Old Hand Sends: Prep Your Apartment or Suburban Home for Riots and Civil Unrest: How to Get Ready FAST

by Daisy Luther of The Organic Prepper

When you live in an urban or suburban location and it looks like all heck is about to break loose, how can you prepare your place fast for the potential of unrest? As we’ve seen in cities across the country, a peaceful protest can turn into a violent riot in the blink of an eye. How do you prepare when the spark is lit in your hometown?

While our first recommendation on this website is always “don’t be there” we know there are some situations in which leaving isn’t an option.

Therefore, this article is based on the premise that, for whatever reason, you’re going to need to hunker down in your home. The reason you’re there doesn’t matter – the concept is simply that you’re there. With only a couple of exceptions, we’re also going to use things you can commonly find in homes with no special trips to the store.

For a detailed overview of civil unrest and riots, check out Selco’s on-demand webinar on the topic.

Timing is essential

The first thing to consider is that speed is of the essence. If there’s something going on in your hometown that could cause unrest, like the announcement of a verdict or sentencing, you will probably know about it at least a day ahead of time. This allows you a bit more leeway in gathering supplies.

But we don’t always get that warning. Sometimes the response of outrage is immediate, as we’ve seen in the cases of several police shootings recently. In these cases, sometimes the outrage is warranted, and other times it’s not, but that part doesn’t matter when there are people who want to destroy, loot, and burn.

It’s best if you have an idea of how you’re going to prepare ahead of time. If you know this, then you can have on hand the supplies that you need. If not, you’ll be using what you have on hand.

As soon as you feel that unrest is a possibility, it’s time to take action if you plan to stay in place. Don’t just “wait and see.” Assume that bad things are coming your way and act accordingly.

Blend in

We’ve talked a lot about the gray man principle in the preparedness world. You can learn more about it in this article. In situations of unrest, it’s helpful if your home is also “gray.”  But it’s important to understand that gray isn’t always just non-descript or non-memorable. It can mean you are adapting to the baseline of your area. And sometimes that means adapting to it whether you agree with it or not.

How do you do that? Well, it depends where you are and who the potential threat is.

Many of the recent riots in the United States have been related to race and police brutality. These two things give you some hints on what you might want at your home and also what you might not want.

An important thing to note: I’m well aware this advice will not be popular in our circles, but remember that we’re talking about survival. Not about right vs. wrong, free speech, or your love of the United States of America. You have to be the one to make the decision whether you place precedence on the lives of your family or on your patriotism and principles. Sometimes, like matter, the two cannot occupy the same space at the same time. I can’t tell you what is right or what is wrong. I can simply point out things that could make your home a target.

First, consider the things you may want to remove temporarily.

It’s a sickening fact that homes flying American flags have been targeted by arsonists. It’s practically unbelievable that this is happening in the United States, but it is.  Due to this, you may want to remove anything that is obviously patriotic from the exterior of your home.

If you’ve got a “Thin Blue Line” sticker on your car, you’ll want to park it in the garage. In these harrowing times, obvious support of law enforcement is a sure way to capture the ire of a mob that wants to see the police eradicated. The same thing goes for flags and exterior decorations that show support of LEOs. In Minneapolis, it was discovered that police officers were being followed home and their families and properties were targeted.

Depending on the situation in your area, you may want to add some things to make your home a less desirable target. A small sign in the window that says something like “Racial Equality” may indicate the residents are sympathetic to the cause of those rioting and could be enough to deter them from smashing your windows and setting your home on fire. I’m not suggesting you have to go full-on BLM with your signage. But consider something small and relatively innocuous to use as a type of “camouflage.” I don’t see this as very different from the quarantine tape I have stashed away to make my home look undesirable in the midst of a pandemic.

Unless others in the neighborhood are boarding up their windows, you may not want to batten down the hatches with plywood on the exterior. Keep reading for more information on boarding up your windows.

Aside from these things, be sure to remove anything from the front of the house that could be used to break the windows, like planters and lawn furniture.  Secure your belongings like bicycles and toys indoors or you may discover they’ve been taken by self-entitled rioters.

Finally, if you are home during the riots, gather in one room. This way you know where everybody is if things get crazy and you know that everyone is practicing proper light control. Keep the lights off – some rioters really want a confrontation, so they’ll be looking for homes that look occupied. Keep your blinds or curtains closed and make sure any light you use is dim and not very noticeable. Before an event occurs, test things out. Can you still see the television in the family room from the outside when the curtains are closed? How bright is that nightlight in the bathroom? Can you identify people walking around inside through the blinds? Make the appropriate adjustments before any violence erupts.

