On this day, 14 October 1973, a mass uprising involving student demonstrations and workers’ strikes took place in Thailand, overthrowing the military dictatorship and demanding more democratic freedoms. Occurring on the crest of a rising wave of wildcat strikes, the overthrowing of the dictatorship increased the confidence of workers, peasants and students who continued in the years that followed to fight for more than just parliamentary democracy.
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you ever look at certain american christmas movies and wonder how, seemingly, not a single person during the whole production bothered to look up what a reindeer is? like is there a single piece of animated rudolph the red-nosed reindeer media where rudolph is depicted as a reindeer and not a white-tailed deer?
red nose just because :)
I was aware that almost every depiction of mistletoe in Christmas movies uses holly instead, but I only just realized that almost every Christmas reindeer is actually a white-tailed deer while reading this post.
Someone you already know and trust is good, but even if you don’t know your buddy very well yet, they can help you out in dangerous situations–and you can help them.
If you need a medic and are incapacitated, your buddy can help flag one down.
If you’re on the ground unconscious, your buddy can tell medics if you got stung by a bee and need an epi pen, or if you got hit with a rock and have a head injury. It cuts down on the time it takes for the medic to judge what you need, and in an emergency, seconds save lives.
If you get arrested but your buddy doesn’t, your buddy can get details to your important people, like your family and your lawyer.
If you go missing, your buddy may be the person who saw you last, and can provide key details to help people find you.
If the fash wants to corner you, having a buddy makes it harder and more dangerous for them to try.
It’s easier to stay safe when we look out for each other, and having a designated buddy makes that so, so much easier.
“But I don’t have any friends willing to come with me!” Doesn’t have to be a close friend, just someone who can watch your back. They need to be someone you can trust, so obviously you shouldn’t just grab a random bystander, but you don’t have to be best friends who know everything about each other.
This is why organizing is so, so important–even if you don’t know the individual people super well, being with a group allows everyone to pair up with a buddy they know they can trust, because the organization has ideally vetted everyone and deemed them safe.
If you absolutely cannot bring or find a buddy, you have to be extra careful, because being alone in an emergency is significantly harder and more dangerous. There is strength in numbers, and there is power in organizing.
Don’t try to take the world on by yourself, friends. Bring a buddy.
Please do not distract your street medics. Don’t hand them signs to wave, or try to get them to chant slogans with you. Street medics must stay focused on being watchful and prepared for action. They are there to support protestors, not be protestors themselves.
Don’t get angry at a street medic for not joining the chants, sign waving, and marching. Things can get scary and dangerous without a lot of notice, and you do not want your medics distracted if that happens.
I have actually been trained to treat protestors as potential hazards, because in the heat of the moment, protestors can and do get in the way. Adrenaline kicks in, they see someone go down, and suddenly they get total tunnel vision and start harassing the medics. Don’t be that person.
Street medics are there to support you and take care of you. Be respectful and alert, and don’t be a part of what makes their job more difficult!
