4. During the Action

Please keep in touch with us if arrests occur.

Make sure everybody has a bustcard. Write the phone numbers of the Protest Support Line, and a good solicitor, on your arms. Our protest support line is available 24/7, so do call us for any on-the-day queries. It is really helpful if you keep us updated with significant events on the ground e.g. changes of location, arrests, or police brutality.

Do not pass on messages that you hear from police officers to other protesters or on social media – this is doing the police’s work for them and you could make people more vulnerable to certain charges.

If we have sent out legal observers, they will be distributing bustcards, monitoring police and recording arrests.

We may tweet relevant legal advice – please re-tweet to your followers.

In the event that anyone is arrested: Police station support is the responsibility of protest groups to organise, unless otherwise agreed. GBC is a voluntary organisation and does not have a bank of volunteers ready to offer station support at any time. We are able to answer legal questions and liaise with solicitors via our 24/7 helpline 07946 541 511, and we can also cover expenses incurred by people doing police station support. However, protest groups themselves, as far as possible, need to find people who are able to support outside the police station and coordinate this support. If this has not been previously organised and you are struggling to find volunteers, give us a ring and we can do a call out on our social media for supporters. Remember to collect information from arrestees when they’re released so that we can offer follow up support.