Be harder to get to

The next thing to do is to harden your home. You don’t want to be an easy target. When discussing this, a lot of folks immediately think “booby traps.” I’m not recommending anything like that. We’re not in a Mad Max situation right now, even though it could feel like it in the moment. Booby traps are illegal and you will be held both criminally and civilly liable for any injury or death that occurs from a trap you set.

As per the Geneva Convention:

Without prejudice to the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict relating to treachery and perfidy, it is prohibited in all circumstances to use:

a. any booby-trap in the form of an apparently harmless portable object which is specifically designed and constructed to contain explosive material and to detonate when it is disturbed or approached, or

b. booby-traps which are in any way attached to or associated with:

1. internationally recognized protective emblems, signs or signals;

2. sick, wounded or dead persons;

3. burial or cremation sites or graves;

4. medical facilities, medical equipment, medical supplies or medical transportation;

5. children’s toys or other portable objects or products specially designed for the feeding, health, hygiene, clothing or education of children;

6. food or drink;

7. kitchen utensils or appliances except in military establishments, military locations or military supply depots;

8. objects clearly of a religious nature;

9. historic monuments, works of art or places or worship which constitute the cultural or spiritual heritage of peoples;

10. animals or their carcasses.

It is prohibited in all circumstances to use any booby-trap which is designed to cause superfluous injury or necessary suffering.” (source)

Explosives, sharpened items, devices that cause guns to fire, and devices that produce toxic fumes upon contact are all prohibited.

While some folks may be bitterly disappointed that they can’t spear their adversaries with a custom-made booby trap, you can still protect your home

This happens in layers.

Securing the outside

First things first, anything outside that keeps people further away from the home itself is good. Lots of folks have fences around the front but leave their gates unsecured. If there is any inkling your neighborhood could be a target of unrest, lock your gate! Do this with a padlock or with a bar secured across the inside of the gate.

In nearly every situation, I’d advise you not to leave pets outside to “guard” the home. Pets can be seriously injured or killed. They can also be used like a hostage by unsavory people to lure the homeowners out. Keep your pets inside during times of unrest.

As mentioned above, remove anything from the exterior that could be used to gain access by breaking a window.

Many people board up all their windows with plywood. If you plan to do this, get the plywood well ahead of time and pre-drill the holes so you can install it quickly. You can store plywood between your mattress and box springs, or under your bed. I’ll go into this more in a moment but do not cover every single window of your home with plywood. You don’t want to create a prison from which you have no escape. Generally, just cover the front windows and sidelights by your doors.

Make sure alternative entrances are protected with warning devices. I hang windchimes on windows and decorative bells on doorknobs. Even when I travel, I carry a little windchime to hang on the doorknob of my Airbnb or hotel room to alert me to potential trouble. When my daughter and I faced the potential of unrest in Virginia, I set up a tripwire at the back gate that fired 22 caliber blanks when triggered. Notice – I said blanks. As I mentioned above, you don’t want to set up anything that might hurt someone. 22 caliber isn’t overly loud but it’s enough to alert you that something is going on, and may even scare away less hardy intruders.

Deterring entry

If your home is breached, all is not lost. Your next goal is to make it difficult to get to you. We’ve already discussed that your lights should be turned off. This gives you the advantage of knowing the layout while those who broke in have no idea what they’re walking into.

But darkness isn’t your only advantage. When I was staying with my daughter in her downtown apartment during the COVID lockdowns, we realized that our front hallway was a true weak spot. The front door was solid glass and there were also glass sidelights. The door frame of the old building wasn’t of the highest quality and I could easily see the door being breached, either by the glass being broken or by a strong person simply breaking through due to the weak frame. As renters this is not something we could replace. So, we got plywood cut to fit and I added spacers that allowed the blinds to be between the plywood and the glass, making it look less obvious that we had boarded things up.

However, this didn’t do anything to prevent someone from breaking down the door, so our next step was to make the hallway harder to navigate. I came across this solution accidentally. We had come home late one day and dropped our purchases on the floor right inside the door, along with a purse and a backpack. I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and fell facefirst over a giant box of industrial trashbags. When I tried to catch myself, my foot got tangled in the long strap of my daughter’s purse. This, of course, was all gracefully executed. But as I sat there on the floor with my knee throbbing, I thought, hey, they call these things “stumbling blocks” for a reason.

