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How To Break The Kettle: An Illustrated Scientific Guide

Mrs Nov 30th | 28.11.2010 00:34 | Policing | Repression | Social Struggles | Technology

Wedges are really a kind of inclined plane. A wedge is two inclined planes back to back against each other. The mechanical advantage you get from a wedge depends on how thick it is. A thick short wedge will split things apart faster, but you'll have to use more force. A thin long wedge will be easier to drive in, but it will take longer to split something. Today we have many different uses for wedges.

Fig 1
Fig 1

Fig 2
Fig 2

Fig 3
Fig 3

Fig 4
Fig 4


Sometimes life present us with a problem that we cannot solve without the use of a classic piece of scientific thinking. In today's puzzle, we are trapped in a kettle, surrounded by police officers and we want to get out of it. We have tried shouting en masse 'let us go!' but this has not worked for us. Next we need to do some collective thinking and put a new plan in effect.

The first thing we should do is look for which police line seems the weakest and with the best chance of escape should we break the line. This may be a line of normal cops without riot gear and usually only one officer deep. Here how the work might proceed.

In Fig 1 we see the crowd attempt to break the police line by using opposing force. This can sometimes work but usually the police can brace themselves and hold each other and thus hold the line. In this way, the strength of the crowds' force is lessened and absorbed by the police line.

In Fig 2 we the crowd attempt to get technical and use a banner or metal barrier to push the police. The same dynamic occurs again and the crowds' force is lessened and absorbed by the police line.

In Fig 3, the crowd has decided to form a wedge shape to drive a gap in the police line and follow though, the thickness of the crowd opening more and more of the police line up.

In Fig 4, the crowd knows that the police line weak points are at the extreme ends of the line as the final policeperson has no brace or support. The crowd attempts two pushes on the line at the weak points.

Mrs Nov 30th

Comments

Hide the following 19 comments

Great

28.11.2010 09:49

please make one of these for this.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj2NOTanzWI

Fly Poster


wedgie!

28.11.2010 09:53

the wedge tactics were widely used by the antifascist 43 Group and its efficacy is discussed in the 43 Group by Morris Beckman throughout. it is well worth a read.

 http://www.newsfromnowhere.org.uk/books/DisplayBookInfo.php?ISBN=0903738759

'Malatesta'
- Homepage: http://malatesta32.wordpress.com/


Action Required!

28.11.2010 12:51

Excellent post - now have an idea about the weak points, perhaps today we should be preparing for Tuesdays events by making our reinforced banners to break the kettle...
Will be posting a pictoral step by step guide on the site later...but its not rocket science...

Step 1...sheet of plywood or similar (dont use the garden gate-you'll still have to transport it)

Step 2 ...bit of battening and a handle type thing on the back (could reappropriate one from a public loo door..?)

Step 3 ...Decorate the front with a suitable slogan / poster of choice

Step 4 ...Finish your ensemble by wearing a cycling / skateboard helmet

.... Bingo - ready made sheild and headgear strong enough to take a battering from the truncheons of dibblewhilst exiting the kettle!

Check the photos from an earlier post of this in action by our Italian comrades
 http://www.eidonpress.com/shoot/show/id/36754

RUE
mail e-mail: riseupeast@safe-mail.net
- Homepage: http://riseupeast.wordpress.com


The Simple physics of kettles

28.11.2010 16:12

Dear Mrs November,

I do so enjoy your night classes. You get so much out of them. I remember your Tai Chi classes. It was the last time you described me as a "patronising bastard". Thereafter you just beat the dobby oil out of me.

My point is: yes creating a wedge at the weak points is an excellent idea. But remember: if you have a strong point at the centre and two weak points either side then the strong point at the centre will surge forwards. You need a tactic for when that happens. Do you create a protestor weak point at the central police strong point, on purpose, for the police to surge through. It might allow those at the police weak points to move forward but then cut the crowd in two. Perhaps a follow on tactic of a circle mosh pit might work. Certainly you might want to look at the computer game version first:  http://www.pyweek.org/e/Wibble/

Now get thee back to thy knitting - or did you take up that course in economics instead.

Your loving ex-husband

Mister November 30th.

PS did you really get a restraining order on the grounds of me being a "tory arse"?

