I think it's best to wait for Ash to register here, as she is in contact, but I thought I'd sort out the threads to encourage some posts.

Reporting for duty, Sir! *snaps to attention*

An email from CS Coall:

I have discussed your e mails with my planning Department Insp Bridgewater and PC MCCormack, who will deal with this matter.

I have forwarded your email to them.

May I ask that you conatct them well in advance of any proposed protest, on the day and masked is not in my view an appriopriate method for effective communication and planning for community safety.

I will speak with my planning team and trust you are able to meet their requests

Regards

M J Coall

And my response:

Dear M J Coall,

Thankyou for your reply, and for passing on my email to the relevant people.

I believe that I first contacted PC McCormack with details of the March protest around the 11th or 12th of February, so I trust that this has been more than enough notice.

I understand that masks may be viewed as an ineffective communication tool, and that you may see them as threatening, but I'm afraid that such measures are unavoidable. While some brave souls choose to go unmasked the majority feel that it would not be safe to do so. The dangers of criticising the Church of Scientology are very real and in order to protect ourselves and our families we must keep our identities hidden as much as possible. We are currently leaning towards a theatrical half-mask or something which leaves the mouth uncovered, so hopefully that will mean that communication with the public is far easier.

Many thanks for your response and handling of this matter. I will do all I can to encourage the group to follow any advice that I am given and, once again, Anonymous will always co-operate with the police on the day.

All the best,

Ash

As stated, co-operation with the Police is a MUST.
They're there to ensure nothing gets out of hand, they know what they're doing. If they tell you to do something, do it. The only possible exception is regarding masks, at which point I would recommend asking them to allow you to go somewhere private to remove them.

On the 10th Feb protest did the police have there own cameraman there?


on most protest I've been on in London there was always a couple of police cameraman at every event taking photographs of everyone with out our permission <_<

Without your permission? As far as I'm aware they don't need it. And it's perfectly justifiable.

I'd actually prefer to be filmed by the police. As it adds another perspective of the day, so the Sci-fags can't spin any footage they have.

Agreed. If the police are visibly filming then there's neutral footage.

Neutral Footage is good. It can prove we're well behaved.

I see your point that would be an advantage.

Neutral footage is, indeed, very good.

Interestingly, the bobbies all now have newfangled helmets (fnar fnar) with cameras on them. One of the nice policemen showed it to us - very smart indeed. Seriously, the police at the protest on the 10th were really great - I hope that if everyone behaves themselves on the 15th they'll be just as lovely again.

That sounds pretty good to me. It should/may ensure that any police that are even there will be recording the whole thing, so we can be sure there'll be plenty of neutral footage should the Sci's try to spin anything that happens.

I just sent this email to PC McCormack:

Friday 7th of March 2008

Dear PC McCormack,

This email is a formal written notice of our intent to conduct a peaceful protest against the Church of Scientology on the Saturday the 15th of March 2008, part of a worldwide protest taking part that day (the second so far). The protest will take place outside the Church of Scientology on Ethel Street in Birmingham centre and will extend down New Street. The protest will begin at 11am and should end before 5pm. There will be an estimated 100 people attending, though we have no way of knowing exact numbers until the day itself.

This will be an entirely peaceful protest, consisting of a mere street presence and the handing out of leaflets. There will be some chanting and singing (some with the use of a megaphone), though it is important to note that this protest is not again individual Scientologists or their beliefs but the organisation of the Church of Scientology itself. As such no protesters will be targeting any Scientologists who attend and we will all do our upmost to present a friendly face to any who wish to enter into discussion with us. It is our belief that Scientologists should be completely free to practice their faith but we have good evidence to support the accusation that the Church itself is corrupt – this is the reason for our protest and we wish to reassure the Scientologists themselves that they have nothing to fear from us.