The next day, I created my own stumbling blocks. I took some of our carry-on luggage and weighted them down with hard cover books. I lined these suitcases along the side of the hallway most of the time, but when unrest was nearby, I could easily roll them where I wanted and lay them down at different angles to make the hallway a bit more difficult to traverse. At the very least, these things will make some racket and slow people down before they get to your refuge.

Setting up a safe zone

And that leads us to the safe zone. You may not have time to create an entire safe room, but you can at least designate one room as a safe zone. Make this room the furthest from the most likely point of entry. (For us the most likely entry would have been the front door and the best option for a safe zone was a bedroom in the back part of the house.) The room needs to have a door to the rest of the house and an emergency way to exit.

You want your safe zone to be comfortable enough for the whole family to hang out in – this could mean pulling an extra mattress into a bedroom or rearranging the furniture. Plan to spend the evening together in this room.

Adults should be armed and prepared in the event that their home is breached. If your home is breached your priority is the safety of those under your care. If you have small children or anyone who is unfamiliar with the safe handling of firearms, please keep your gun on your person for safety purposes. In fact, I recommend that you keep your gun on your person at all times during these situations anyway. You’re not going to be able to say to intruders, “Oh, hold on, I forgot my Glock in the master bedroom.” A gun is like a trauma first aid kit. If you need it, you need it instantly, not in in five minutes.

You should have a plan to barricade the door to the safe zone.  This could mean relocating a heavy piece of furniture near the entrance where you can quickly push it in front of the door if necessary. Your goal here is to slow down and deter intruders.

While you should definitely call 911 if your home is breached to have it on record that you did call for official help, don’t rely on them to dispatch assistance with sirens blaring.  As a woman from Kenosha, Wisconsin recounts of her experience during the riots, “It was apparent from the beginning there was no help. No police, no fire trucks no ambulances. None.” Don’t expect your situation to be any different.

If you have intruders, you may wish to issue a verbal warning letting them know you are armed and will open fire if they continue to try and breach your safe room. For some people that will serve as enough of a deterrent. For others, swept up in the mob mentality, it could serve to enflame them further.

For the love of all things cute and fluffy, remember that you are probably not John Rambo. You might be able to take out a few intruders, but if dozens of people are swarming into your home, you won’t be able to take out all of them. Read this article for more information on escaping an angry mob. You may have family members who will suffer due to your actions, so think things through ahead of time. Don’t just blindly react.

Create a funnel

If, despite your best efforts, people do get into your home, there are things that you can do to manage where they go. Most people in mobs are participating in more of a group mentality – you won’t see a lot of critical thinkers. This means that you can often strategically guide them to the place where you want them.

Where you want them depends upon your goal and this is where the conversation gets tricky. Do you want them to head to the opposite side of the house from where your safe zone is to give yourself more time to escape? Do you want them to be in an area where you can take defensive action from a protected position?

I cannot advise you on a public website to set up some kind of shooting gallery in your home. But consider the following thoughts.

  1. Think about backstops. In the event that you have no option but to defend yourself, what is behind the intruders after you funnel them into your desired location? Would gunfire go through to the next apartment? Out into the street? Or would it be stopped by a concrete wall?
  2. Understand the difference between cover and concealment. Television has done us a terrible disservice when it shows someone tipping over a wooden kitchen table and taking “cover” behind it to survive the intruders opening fire with fully automatic weapons. Concealment means you’re hidden. Cover means you’re protected from most gunfire. If you ARE planning to take aggressive defensive action, you’ll want to do it from a place of cover.
  3. Understand that there will be legal ramifications. Even if you are innocent of all charges, you must prepare yourself for a lengthy and expensive court battle. Any set up you’ve done in advance will likely be used against you in such a battle. If your area is more sympathetic toward rioters than us average folks, you could be in for a barrage of negative publicity and harassment.

Consider all of these things before taking defensive actions. And perhaps reconsider leaving if that remains a possibility it all.

Now, back to our funnel. It’s fairly easy to guide people to where you want them to go. Most people, especially those who are untrained, will take the path that looks most direct and easiest. Figure out all of the options a person in your funnel might have. Options might include open rooms, doors to closed rooms, and exits.

Once you’ve considered what the options are, then make the options you want them to choose EASY and the options you don’t want them to choose CHALLENGING.

