The A16 Medical Team's
Goals, Strategy & General
Advice for Protesters
(from the A16 Medical Collective)
The goal of the A16 Medical Team is to assist
with the efforts to shut down the World Bank/IMF which is robbing our sisters
and brothers worldwide of their ability to provide and receive health care,
education, a living wage and other life essentials. The Medical Team will
help you, the warriors for global justice, stay as active, healthy and
engaged in the struggle as possible. We will provide free treatment to
the best of our ability to anyone who requests it. We will offer 'straight'
(allopathic) and 'complementary' (herbal, homeopathic, etc.) care.
The primary health care will take place in the
protest zone by trained
Street Medics, and you the protesters. The medics
will facilitate assistance to anyone who desires it. The medics will be
assigned to areas of action, affinity groups, and/or hot zones.
More intensive treatment will be provided in the
vicinity of the protests.
Outside the protest zone, skilled health practitioners
who can provide
further assistance will care for people who need
more intensive treatment than what is available in the field, or refer
people to other health care -- i.e. hospital, adjunct therapy, etc..
YOU NEED TO KNOW:
If you are well prepared mentally and have essential
supplies and knowledge, you will probably not need our medical assistance.
Fear & confusion are the State's major weapon. Confidence, determination,
preparation and awareness of your strength is your best weapon.
If you are going to be associated with the civil
disobedience /
direct-action to blockade the World Bank and
IMF, the A16 Medical Team wants you and your affinity groups to learn simple
preparations, and bring along essential supplies. This will help you avoid
the worst effects of the POSSIBLE use of police violence from tear gas,
pepper spray and plastic bullets. They may use different tactics and weapons.
Our advice is designed to help you remain in action for global justice,
so be sure to read it and pass it around.
We will supply and train as many medics as possible.
But you, the regular protesters are the primary health care providers.
You need to know about essential & optional
supplies, clothes & gear to bring to the protest, and basic knowledge,
prevention and treatment of effects from tear gas, pepper spray, plastic
bullets and common injuries.
For more information, see the:
1) A16-Medical: Protesters' Supplies to Bring
(will be posted soon)
2) A16-Medical: Protesters' Prevention &
Treatment Advice (available March 24)
Each affinity group (AG) is asked to designate
someone as their Medical Monitor. The Medical Monitor will be responsible
for:
1- making sure that the AG has basic prevention/treatment
supplies,
2- knowing basic prevention & first aid,
3- knowing how to access the A16 medical system,
4- making sure their comrades are treated and
followed-up
5- documenting signs, symptoms and evaluation
of treatment
Medical Monitors will benefit by attending an
A16 Medical Team Street Medics ' training prior to the action. For more
information, see the: A16-Medical: Medical Monitor's Information (which
will come out in early April)
USE YOUR HEAD:
* PLAN AHEAD: For essential needs, care &
supplies. Know what to expect.
Know how to get assistance. How to re-contact
your buddies if separated.
* ATTITUDE: You are powerful. You can easily
withstand most of what the police throw at you, and you are a warrior for
justice. Remember, pain is only temporary, and we are extremely strong.
* THE #1 WEAPON OF THE POLICE IS FEAR. Once you
control that, tear gas, pepper spray, plastic bullets and other police
tactics are easily
manageable.
*COMMON SENSE: Keep your wits, assess what is
going down and what needs to be done. BE CALM & FOCUSED when things
get most intense. React to danger or warning signs sooner - not later.
Watch for signs of physical and mental problems in yourself and others.
Cool down others who exhibit panic behavior.
*BEWARE OF RUMORS: They are usually false, and
foster fear. Deal with the known truth.
*DOCUMENT police actions, brutality & injuries.
*ANGER Intense anger is quite common with pepper
spray, and can be useful if you are prepared and able to focus it. Maybe
you can use your anger to motivate you to recover faster and get back in
the action again. Maybe it will provide you with energy to get out to a
safe space.
INFORMATION FOR THOSE RISKING ARREST with HEALTH
CONDITIONS:
* If you have any health condition that might
pose serious health problems if your medication is interrupted (such as:
retroviruses, psychiatric disorders, diabetes, hypertension), you should
be aware that you may not have access to proper medication while you are
in jail. A letter from a doctor may help. Three copies of the letter are
needed, one for the legal team, one for the medical team (these will be
kept completely confidential) and one for you.
* It should include the following information:
your name, diagnosis, that you must have access at all times to your medication,
a list of all meds, that you must be allowed to keep meds on your person
so that they can be properly administered, and that no substitutions are
acceptable.
* Since your name must be on the document, you
may want to hide it on your body as a sort of insurance policy--perhaps
you won't need it and then could eat it and utilize solidarity tactics.
We believe that revealing your name and cooperating with the jailers to
ensure your health is more beneficial to all than having to deal with a
serious medical problem. Better to cite out than pass out.
* Please make sure that your affinity group and
the legal team is aware of your needs so they can help care and advocate
for you.
* Carrying essential medications in their original
prescription bottles with your name and the drug, dosage, etc. may help
you get access to them in jail.
WHO SHOULD AVOID RISK OF TEAR GAS & PEPPER
SPRAY:
* Those with asthma, respiratory problems or
infections, pregnant women, women attempting to get pregnant, anyone ill
or with a poor immune system, seizure disorders, eye infections, contact
lens wearers, & children.
GENERAL CONCERNS:
* CONTACT LENSES trap the irritating gases and
chemical compounds underneath them and may increase the amount of damage
and irritation. GET PRESCRIPTION GLASSES NOW & WARN OTHERS NOT TO WEAR
CONTACT LENSES.
* Menstrual Periods/Pregnancy : A significant
number of Seattle women gassed experienced immediate onset of menstruation
outside their normal cycles. Some reported menstrual irregularities lasting
for months. At least one spontaneous abortion - or miscarriage - has been
reported.
* Reaction to chemical exposure will be greater
with the presence of some skin conditions such as acne or severe eczema.
* Tear gas and pepper spray contain oily solvents
that will slowly dissolve rubber and plastic, so don't buy really expensive
gear. This means that your goggles will only provide temporary protection.
Also remember that the straps of your gear will absorb the chemicals and
eventually begin to irritate the skin beneath.
PEPPER SPRAY CONCERNS:
* Since pepper spray is often sprayed at a close
distance, the police may try to:
- Physically remove
your goggles/ breathing protection.
- Spray between your
face and your goggles/mask (which if your hands are locked down, makes
them a trap for the chemical).
* It can be hazardous. People have died from
respiratory failure (no
protesters that we are aware of).
* Asthmatics should bring their bronchodilators.
TEAR GAS & PEPPER SPRAY CONCERNS:
* The propellants and/or active ingredients can
cause cancer, are mutagenic and hence potentially teratogenic. One form
of tear gas (CN) used during the WTO is 50% solvent - the solvent, methylene
chloride, is a highly toxic chemical which can cause altered central nervous
system function.
PLASTIC BULLET CONCERNS:
* They may shatter and penetrate eye-glasses
and gas-mask lens.
For more information, see the A16 web pages on:
1) A16-Medical: Protesters' Supplies to Bring
(available soon)
2) A16-Medical: Protesters' Prevention &
Treatment Advice (available March 24)
3) A16-Medical: Medical Monitor's Information
(available early April)
Thank you
Take care & take the streets!
Yours for global justice,
The A16 Medical Team |