We are aware that on a Saturday there will be heavy footfall in the area and so we are committed to minimising any disruption to both the public, police and local businesses. In order to do this there will be a small group of 30 or so protesters in a single file line outside the Church on Ethel Street itself and the rest of the group will be on New Street, also in single file if necessary so as not to cause an obstruction. Both groups of protesters will be in the centre of the streets in order to allow pedestrians to pass on either side. Protesters will ensure that any discarded leaflets or litter are disposed of so as not to negatively impact the area in any way.

Because of various unethical practices of the Church of Scientology (which include but are most certainly not limited to: stalking, harassment, threats of bodily harm and public slander) many members of the protest will be wearing masks on the day. This is to protect our identities while protesting as, you will definitely notice on the day, the Church of Scientology staff will be taking our photos for later use throughout the protest. While we understand that the wearing of masks may initially be seen as threatening or frightening this is an essential safeguard against members of the protest being targeted during or after the protest. Most are currently favouring the theatrical half-mask (which I'm sure you'll agree is far less threatening) and we will do our best to appear non-threatening and to ensure that the public is fully aware of our reasons for going masked. If a member of the police force requests that someone remove their mask then we will, of course, comply though we would ask that we are treated like any other member of the public at this protest and that such requests are only made if there is very good reason. If such a request is made we would also appreciate it if the person involved is allowed to do so somewhere slightly away from the crowd, so that their picture cannot be taken by the Scientologists.

In reality there is no real 'group' organising this – merely a group of individuals who support the same cause (one of several reasons why we call ourselves 'Anonymous') – and so there is no leader or traditional hierarchical structure. We understand that this may be a little tricky to deal with and so I have volunteered to be the police point of contact before and during the protest. This is merely for the purposes of passing on information and forwarding police suggestions to the other protesters and I appreciate your acknowledgement that I am not a 'leader' of the group in any sense of the word. However, because there is no leader to this group we felt it necessary to agree upon a code of conduct for this and future protests. Protesters worldwide have discussed and agreed upon our code of conduct (see below) and it will be honoured. Our protesters will always co-operate with the police and if any trouble occurs (from either one of our protesters, a Scientologist or a member of the public) then this will be immediately reported to a police officer and the group will move away from the person involved so as to allow the police to deal with the matter quickly and efficiently. We urge you to visit the forums at http://www.enturbulation.org where more information can be found about our protests. There is even a specific thread dedicated to the Birmingham protest (which can be found under March 15 > Europe) – there you can find details of our planning process and I'm sure you'll be able to see that our intentions are purely peaceful and non-confrontational.

Finally we would like to reassure you that this protest will be conducted with due respect to the police, public, members of Scientology and the area itself. We will do all we can to ensure that the event runs smoothly and causes minimal disruption. We hope that our conduct during the protest on the 10th of February 2008 will be taken into account when planning your response for the 15th of March 2008. During the February event in London, which had an estimated 600+ turn-out, there was not a single report of trouble and the police seemed very happy with the way the protest was conducted. In fact, worldwide on that day (over 150 separate events with roughly 9,000 protesters) not a single protester was arrested, though several Scientologists were, for attacking protesters or trying to remove their masks. We would ask that any such attacks against us (physical or verbal) be dealt with by your officers quickly.

If you have any questions you would like me to answer or any advice for the protesters between now and the protest then please just let me know and I will respond as soon as possible.

We wish you all the best and look forward to both your response and to making your acquaintance on the 15th of March.

Ash


CODE OF CONDUCT

These rules do not represent the writings and ideas of any one person. Rules may vary depending on your location

The following list is intended as a guide for Anonymous, and participants, preparing to engage in their first real-life public demonstration. It will also provide a refresher for those of you who have experience with this modality of petition. The purpose of the demonstration in a modern western society is to convey a message to the public. In keeping with this objective, Anonymous has drafted 22 rules that Anonymous can follow in order to assure epic win and no loss of hit points on your part. Please pay careful attention to the links and advice near the bottom of this document.