Going back to our long front hallway in my daughter’s city apartment, we wanted people in our hall for as long as possible, not scattering to rooms off the hallway. One bedroom near the door had a second door that led to the back part of the house. We definitely didn’t want intruders going that way because we’d end up flanked in our safety zone. I solved this issue by putting a bookcase loaded with books in front of the bedroom door that led to the hallway. Who is going to try and move a giant bookcase when there’s a hallway with 3 open doors ahead of them?

What you’re really doing here is using psychology to manipulate your potential attackers to the place where you want them. This article has a lot of excellent in-depth guidance on preparing your space for such a siege.

Be prepared for fire

One of the most common weapons we’re seeing used in the current spate of riots is fire.

Fires are very common during incidents of civil unrest. Generally, vehicles and commercial properties are where fires are set but in some incidents, homes have been burned too.

Fire is a cowardly attack that doesn’t require any interaction on the part of the arsonist. It flushes out the family inside, leaving you vulnerable to physical assaults. This is the one area in which you may need to make some advance purchases. However, all of these fire-related items are good things to have in your home during ordinary circumstances as well. You probably already have at least one fire extinguisher. If that is all you have, keep it with you in your safe zone.

  • Have fire extinguishers mounted throughout your home. You can buy them in 4-packs from Amazon.
  • During tense times, keep a fire extinguisher right beside your bed. You can use it as both a way to extinguish fires and a weapon if necessary.
  • Be sure to test them frequently and maintain them properly. (Allstate has a page about fire extinguisher maintenance.)
  • Have fire escape ladders that can be attached to a windowsill in all upper story rooms.  Drill with them so that your kids know how to use them if necessary. When I travel by vehicle, I have a fire-escape ladder in with my preps. Hotel fires are not uncommon and I want to have options.

Fires can easily spread from one building to the next, especially if firefighters can’t respond safely or can’t get their fire truck through the mob. Be on the watch for fires in your vicinity.

Fire can also be used as a weapon. Here’s an article about dealing with firebombs and Molotov cocktails should such an event arise.

Don’t close off your escape routes

Something I see a lot are plans that keep everybody out and firmly secure every possible point of entry. And I thought that was a fantastic idea until I took an urban survival course with Selco in Croatia and he pointed out that this can also be appropriately considered a “trap.”

If you put bars on every door and window, you’ve created a prison for those inside. What happens if your home is set on fire? What happens if your home is breached? You need some exits. They don’t have to look obvious and can take only minimal preparation.

For example, I told a family member living in a downtown area to remove the screens from her windows. That saves precious seconds and allows for a far more silent exit than if she were to have to remove the screens while rioters were breaching her front door. She can easily slip through the window, close it back so that nobody immediately realizes where she exited, and head out the back with a minimum of noise.

At the same time, her windows are secured with shatter-resistant film and a bar to prevent them from being raised. That bar can be instantly removed from the inside if she needs to make her escape.

Never ever make your home so difficult to breach that you cannot escape. While your plan may be to stand your ground no matter what, being burned alive would be a terrible way to go.

How would you quickly secure your home if tensions broke out nearby?

I’ve generally lived in places where I had a bit more control over my situation, but when unrest broke out in Virginia near the home I shared with my daughter during the lockdown, I had to creatively secure the apartment using things we had on hand. I hope that some of the ideas we’ve used are useful to you.

We all live in different settings and some of us are more likely than others to face the scenarios mentioned in this article. But take a moment and imagine that “peaceful protesters” were bussed into your neighborhood (or were expected.) Do you have a plan? Does your family know the plan? Do you have any ideas to add to the ones above?

Let’s talk about it in the comments.

About Daisy

Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, globe-trotting blogger. She writes about current events, preparedness, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, The Organic Prepper. On her new website, The Frugalite, she shares thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances. She is widely republished across alternative media and she curates all the most important news links on her aggregate site, PreppersDailyNews.com. Daisy is the best-selling author of 4 books and runs a small digital publishing company. You can find her on FacebookPinterest, and Twitter.

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About the Author: NC Scout

NC Scout is the nom de guerre of a former Infantry Scout and Sergeant in one of the Army’s best Reconnaissance Units. He has combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He teaches a series of courses focusing on small unit skills rarely if ever taught anywhere else in the prepping and survival field, including his RTO Course which focuses on small unit communications. In his free time he is an avid hunter, bushcrafter, writer, long range shooter, prepper, amateur radio operator and Libertarian activist. He can be contacted at brushbeater@tutanota.com or via his blog at brushbeater.wordpress.com .

