Protesters turn violent. What do you do?

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I would defend myself and my family regardless if I was attacked by 5 or 500 protestors.
A 60ish year old black deputy was my field training officer way back yonder in ancient history. We responded to a riot and were in the middle of about 200 drunk, black men. One of them asked what you going to do about it? The old black deputy said "Kill the first 15 of you Sons of b.....s that f... with me." They moved on along and we arrested 4 people. 2 for the back of his car. 2 for the back of my car.
 
I certainly agree with JohnKSa. We periodically get 'kill them all' fantasies.

So, a different take. Greg's site and video link recommends a slow push for an escape rather than a full speed charge.

What if you get a car with the new automatic collision control systems? Will it stop you if folks get in front of you? Will you remember how to turn it off, if you can?
 
I'd just note these protests aren't happening randomly. In many cases, a core of out-of-state "professional" protesters are driving the mayhem. I'd also note that the violent protests aren't random in where they happen. For example, Oklahoma also had an officer-involved shooting at around the same time - no outside protesters brought in there, no violent protests. Meanwhile, "purple" states that might be on the borderline such as Florida, Missouri, or North Carolina get a full court press: media, out of state protesters brought in, violence, the Fed "community involvement team" (which is basically just federally paid crap stirrers).
 
Something to add to what you said, Ferguson is barely part of Missouri. Once you pass out of that Hellboy of saint Louis,this state becomes something very different. Ferguson might as well be Chicago. Neither kc nor the other major population centers are like that.
 
In my rookie year my FTO and I were on routine patrol when we were dispatched to respond outside of our city to AOA. We then met up with a zone sergeant who assigned us to a perimeter fixed post position blocking traffic from entering an area near the university where some protestors decided to rally. (Protesting Israel on behalf of the PLO.)

As my FTO and myself were sitting in the car talking (I was behind the wheel) we suddenly saw a deluge of humanity running...running towards us! The next thing you know they were swarming all over our patrol car. We drew our sidearms. And we sat there while these lunatics beat up the car, spit on the windows, breaking the blue lights, flattening the tires, and kicking in the doors and quarter panels. They saw our guns drawn so none made any effort to get at us or break-into the car. My FTO activated the siren and they finally drifted away as suddenly as they came at us. Now on four flats, unable to drive away, we called for a tow truck. Fairly humiliating all around.

I will confess it was quite a frightening experience and one I will not likely ever forget. Mob mentality. And they were on us in a flash. Imagine some poor trucker unaware of a riot just driving right into it not knowing what's going on.
 
JohnKSa,

Thanks for allow this thread to remain open despite edging dangerously close to TSHTF type scenario. With the recent civil unrest, it is a very possible threat that one of us could get caught up in. While it is obviously best to be far away from any type of civil unrest, I hope that we can agree that it is a real possiblility that we to get stuck in the middle of a protest. I believe that talking this over online has made people think about what their course of action would be, rather than trying to devise a plan in the heat of the moment. I think we can all agree that plowing through the protesters is probably the worst idea possible, followed by firing into the crown unnecessarily. For me, the main point of debate is whether the car provides any real level of protection, or whether or not fleeing on foot away from the protesters is the safest course of action.

I would argue that the car offers a very false sense of security (unless you drive an armored vehicle). Glass and car body panels are easily penetrated by bullets. The other thing is there is very little cover/concealment. That said, I would argue that able bodied people abandon their cars if they do get stuck in the middle of a protest and have not feasible route to flee in their vehicles. We should obviously also always be vigilant to prevent getting into those situations.
 
That said, I would argue that able bodied people abandon their cars if they do get stuck in the middle of a protest and have not feasible route to flee in their vehicles
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It depends. Do I have a reasonable chance of being able to "blend in" with the protesters until I can escape it?
 
Lohman446 said:
It depends. Do I have a reasonable chance of being able to "blend in" with the protesters until I can escape it?
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Not to turn this into a racial thing but this thread was started in response to the BLM protests. We have seen more than a handful of attacks on anyone who is not black. I think you can answer for yourself whether or not you believe you would be targeted. ;)
 
Certainly not me. I wear jeans and flannel shirts, and I'd stand out like a sore thumb, but i figure that a suit and a $40k sports car would be in a lot of danger.

Get out and run for your life before they decide to redistribute your wealth and probably worse.

I wonder, would a bandana over the face help? You'd look just like another thug. Keep one and a hat in the car.

Heck, maybe a full scale riot kit if you're someone who lives and works in a zone.

Let me ask a question. Any of you guys who know. Do these things just spontaneously pop up, or are there usually some sort of gathering before hand? How much notice on the news do you usually have beforehand if a big demonstration is planned? A day? half a day?

Having lived in memphis, it's kind of easy to see why huge masses of people would choose to risk using the highway despite suspicions of mob activity. There was a loop around the city, four mega highways. Getting from one corner to the other was nearly impossible without those highways. There were two that went through BLM territory. The choice was to go the other way around the city, or go through secondary roads in BLM territory. God, what a dilemma that would be.

My wife went out and parked in one of those areas once. Someone stole the fog lights off of my car while she was parked outside a government building. Another time I had to go on a business call in another region. There was an armed robbery across the road as she waited in the car for a half hour. We lived in the southeast and we avoided the west and northwest like a smallpox ward.
 
