What to do when confronted by a violent group of protesters.

Hello, my friend and welcome back!  There has been a lot of information and reports floating around the internet, as well as main stream TV, about the protests that are scheduled for this week as well as on Inauguration Day.  In fact, I, myself published a blog on it just last week about it.  You can find it here.  Thus, many people are legitimately concerned for their safety and that of their loved ones, so grab a cup of coffee and have a seat while we visit.

I had a friend remark that all of the protest will be in Washington DC, so they have nothing to worry about.  While I hope, he is right, I would prefer to be ready and know what to do if I were to run into one locally.

Because I work on a University Campus, I never know what to expect, but I know what I would do if I did run into trouble, so I decided to share a little advice on how to handle such violent groups.

Always remember the golden rule of conflict… The only sure way to win a conflict is not to get in to one.  Now I know that sounds a little basic, but it is very true and it would pay you to remember that.

If you are faced with a violent group of any kind, and they have not singled you out yet, then try to avoid them at all cost.  Immediately look for an avenue of escape and if possible use it to get as far away from them as possible.

Next, remember that if there are police present don’t expect them to save you, that’s your own responsibility.   They are just there to enforce the law and arrest people who break it. Just be sure you are not the one breaking it or you may wind up in jail.

If you have been singled out and there is no avenue of escape, then you will need to address them.   There are several ways of doing this.  If they are protesting an ideology such as they don’t like Donald Trump, or Republicans, then you may want to camouflage yourself as a died in the wool member of the hard left.  This is not the time to challenge their views of the world and could lead to you possibly losing your life.

Yell and scream just like you are one of them as that is your best bet for slipping away at this point.  Now I know that many of you are like me and the idea of doing this makes your blood boil.  That’s fine, just bite your tongue, and wait till the odds are in your favor to press your viewpoint on the subject.  After all, you wouldn’t attack an army of a hundred men with a group of only two or three people, would you?  Just wait until you can pick the time and place when the odds are more in your favor.

If for some reason, you are past this point and a confrontation is unavoidable, you must use a different strategy.  The first thing you will want to do is identify their leader, because he is the one you will need to deal with.  Why him?  Because he is your best hope of talking your way out, at this point.  Everyone else will be trying to impress him and are much less likely to allow you to de-escalate the situation. He can possibly be reasoned with long before anyone else.

Now if the reason for the demonstration is Race based and you are of the offending color, your only hope may be to fight. If this is the situation, then here are some things that may help.

• Can you possibly run away and escape? If yes, then I strongly recommend it, but if there is a good chance that they would catch you, then don’t, you will probably only die tired.
• The best defense is sometimes a good offense. When dealing with crowds however, this is seldom the case.  If the crowd is small enough, no more than 5 or six, it may be your best bet. You might try hit and run if that is your only option.
• You should never leave your home unarmed. Whether it’s a gun, or a knife, you should always carry some type of weapon on your body.  Just remember that when dealing with large groups who could easily over power you, you might not want to use them unless there is absolutely no choice and you’re afraid for your life.

The fact is once this escalates to the point where you have no choice than to fight for your very life… then fight dirty!  There are no queen’s rules when fighting for your life and you will need to use anything and everything you can to get out alive. Stick your fingers in their eyes, bite them and kick them in the crotch, if that what it takes. It’s you or them so fight with all you have.

As I said in the beginning, the best way to win a fight and avoid confrontation when your buy yourself is to simply avoid protest groups all together.  They are always filled with someone who is looking to prove themselves and move up in the pecking order of the group.  I also recommend that each of you always travel armed when away from your homes. Make sure that if it happens to you, you at least have a fighting chance.  Until next time, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared.  God Bless America!

-Sarge-