53 Comments

  1. Johnny Paratrooper September 29, 2020 at 09:16

    If people come to your home call 911, stay on the line with them, and if possible, film what is occurring. Like your own body cam footage. If you have a cell phone case you can use like a police camera, USE IT. Describe everything you see to 911 and off camera. Do not exaggerate or lie, because if you lie, you lose all credibility and you will go to jail/prison for a LONG time.

    https://www.foxnews.com/us/police-report-911-emergency-call-service-outages-in-multiple-states

    If you cannot call 911, record what is happening anyway, and make sure it uploads to the cloud in case your phone is stolen or destroyed.

    I’m gonna take a wild guess and assume that your DDOS attacks yesterday, or whatever was happening, is related to 911 outages.
    I am looking forward to reading about everything else that happened yesterday.

    • Brad September 29, 2020 at 12:28

      I’m not so sure about staying on the line with 911. Especially considering we’ve seen many a Patriot prosecuted for defending him self. 911 calls are recorded and in the middle of a conflict you might say things you wouldn’t normally say. Like “I’m gonna kill that SOB”. Things like that could easily be used to prosecute you.

      • NC Scout September 29, 2020 at 12:55

        Yes.

      • Johnny Paratrooper September 29, 2020 at 13:41

        You aren’t wrong. Just a suggestion, if you trust your local government. And you are correct, there is a case history for this.

    • Dave Snodgrass October 1, 2020 at 23:12

      There is a better than even chance that if events go critical, carbyne911, one of the foreign companies backing antifa, will probably shut down the U.S. 911 call system. So you’ll need a stand alone recording security system, and a way to communicate.

  2. Matt Bracken September 29, 2020 at 09:19

    I disagree with the entire thrust of this article, that is, to attempt to disguise or harden your individual home when mobs of commie terrorists are expected, possibly coming armed as we have so often seen with Molotov cocktails or high-altitude explosive pyrotechnics used at ground level as explosive/incendiary devices.

    This “harden your own single home, put up pro-BLM camouflage” approach is the passive sheep defense: get in the middle of the sheep herd, and hope the wolves only grab sheep on the outside.

    Sorry, this won’t do. Not at all.

    When mobs of communists are coming to your neighborhood on the rampage, they need to be met with force. If the police won’t or can’t do it, due to political pressure, then armed citizens will have to do it themselves.

    I do not suggest a front-porch defense against the mob. It will be filmed, and the home owner defending his property will be arrested while the mob is allowed to proceed to the next home.

    Instead, patriotic home owners should defend their entire neighborhood from rampaging mobs of violent vandals and arsonists.

    I’d suggest that #4 turkey shot skip-fired off the pavement at the communist mob would take the fun out of their riot. Fired from the bushes, the shooter then disappearing, while retaining the empty shell. If the police are not around to protect the home owners, they also won’t be around to find the armed neighborhood defender. Change the dynamic to “sucks to be in a rampaging mob of communists.”

    And at the first indication of arson, be it of a car, dumpster, anything, I believe it’s moral and ethical to go totally weapons-free on the arsonists. Nobody should be forced to stand idly by while ABRs burn businesses, property, or homes. And if any other communists are protecting the arsonists from identification and later arrest by blocking them from view, too bad if they take rounds as well.

    The clear lesson should be that arson terrorists should, can, and will be shot on sight.

    • NC Scout September 29, 2020 at 09:33

      It is what it is.

      My personal answer is you shouldn’t be there in the first place. But that’s me.

      Don’t scare them off, stack their bodies.

      • Matt Bracken September 29, 2020 at 10:12

        IMHO….skip-fired (low trajectory) #4 turkey shot is the appropriate initial response to a rampaging mob in your residential neighborhood.

        But at the first indication of arson attacks in a residential neighborhood, even of “just” a car, the arsonists should be shot center mass with the best available caliber. And no tears for the ABRs shielding the arsonists if they are in the line of fire.

        Then just let the communists try to defend the “right” of terrorists to commit arson with no consequences. LOL.

    • Johnny Paratrooper September 29, 2020 at 10:07

      The charges for firing Turkey Shot are the same as firing a Machine-gun into a crowd of people.
      Discharging a weapon is Discharging a weapon. Depending on the state you live in. There are ZERO statutes I am aware of that allow for the use of “Less Lethal” firearms munitions. And turkey shot is not listed and tested as a “less lethal munition”, it is very clearly a hunting round marketed to kill game. Ergo, you have just attempted murder in the 1st degree because this research and rhetoric is going to show up on the defenders ISP records, and at that point it was premeditated. Which takes your charges from 3rd or 2rd degree homicide, or attempted murder(Depending on the state) to 1st degree charges(in most states). Also, I would be worried about the left wing terrorists dosing some mentally ill idiot who took some birdshot with fentanyl and then, you have murdered someone.

