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Copwatching

To copwatch is to observe the behavior of police officers in an attempt to prevent police brutality and to disrupt systemic repression.

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SALUTE / ALERTA mnemonics for actionable information

Summary

We help protect one another by sharing useful and actionable information.

ALERTA: Activity, Location, Equipment, Request aid, Time & date, Appearance

SALUTE: Size, Activity, Location, Uniform, Time, Equipment

Resource type
Guide
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February 20, 2021

Copwatch in the Twin Cities

Summary

Copwatch is a form of direct action, in which members of a community organize to observe and record police interaction as a means of holding police accountable for misconduct, as well as advocating for people’s legal rights, particularly those who are more vulnerable to police repression due to their race, class, gender, sexual orientation, or housing status.

January 4, 2021

Statement against violent arrests and absurd charges against participants in New Year's Eve noise demonstration

Summary

On New Year's Eve, our community gathered for a noise demonstration in downtown Minneapolis in support of prison abolition and in solidarity with incarcerated folks. Officers swarmed the scene, abruptly making violent arrests without dispersal orders. It is an abuse of power to disperse a protest without issuing such an order. Instead of ticketing or releasing folks - which is the norm - our friends and relatives were held over the holiday weekend under probable cause charges, which historically has been used by police to give extra time to justify otherwise unlawful arrests that violate everyone’s first amendment rights to protest.

September 1, 2020

Brief examples from Minneapolis' Whittier neighborhood of the upswell of organized people

Authors
Summary

Conversations during and after the Uprising led to people forming up a Whittier copwatch. In that copwatch, connections were made which helped workers get in touch with union organizers and tenants to revive tenant organizing committees and more.

Topics
Copwatching
August 12, 2020

Counterinsurgency and Continuing Insurgency in Minneapolis

Authors
Summary

As the summer born in flames nears its end in Minneapolis, the counterinsurgency playbook plays out much as expected. As symbolic concessions are granted all over, the material reality of racist police violence driven by propertied interests continues.

Topics
Copwatching
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Know Your Rights Copwatch Zine

Summary

Know your rights zine— reminder that this is a zine, meant to be printed out and folded into a small booklet, so some pages will be upside down on your screen!

Resource type
Zine
Topics
Copwatching
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How to Copwatch

Summary

Know Your Rights + How to Copwatch by the Workers Defense Alliance.

Resource file
Resource type
Slides
Topics
Copwatching