We just wanted to pass along some of the de-escalation info our team found while preparing for the election. We think bartenders and customer service workers would be great people to assign the job of de-escalator if they are present and willing. We hope these resources help!
– This is a great read for de-escalators to get them in an empathetic mindset, and it’s also a thorough how-to guide. If you only have time to read one of these articles, this is the one we recommend.
Guide to Trauma-Informed De-Escalation During Actions and Protests
– This is a two page cheat sheet for de-escalators at protests. It has a few additional insights the previous article lacks, but it’s not as good of a “how-to” guide.
De-Escalating, Peacekeeping, Security at Events & Actions
– These are the Crisis Prevention Institute’s (CPI) top ten tips for de-escalation. CPI appears to be the place to go for official de-escalation training for professionals, educators, healthcare workers, etc.
CPI’s Top 10 Tips
– Same tips as above with a bit more explanation.
CPI’s Tips Slightly More In-Depth
– This is an interesting article on the protestor/police relationship as it relates to de-escalation. It’s a good read, but life is short so we put the relevant quotes below the link.
De-escalation; Protesters And Police
“Good policing of demonstrations isn’t as simple as just showing up with an approachable demeanor. “The time to make friends isn’t when you need them,” Thomson said. “You have to be in front of it.”
“The “negotiated management” model of protest policing called for officers to meet with protesters in advance to plan events together to specify the times, locations and activities that would happen, even when that included mass arrests. (1980s and 1990s)”
“The police would meet with the organizers of the protest, and they would lay out ground rules together that would provide for an opportunity for protesters to do exactly what they have a right to do.”
They stopped doing this after the WTO riots in Seattle because the protestors did not follow the agreed upon plan.
“What a lot of people took from that in policing is, we can’t trust these people. We need to be smarter and overwhelm them to nip these things in the bud,” he said. “We sort of went backwards.”
As a final note, remember that in many cases the aggressor is trying to provoke a response that will “justify” their violence. Keep this in mind if you feel yourself becoming triggered, and consider removing yourself from the situation. Finding someone else to help is always a great option. Good luck, and stay safe!
Black Lives Matter,
The RARE Team