      My point being, no plan survives contact with the enemy.

      Assuming you get away with this, you have just created a massive set of new victims for the left, and they are gonna have hundreds of thousands in hospital bills. There really isn’t anyway to not be the white male right wing Nazi terrorists. We have all been painted into a corner. Forever. My own mother and father believe I am a Neo-Nazi alt-right terrorist just waiting to pop off. When I am simply just an All American Dude.

      Also, once you identify your neighborhood as resistors, you will be punished en mass, en purpetuity. And then BLM will role up with their QRF around the corner. At which point you now have at least 200 pairs of eyes, plus video cameras, looking for you.

      I am not sure how I feel about any solution to this problem other than outright armed engagements and rolling street fights. Because, it will escalate. And many men will die on both sides. Also, ALL the tracer ammo is out of stock. And I don’t think it was our team buying it. A tracer round is a 600-900 yard molotov when you consider the construction of American stick houses.

      My friends have already started to move out of troubled areas, at no insignificant cost to themselves. The lines are being drawn unofficially. The next step is official lines being drawn. We can already see this with the autonomous zones. And we know damn well they are ALL planning their own Auto-Zones.

      We are all in for a long, dark road ahead. The future is full of American Refugees, same as the Syrian situation.

      I know for a fact that if ANYTHING happens in my neighborhood, once the police ask questions, I will be the number one suspect, and I will be hauled away in bracelets ASAP.

      • SVS September 29, 2020 at 10:53

        Interesting discussion. Minor point on “this research and rhetoric is going to show up on the defenders ISP records.” Correct that your ISP (Comcast, etc) tracks which websites you visit. And they will certainly reveal it if they get a subpoena. But if you connect through a VPN, and that VPN doesn’t keep logs, and your browser is hardened… then it’s harder to make you out to be a deplorable neo-nazi.

        Also, I’ve never skip-fired #4. Sounds tricky. On the non-lethal side, maybe leave a few bags of books on the front porch labeled ‘not a boobytrap’. Maybe more… definitely like the idea of changing the dynamic so rioters start to feel unsafe.

        • NC Scout September 29, 2020 at 11:01

          Skip firing shotgun loads is an all-around horrible idea. I cannot emphasize this enough. From the legal side its literally indefensible, from the tactical side, it may or may not accomplish the intended goal. Plan on getting shrapped yourself. Seen it happen with breacher loads.

          If you have to discharge a weapon, don’t screw around. Get the job done.

          • Johnny Paratrooper September 29, 2020 at 13:51

            There is a lot of case history of people blasting intruders with birdshot shells thinking it was the “Humane” thing to do, and the other guy is horrifically maimed, blinded, and quite often very dead. The effect was the defendant losing his house, his neighborhood friends, and his right to keep and bear arms.
            The other guy made a damn fortune, and collects disability for life.

            Once they march down your neighborhood, you are basically in the legal territory of “No Man’s Land”.

            Best of luck to whoever finds themselves in this situation. Once this pop’s, it ain’t gonna stop until one team wins, and the other loses.

            Side note, my parents are planning a cross country trip in mid November… after the election.
            So many Boomers are OBLIVIOUS. The PLA and CCP could be marching down the street having a victory parade and they wouldn’t even notice… or care…

          • Randolph Scott September 30, 2020 at 23:05

            Right answer.

          • Randolph Scott September 30, 2020 at 23:06

            My reply was to NC Scout, not Johnny

        • Dan October 1, 2020 at 07:24

          VPN’s do NOT prevent tracking. They provide a proxy IP address and they provide encryption of the packets to and from the VPN provider and your machine. However, spoofing your IP and encrypting traffic to/from your VPN does not prevent tracking. Virtually every site out here that is accessible for free (probably exception of American Partisan) runs trackers for advertising purposes. That tracker will be sent along right through your VPN. The data is mined and sold. Unless this ad tracking is thwarted Your full browsing history is available. You need more than a VPN. If you want the most privacy possible you need to run a security conscious browser such as Brave through a VPN in a virtual machine. The virtual machine should be set to read only and the browser set to clear the cache each time it is shutdown. This VM should ONLY be used for communications you wish to keep private. It should spoof the MAC address upon start up.

