AFFINITY GROUPS
Your best protection against being isolated by the police is the affinity group. The affinity group is your support network at the demonstration. Within the group, you are better protected against targeting and isolation by the police. You can also share food, water, first aid gear, clothing and other items you might need. Most importantly, the affinity group among many affinity groups is the creative action element of the mass demonstration. These are the people you'll be holding ground with. Ideally, the people in the group should know, trust and respect each other. The affinity group is a great place to make great friends. Ultimately, the affinity group should be organized to take back real, participatory, people oriented democracy on this planet. There is the potential for affinity groups to bring people from diverse classes, cultures and languages together if the members share an equal desire for social justice. Seven to fifteen members is a good size for your affinity group. A group that's too large may have difficulty communicating, which is essential for success. If the group is too small, the members will be stretched too thinly to handle necessary tasks.
Before the mass protests, each member should complete an affinity sheet. The affinity sheets are usually distributed by the organizing committee or the legal collective. If you are arrested , this sheet is your lifeline to the world outside the jail. It asks for the following information:
 |
-First name and first three letters of your last name |
|
-Your code name or nickname (It has to be a word or phrase that is not a person's proper name, like "Jane Smith". My nickname in Quebec City was "hyena". My friend Charlie McDougall called himself "runs with scissors." Have fun with this!) |
|
-A trusted contact person back home, such as a parent, relative, legal guardian or friend. This person can be called to arrange bail and other assistance. |
|
-Medical history, such as allergies, medications and other vital health issues. |
The code name can be useful when reaching out to the protest's legal support team. The police may try to disrupt the operations of the legal team by feeding false information about who has been arrested. The cops get a kick out of watching our lawyers chasing their tails instead of being at the jail demanding justice for arrested protesters. If you are arrested call the legal team and give them your unique code name. As long as they have your affinity sheet on file, the legal team can help you quicker when they know it's you, and not the cops trying to be funny. An easy way to remember the legal team's phone number is to use the three letters under each number on the telephone keypad to your advantage. Someone quite creative did this to the Quebec Legal Collective's phone number in April 2001. Word quickly spread to activists on the first day of major protests to call NBA-JAM1 if nabbed by the cops. NBA-JAM1 is much easier to remember under pressure than a seven digit number like 622-5261. Many protesters had NBA-JAM1 written on their forearms in black magic marker for quick access.