Mister November 30th


Banners should from a wedge

28.11.2010 16:13

Banners made from wood can be used to form a wedge
Banners made from wood can be used to form a wedge

These crash barriers can also be used to form a wedge
These crash barriers can also be used to form a wedge

On 24th Nov, people lined up behind a long banner and tried to push the police. It was about 60 people vs 20 cops. We didn't make it through. Another time some people tried to use a large metal fence front on against the police but this also didn't work as the cops lifted it up and diluted it's force.

More useful is if we use banners to break out that are ones that are hinged in the middle, or tied with good rope. Or use two metal barriers for crowd control that are still bracketed together. Equal force is usually not enough to break through. The point is to split the line with a wedge.

If you look at the two pics: The two banners are made from strong wood and can be used as a wedge to force the line. The other pic has many crash barriers to also form a wedge with lots of folks behind. Both of these ways through should be held high enough to stop cops hitting those behind with batons. But you also need a lot of people behind to stop the cops just shutting the line again. Once it's been broken, the more who come through, the harder it is for the cops to regroup in a new line.

Nerd


Circle pit?

29.11.2010 00:01

@Mister November 30th

I was thinking last week how a 'circle pit' might be an effective way of breaking out of a kettle given enough people, and enough thought about how to avoid weak points in the circle.

However, given that most so called 'punks' at shows don't know what a circle pit is nowadays, it could be difficult to gather enough people and momentum, not to mention the problems of people falling down (the police can knock us down and make things dangerous enough without us doing it too), and how terrifying it can be for anyone who is unaccustomed to a circle pit or the first-timers in a kettle.

Anon


Aerial shot video of crowd breaking police lines on 24th, London

29.11.2010 17:47

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7hu7j1HSdc

Useful to study crowd dynamics, surges, weak points and so on!!

Professor Crusty
- Homepage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7hu7j1HSdc


tactic

29.11.2010 19:38

In practice when you're likely to have lost your mates and be alone in a crowd, you need to conspire with strangers one at a time, pointing discretely to the target and saying to wait five minutes before going through, tell as many individuals as you can, don't judge people or guess who'll be in...rapid fire communication...after aminute start saying "in four minutes we're going through there-" then in 3 minutes etc down to one minute then get in position and scream "NNOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!" and go head down.

Lessdread penGuinivere
- Homepage: http://stonehenge2012.org


TICKLE THEM

29.11.2010 20:31

You could always try "tickling" the cops, could be good for a laugh and they sure as hell won't expect it! :-)

BRIAN SEMMENS


tactic

29.11.2010 20:50

In practice when you're likely to have lost your mates and be alone in a crowd, you need to conspire with strangers one at a time, pointing discretely to the target and saying to wait five minutes before going through, tell as many individuals as you can, don't judge people or guess who'll be in...rapid fire communication...after aminute start saying "in four minutes we're going through there-" then in 3 minutes etc down to one minute then get in position and scream "NNOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!" and go head down.

Lessdread penGuinivere
- Homepage: http://stonehenge2012.org


Disabled Frontline

30.11.2010 10:28

My protest Pimped ride.
My protest Pimped ride.

Perhaps a line of Disabled such as myself on the frontline. With either angled boards on the front or a V shape to get through the line. I know that this would probably be difficult due to the fact the person is disabled. If it could be organised they would have to wear cycle safety helmets for obvious reasons.

Trev Fairminer
mail e-mail: t.fairminer@virgin.net
- Homepage: http://51 HERMITAGE ROAD


tactics guide

30.11.2010 13:07

Check out the original and best, Guide to Public Order Situations - updated every now and again from comments you send in, discussions and reflection on big protest experiences.

PDF available at earthfirst.org.uk/publicorderguide.pdf

Print copy and distribute!

re-poster
- Homepage: http://earthfirst.org.uk/publicorderguide.htm


that being said

30.11.2010 17:09

that being said, using barriers to support a wedge is an excellent idea

anon


breaking the line

30.11.2010 19:32

I wish we could beat the crap out of you with batons and snatch squads you idiots. If it was not for that human rights act crap. We should be able to quell your anachistic antics you foolish individuals!

serving police officer


Easy crowd coordination: Hokey Cokey

02.12.2010 20:21

So there is a crowd of strangers stuck behind a police line, everyone wants to surge forward but it is hard to coordinate this. A fun alternative to a countdown is the Hokey Cokey, which most people know....