        • Matt Bracken October 1, 2020 at 08:57

          I’m well aware of the “research and rhetoric” angle.
          I can’t believe everybody here is unwilling to state the obvious:
          ARSON TERRORISTS SHOULD BE SHOT.
          Instead, everybody wants to parse the legalisms that will be determined in the end by Communist DAs and judges who want you dead in the first place.

          • NC Scout October 1, 2020 at 09:13

            I said it.

          • Karl Dahl October 1, 2020 at 14:04

            My favorite thing about these conversations is that we can’t say what we all want to say, but we can nod our heads and make inferences about what is being said and not said.

          • Bluesteel October 1, 2020 at 14:32

            To JP, IF, you are living in an area so screwed up that shooting an intruder is cause for you to be arrested then you are too stupid to be on this board. Move now, I have no sympathy

            Second , the context is burning and looting, and defending yourself against a mob, then disparate force would justify using deadly force, unless you are living in a fucked up AO, then again, you are stupid

      • Shinmen Takezo September 29, 2020 at 11:24

        The idea my friend is ‘not to call the draft board’ following any actions.

        The real idea is thus: ‘scoped rifles at 300 yards or more.”
        I do not think the ABR’s have such talent at their disposal–or very, very little.
        This will be our distinct advantage in the coming party.
        If this develops into a full blown toga-party, what the po-po thinks and does will be irrelevant.

        I am starting to believe this will be a massive toga-party because of the early revelations of voter fraud now emerging, that along with the leaks of the administration getting ready to pull the trigger on the insurrection act. I do not know that even this will be enough to crush the ABR insurrection. Hopefully so.

        And about what your mom and dad think of you–you make it sound like a bad thing. Actually your parents are a major hole in your OPSEC–who knows who they have spoken to or will spill the beans to when the party begins.

      • Shinmen Takezo September 29, 2020 at 18:00

        “The charges for firing Turkey Shot are the same as firing a Machine-gun into a crowd of people.”

        You make firing a machine gun into a crowd of people–like it’s a bad thing.

      • Matt Bracken October 1, 2020 at 08:55

        Sorry, the sheep defense (hope my home escapes the notice of mobs of rampaging Communists, including arsonists–just get my neighbor, and not me) won’t suffice. I’m well aware of the legal ramifications. But morally and ethically, NOBODY, not even Communist DAs, will be able to defend the “right” of mobs to commit arson in residential neighborhood with no local kinetic pushback.

        Arson terrorists should be shot on sight. Any ABRs protecting the arsonists from view, too bad for them.

        What is the alternative? Going cap in hand to the local Communist mayor and police chief, asking for better police protection from the next rampaging ABR mob, while they laugh in your face?

    • Shinmen Takezo September 29, 2020 at 11:13

      Ill go with Matt on this one… shoot from concealment. Better yet, shoot from concealment ‘away’ from your home/business before the violence reached you immediate location—and shoot to deliver a blow to break up their center of mass. I may have mentioned that just one person with a Ruger 10/22 dumping a magazine into the actors of the riots seen so far would have broken up the ABR’s whole operation and given them pause to continue on. Shooting with Matt’s ROE’s is probably the best way to handle such things.

      • Johnny Paratrooper September 29, 2020 at 15:04

        Except…. You are gonna make bunch of noise, and be the only guy in the bushes running around.
        And there are Light Sport Aircraft flying orbits with Thermal Equipment over these riots.
        Plus god knows how many drones and helicopters.
        You are gonna have a helicopter on top of you in two seconds.
        And there will be 100 cameras, and 200 pairs of eyes looking for you.

        These rules of engagement are only good once the rioting and collapse is in full swing, and there isn’t enough equipment to cover every riot.

        Otherwise, you might as well let them burn down your house, collect the insurance, and live to fight another day.

        I know that sounds cowardly, but that is my plan until things are in FULL swing. Once things are in full swing, their will not be enough aircraft to cover every riot.

        I am not going to sit in prison for the next ten years waiting my “trial”. I want trials for whoever let the CCP and Hebrew Society(A communist front group, and IMHO, the unsung leader of this BS) into my college.

        This country is in trouble from 1,000 different directions.

        • Shinmen Takezo September 29, 2020 at 18:06

          “Otherwise, you might as well let them burn down your house, collect the insurance, and live to fight another day.

          Here’s the rub on the insurance thing.. at some point, all of this violence and destruction will be classified as ‘acts of terror and war’ by the insurance companies–which in most policies is not covered.