Rule #0:
Rules #1 and #2 of the internet still apply. Your memes are not, at this juncture, something that the real world can appreciate. Although meme speak between fellow Anonymous is acceptable, focus on the target and keep it to a minimum.

Rule #1:
Stay cool.

Rule #2:
Stay cool, especially when harassed. You are an ambassador of Anonymous. Although individuals trying to disrupt your demonstration will get on your nerves, you must not lose your temper. Doing so will harm the protest and tarnish the reputation of Anonymous.

Rule #3:
Comply with the orders of law enforcement officers above all else. Doing otherwise is harmful to the demonstration as a whole and may compromise your performance as a human being. Do not request badge numbers unless you are being treated in a very abusive manner, as doing so will anger officers.

Rule #4:
Notify city officials. Most jurisdictions either have rules about public protests, or would prefer to be notified that they are taking place. Know the rules for your jurisdiction and abide by them.

Rule #5:
Always be across the street from the object being protested.

Rule #6
In the absence of a road, find another natural barrier between yourself and the target of protest. Doing so will make it more difficult for individuals hostile to your cause to come and harass you.

Rule #7:
Stay on public property. You may be charged for trespassing if you do not.

Rule #8:
No violence.

Rule #9:
No weapons*. The demonstration is a peaceful event.
*(or anything that might be seen to be a weapon, for example a knife for cutting cake).

Rule #10
No alcohol or pre-drinking. Violating this rule may easily precipitate a violation of rules 1 and 2.

Rule #11
No graffiti, destruction, or vandalism.

Rule #12:
If you want to do something stupid, pick another day. These should be self explanatory. Violation of these rules during a demonstration will tarnish the reputation of Anonymous, harm the demonstration itself and leave you vulnerable to attention from law enforcement.

Rule #13:
Anonymous is legion. Never be alone. Isolation during a protest marks you as a target for handlers who wish to provoke an angry reaction from you and other hostiles. In keeping with this principle...

Rule #14:
Organize in squads of 10 to 15 people.

Rule #15:
One or two megaphones per squad. A megaphone is helpful for maintaining the overall cohesion of a demonstration and spreading your message. However, too many will confuse the public and render you hearing impaired.

Rule #16:
Know the dress code. Forming a loose yet reasonable dress code for protest members will help to maintain cohesion and get the public to take you seriously.

Rule #17:
Cover your face. This will prevent your identification from videos taken by hostiles, other protesters or security. Use scarves, hats and sunglasses. Masks are not necessary, and donning them in the context of a public demonstration is forbidden in some jurisdictions.

Rule #18:
Bring water. A dehydrated, thirsty Anonymous is not a useful Anonymous.

Rule #19:
Wear good shoes. Following these rules will assure your comfort during the demonstration. Keep in mind that demonstrations may often be quite lengthy.

Rule #20:
Signs, fliers, and phrases. Have yours ready. Make sure that signs are large enough to read. Also ensure that the text on your signs and your phrases are pertinent to the target of the protest.

Rule #21:
Prepare legible, uncomplicated and accurate flyers to hand out to those who wish to know more regarding the motivations behind your actions.

Rule #22:
Document the demonstration. Videos and pictures of the event may be used to corroborate your side of the story if law enforcement get involved. Furthermore, posting images and videos of your heroic actions all over the internet is bound to generate win, exhorting other Anonymous to follow your glorious example.

If you follow these simple rules, the success of your action is virtually assured. However, keep in mind that the success of the demonstration as a whole hinges on the good behavior of all those who participate. Ignore these rules at your own peril. Follow them, and victory will be yours.

---UK & EU
Masks are perfectly legal in most of EU and UK, but a senior police officer can ask you to remove the mask in special cases. Just don't do crazy/illegal stuff and they won't make a fuss over the masks. Carrying Identification is not required, but if something DOES happen, you might run into problems if you don't have ID.