Buy a flag of every protesting group and stash them in your car. When caught in a protest, whip out the corresponding flag and stick it on your car and start cheering like the other maniacs.
 
Heck, maybe a full scale riot kit if you're someone who lives and works in a zone.
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remember, you heard it here first!

Buy a flag of every protesting group and stash them in your car. When caught in a protest, whip out the corresponding flag and stick it on your car and start cheering like the other maniacs.
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I expect a portion of the gross profits when you start selling the "briandg/qkarl riot survival kit".
 
Abandoning your car to flee on foot? I strongly urge against it. And I would refer you to the Reginald Denny beating captured on video as he was pulled from his tractor-trailer as he had the misfortune of being caught at an intersection taken over by rioting thugs.

Add to that the possibility you're with family in the car?

The car offers more protection than your shirt and pants; the car offers more speed with which to flee than your wingtips or loafers. You carry a gun for a reason. And its lawful deployment is based upon you're own ability to articulate your fear for your life or imminent bodily harm or in the defense of the life of another.
 
That thought has been discussed over and over, and it's not valid. A violent riot is unpredictable and your car may be attacked and you will be put at great risk. If you are far enough away from the front of a mob, you are better off escaping on foot if you and your passengers are able to escape. If you can't run, are stuck in the middle, have chiildren, whatever, it looks like you're
screwed and at the mercy of a rioting mob that probably hates you, maybe all you can do is have a "baby on board" sticker on your car and use your toddler as a human shield. Using a firearm against a mob that starts at hundreds and may include thousands is just crazy. You won't walk away once you run out of ammo. some o them are armed too, and they can wait you out until someone gets a quart of gasoline with your name on it.

There is no single answer as you have implied. Bailing out is the correct answer unless you are already buried in crazed maniacs. It is the proper answer, because if you hang around and wait for them to come to you, you are screwed, you have just wasted your only chance to avoid the possibility of serious harm. Once you are trapped, you had better pray that they leave you alone, because you don't stand a ghost of a chance if violent lunatics decide that you are the one they want to hurt.
 
Oh if my children are not with me and I cannot manage to crash the median with my truck to turn around and get out of there (and I am at the edge of it) you will find me roughly 13 miles away in two hours because I am ditching it and running.
 
My suggestion would be to pop the trailer open, charge $100 cover charge, let in anyone who can get there, and jam that door shut.

Probably need to keep a recliner, a case of cold beer, and a DVD player and television in there from now on.

Oh, don't forget that gigantic label for the outisde of the door that says
TOXIC WASTE!
BIOHAZARD!
RADIATION HAZARD!
lIVE KILLER BEE HIVES INSIDE!
LEPERS!

have I forgotten anything?
 
Ahh, I get it. i once drove a pickup for nearly twenty years before I sold it last year. Good old truck, I feel like a traitor. Now, I drive a civic. That thing can barlely make it over a rough road, I'm never going to drive it in snow. Run it into a median? Might as well run it into a bank building. The air dam up front isn't even 7 inches tall.
 
armedleo said:
Abandoning your car to flee on foot? I strongly urge against it. And I would refer you to the Reginald Denny beating captured on video as he was pulled from his tractor-trailer as he had the misfortune of being caught at an intersection taken over by rioting thugs.

Add to that the possibility you're with family in the car?

The car offers more protection than your shirt and pants; the car offers more speed with which to flee than your wingtips or loafers. You carry a gun for a reason. And its lawful deployment is based upon you're own ability to articulate your fear for your life or imminent bodily harm or in the defense of the life of another.
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This decision should obviously be based on your ability to flee as well as the ability of other occupant to flee. I have small children (3&6) so fleeing presents a challenge. The elderly or handicap should also weigh the risks of fleeing. However, once you get mobbed, you are at the mercy of the mob. I don't know how many rounds you all carry on a regular basis, but I carry a subcompact plus 2 extra mags. With one in the pipe, that only gives me 21. Once you start shooting, you don't know who will be shooting back. Your ability to hit targets accurately will be limited by having to shoot through glass and your ability to shoot all the way around you will be limited by the seats. Meanwhile, your position in the car makes you an easy target.

You say the car offers more speed, but if you are boxed in, your car is not going anywhere. In a video of the NC riot, they stopped a highway that was moving at full speed. I'm not sure how many law abiding citizens are willing to ram a person. The protesters could have easily been killed if the drivers were not able to stop in time. If I was a little further back and had time to start retreating, I think it could be the best case scenario. That is obviously just my opinion.
 
yes, you are at the mercy of a mob. You had better hope for mercy. Myself, I am torn. Crippled or carrying children? Do you risk escape, or do you hope that the mob won't tear apart your car because you look old, or have children with you?

It seems to be taken as a fact that the mob will lower itself to the most basic bestial level. I understand. There is a solid chance that there will be enough humanity in a number of those people that they would actually escort a child or paraplegic out of the danger zone, rather than drag them out and beat them.

This isn't going to be like the martians have attacked with extermination on the mind. Even in the middle east there aren't massive casualties during riots. You only see massive casualties in areas like the congo, where the goal is genocide, not tearing down the mud huts and stealing the goats.
 
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