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Cell Phone Guide For US Protesters, Updated 2014 Edition

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Re: Cell Phone Guide For US Protesters, Updated 2014 Edition

#3
A key thing is to memorize or write-on-your-arm-in-ink the phone number of your lawyer or other support person in the event you're arrested; you may not have access to your phone.

(The only numbers I can recall offhand are Apple's customer support number from 20 years ago (which is now a phone-sex line), a special/other "in case of kidnapping" number which is an Iraqi cellphone and disconnected or something, and Comcast Business Support. None of which would really help me now.)

Re: Cell Phone Guide For US Protesters, Updated 2014 Edition

#4
> ask to speak to your attorney

> ask to speak to your lawyer

> you will need an attorney to help you sort through your particular circumstance

Do normal people in the US always and at all times have a lawyer on call? Especially the type of person likely to be arrested at a protest (not that there's anything wrong with that - I just doubt they're the 1%).

I'm in my late thirties and certainly don't have a lawyer on standby I can call at the drop of a hat. This "advice" always seems, if not disingenuous, at least a little naive.

Re: Cell Phone Guide For US Protesters, Updated 2014 Edition

#5
post #4

> ask to speak to your attorney > ask to speak to your lawyer > you will need an attorney to help you sort through your particular circumstance Do normal people in the US always and at all times have a lawyer on call? Especially the type of person likely to be arrested at a protest (not that there's anything wrong with that - I just doubt they're the 1%). I'm in my late thirties and certainly don't have a lawyer on s…

I don't think so, looking around at my peers. In the US, you have the right to publicly funded counsel if you are arrested, so the advice might better be put, "Am I free to go? Am I under arrest, or am I free to go? I am exercising my right not to speak with you and would like to speak with a lawyer".

Re: Cell Phone Guide For US Protesters, Updated 2014 Edition

#7
post #5
post #4

> ask to speak to your attorney > ask to speak to your lawyer > you will need an attorney to help you sort through your particular circumstance Do normal people in the US always and at all times have a lawyer on call? Especially the type of person likely to be arrested at a protest (not that there's anything wrong with that - I just doubt they're the 1%). I'm in my late thirties and certainly don't have a lawyer on s…

I don't think so, looking around at my peers. In the US, you have the right to publicly funded counsel if you are arrested, so the advice might better be put, "Am I free to go? Am I under arrest, or am I free to go? I am exercising my right not to speak with you and would like to speak with a lawyer".

In the US it's not uncommon for protesters to have a lawyer, in the form of organizations like the National Lawyers Guild which offer legal support at demonstrations. Protesters typically scrawl the phone number for the NLG legal hotline on their arm, so they are able to call from jail.

Re: Cell Phone Guide For US Protesters, Updated 2014 Edition

#8

For the point of "Start using encrypted communications channels" while protesting, here's a way to encrypt your voice: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/620001568/jackpair-safe... It's a low-cost alternative to BlackPhone etc.

If you already have an Android phone, I guess the RedPhone app is the most convenient and cheap way to make encrypted voice calls.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.thoughtcri...

Re: Cell Phone Guide For US Protesters, Updated 2014 Edition

#9
post #3

A key thing is to memorize or write-on-your-arm-in-ink the phone number of your lawyer or other support person in the event you're arrested; you may not have access to your phone. (The only numbers I can recall offhand are Apple's customer support number from 20 years ago (which is now a phone-sex line), a special/other "in case of kidnapping" number which is an Iraqi cellphone and disconnected or something, and Comc…

> Apple's customer support number from 20 years ago (which is now a phone-sex line),

no, 800-SOS-APPL is still Apple's old support line. You are dialing S-zero-S, which has always been a phone sex line.

Re: Cell Phone Guide For US Protesters, Updated 2014 Edition

#10
post #4

> ask to speak to your attorney > ask to speak to your lawyer > you will need an attorney to help you sort through your particular circumstance Do normal people in the US always and at all times have a lawyer on call? Especially the type of person likely to be arrested at a protest (not that there's anything wrong with that - I just doubt they're the 1%). I'm in my late thirties and certainly don't have a lawyer on s…

I know that with the recent student protests here in the UK, there was a law firm providing legal assistance for the protesters whose number was quite widely advertised. It's not that naive.
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