You put your left left in,
your left leg out,
in out in out
shake it all about
You do the hokey cokey and you turn around *not necessary if the front line of people have their arms linked*
That's what it's all about...
OOOOOHHH THE HOKEY COKEY
OOOOOHHH THE HOKEY COKEY
etc. etc.

This has worked for crowds at football matches trying to get passed police lines, and I think it's good as you get three surges at the end. It's also easy to start (with a loud voice) with no instruction to people beforehand -most people will cotton on quickly to what's about to happen. And the police will know it's coming but can do nothing about it...

Daughter November


not to rain on the physics parade

12.01.2011 13:04

at the last demo before christmas a hardend plastic (corex i believe), metal studed, v -shaped fold in the middle banner was used to try and break lines twice. the first time they forced the banner to rotate downwards ripping it from our hands. We managed to get it back when enough inderviduals broke through to break the police lines.the second time when the v shape when was fully in effect the police managed to divert the point side ways causing banner to fall shut back on the inderviduals at the front resulting in a guy getting crushed under it while police stomped on it. The promblem with the v is that the police see it coming and reinforce that part of the line. But also the people at the front can be hit from allsides by many of officers because of the increased surface area and they really fucking go for if youve covered ur head they go for your legs. You cant see where your going or get a good footing to push forward so you cant direct the point.Often the pressure from the back causes the structure to buckle or as happend last time close in on itself trapping the few individuals that managed to with stand the police onslaught. resulting in them getting dragged to the ground. the police know how to deal with reinforced banners and watching a video of the students protests recently you can hear police discussing how they use similar banners at smash edo.
while this all sounds very pesimistic if you are going to make a reinforced banner:

- reinforce the structure somehow, possibly make a insertable cross beem to hold the shape.
- make it hard
- make it big to provide protection to all parts of your body
- put lots of handles on it as many as possible.
or
- protect your own body and encourage your friends to
- be dirusptive bounce about poke police
- if you do break through the line dont just run off, get to a point where your safe from being re -kettled then if possible go back to the back of the cops stand behind them push them make them feel like there surrounded.
- the book block worked very well last time.

our strength comes from our autonomy and ability to react to the situation thinking on our feet.trying to beat them at their own game of overwhelming force is difficullt because you cant get all the equipment on the tube! Although it would be nice to see a sexy reinforced banner work.

In this video you can see the banner in action from 13.07 and 14.51 you can hear the police discuss smash edo briefly.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQdYxXyUJkQ



potato wedge


Re 26th March, not going to hyde park?

01.02.2011 14:39

Boudica
Boudica

Re 26th March, not going to hyde park?

We're here for the long stay, not just a day.

Pro action; Tent deployments allow large areas to be taken very quickly.
They will stop police charges, especially mounted ones as they will not be able to ascertain what tents are occupied and what ones are not (Health & Safety).
Each tent will have to be dealt with by the police individually, 1,000 tents + would create a logistical nightmare.
Your basic 1 person tent takes up an area 3 x 4.

people's assembly


fuckin' tents! Noooooo

25.03.2011 11:02

> Pro action; Tent deployments allow large areas to be taken very quickly.
> They will stop police charges, especially mounted ones as they will not be able to ascertain what tents > are occupied and what ones are not (Health & Safety).

That's just fucking dangerous nonsense. It was even obvious before climate camp in the city. The police charge over tents, they smash them up, they go round them, they push us into them as they are a fucking liability and obstruction.

Let's let go of this damn obsession with camping!

Read the EF! guide above for hints about barricades/obstructions. Basically a forest of tents/a solid barricade is bollocks for us, however the careful placing of objects that stops police lines but not us works.

been there...


Weak points, metaphorically

26.03.2016 17:59

The diagrams are about a physical confrontation. I'm thinking this conversation might be applied metaphorically as well. The weakest police officer (in terms of confrontation) might be the one most accessible to her/his humanity, least indoctrinated, most able to see YOU as a human being of worth rather than an enemy or object.

If you could identify someone with such a "weakness" in direct confrontation, they probably are the easiest place to get through. How would you recognize them? I suppose the look on their face, or their response if you approach them in a way that could be considered gentle - through your own looks or actions - of course not subservient, but treating them as an individual rather than part of a mass.

I'm interested in comments from people who have actually tried this. I'm speculating.

Shodo Spring
mail e-mail: shodo.spring@gmail.com
- Homepage: www.vairochanafarm.wordpress.com