a riot or demonstration, the officers probably aren't going to be listening to your protestations of being an innocent bystander. You'll only tick them off and possibly get a charge of resisting arrest. The best advice I've received from my friends who've been busted during out-of-hand protests: Go along as best you can. Usually, all charges in such cases are either dropped or reduced once calm is restored. Only if we've reached the extreme point where police are rounding people up and throwing them into detention camps or "disappearing" them is fighting cops on the street likely to be worth it; then...fight like a demon.



10. Have a good lawyer and carry his or her card with you. Once again, in the heat of chaos it may not do you much good. But that card will come in handy later. Besides, if you and a police officer have an encounter in calmer circumstances, a lawyer's card, along with your calm assertion of your legal rights, will help you to be taken seriously. Police officers are like anybody else; they're more likely to go after easy targets than ones who are obviously knowledgeable and prepared. My lawyer has a helpful little list on the back of his card of the things you should do—and not do— when accosted by a police officer.1 I'd trust that more than my own nerves in a tight situation.



11. Be careful of roadblocks. This is a hard one. If we reach Level Three or Four of unrest, we may not only see the obnoxious police "checkpoints" we're burdened with today. We might also see two other things. One would be expanded police roadblocks, with warrantless searches, harsh questioning, and possibly mass arrests. Another could be "freelance" roadblocks—roadblocks set up by anybody from political protesters to highwaymen. (Just as gangs of home invaders now masquerade as SWAT teams, highwaymen might masquerade as government officials to rob the unwary.) If it's humanly possible, avoid roadblocks. It's not illegal to turn away from them, as long as you don't disobey any traffic laws. Police do consider it suspicious behavior and may come after you, even if you've done nothing wrong; but in a time of civil unrest, avoiding a roadblock could save your skin. Of course, both police and freelancers will set up their blockades to make them as hard as possible to avoid—all the more reason to be alert, know where roadblocks are likely to be, and have a mental map of alternate routes. If, in a time and place of unrest, you're in a line approaching a roadblock, watch what happens to the people ahead of you. If you see any sign that the motorists ahead are being abused, get out of there.









So far, we've talked mostly as if civil unrest is something apart from us—something we might have to be wary of, something we might stumble accidentally into. But the fact is that as our country becomes less free, we might of course be the civil unrest.



We might resist having our premises tagged for NAIS or having our herds slaughtered for real or bogus health reasons. We might end up fighting evictions (as farmers and many rural dwellers have for centuries during hard times). We might be the ones who say, "Hell no, we won't go!" when the mobile vaccination van comes to town, or the ones who try to keep our neighbors from being rounded up and sent to camps. Times are uncertain. We simply don't know.



But in every case, preparedness, foreknowledge, and a cool head will come in handy.



Some of us already have lines in the sand that would inspire us to resist abuses of authority. And that, right there, is something our would-be masters fear—our disobedience. What will happen? And when? Nobody has a crystal ball. But the combination of public frustration and governmental apprehension is an explosive one. Someday, somebody will light the match.





1 Here's the copy on the lawyer's card (capitalization his):

IF YOU ARE ARRESTED OR CONFRONTED BY THE POLICE:



1. FIRST, ask to call your lawyer.



2. Be courteous; do not resist.



3. Do not consent to search or entry.



4. Do not talk about anything; do not admit OR DENY anything.



5. Ask if you are free to go. If you are, GO.







I've had several different lawyer's cards over the years that say similar, but slightly different things. Another great source of information on how to handle yourself when confronted by police is the DVD Busted: The Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters. It's great because it shows very realistic scenarios and coaches you vividly on how to navigate them. Clips from "Busted" are online at the link above.