          I have a pal who wants me to supervise a job in Colorado and I mentioned that I would like to wait to see what happens after the election–he if your house burns, you’ll be covered by insurance.

          Not so.

          If Trump invokes the Insurrection Act… I think that a lot of this destruction will be termed as acts of terror or war when those clauses kick in.

        • Matt Bracken October 1, 2020 at 09:00

          “Otherwise, you might as well let them burn down your house, collect the insurance, and live to fight another day.”

          Your reply beggars belief. I can only imagine that you are setting up your legal defense by leaving such inane comments to be found later. If that is the case, wink wink, I get it.

          • Johnny Paratrooper October 1, 2020 at 11:39

            I value all human life, no matter what.
            Sometimes, but not always, that includes wind value.

    • Cause for alarm September 29, 2020 at 19:22

      Agreed100%

    • DAN III September 30, 2020 at 16:59

      Mr. Bracken,

      I completely agree with your synopsis of this “Old Hands” essay. The bad guys ignore the consequences of “the law” and violate it regularly with no legal consequences. In the meantime the Patriots, Traditional Americans, the Citizens are encouraged to abide by laws that do not pertain to the enemy. Perhaps it is time they themselves, the domestic communists, experience the law of the jungle.

      • NC Scout September 30, 2020 at 18:02

        Just because they may does not mean you won’t. If anything, it means you’ve already lost the fight in your own space.

        More indications that this is not a thinking mans conflict on part of the Right. Until this changes, the results will continue to reflect this reality.

        • Dan October 1, 2020 at 07:39

          The “right” is hampered by an unwarranted belief in the legitimacy and integrity of government at all levels in the US. They are almost all wholly corrupt and have nothing in common with the founding ideals of this nation. We WILL be destroyed if we do not wake up soon and we will be destroyed if we don’t realize that the time to resist was many yesterday’s ago. The “right” needs to stop fooling themselves that they will fight as soon as the cross this line right here – the one we moved closer yesterday.

          The corruption of the FBI, CIA, and DOJ is undeniable and virtually complete. The same is true in many state’s and localities. We should not fear the authorities and the corruptions of prosecutors who let the left out and manufacture charges against anyone who stands in their way. No one from government is going to right this ship. Including President Trump if he wins reelection. You are 100% correct that results will not change until the “right” sheds their delusions and instill a greater fear into the hearts of these corrupt organs of the state. Prosecutors providing support for the insurrection should be found hanging from the lampposts on the busiest roads .

          • NC Scout October 1, 2020 at 07:44

            Very well said brother.

      • Matt Bracken October 1, 2020 at 09:03

        It is always the same. We are in mortal combat with back-stabbing street fighters, allied with lying referees who are on the side of the backstabbers, and our side always says, “We’ll lose the moral high ground if we give up the Marquess of Queensbury Rules.”
        No, we’ll just be dead and buried, while the back-stabbing communists laugh and move to their next polite sucker victims.

  3. Rooster September 29, 2020 at 11:20

    I agree with the grey man theory in order to preserve life and improve your position. Once things become “incendiary” then the game becomes life or death; Persons will need to do what is best for their family and community. A single person, no matter how well equipped, is a dead duck in the end. Groups of folks that are familiar with each other and their topography are a viable defense even for just a show of force. Will is a fleeting gentleman when shits in your face!
    Either way, larping these scenarios is best done now not later. Stress inoculation will take out many peeps as they missed the friend factor in their preps. No man is an island even in a pile of brass.
    R

  4. Brad September 29, 2020 at 13:27

    I don’t think the idea of hordes of Clowns rolling down most peoples streets is reality. Maybe if you live in Portland, Seattle, L.A., etc. There’s not enough of these clowns to go around. Some time ago they let it be known they had names and addresses of Trump Supporters/Conservatives and would be paying them visits in the middle of the night. If you live in rural or even suburbia America I personally would worry about teams of 6 to 8 doing home invasion style attacks at 3:00 AM.

    • Badger September 29, 2020 at 18:19

      I would agree with ‘most’ of this. Thus far, forays into smaller cities, or towns on “the edge of rural” have not gone well for the ABR. However, they have the logistical capability to change the dynamic in terms of numbers hitting Smalltown, USA at nearly the snap of a finger. Their vehicular capability is solid, whether their own SUVs or rental U-Hauls or mini-vans.

      They have lots of parties planned for the month of October in the run-up to the election.
      Don’t underestimate their ability to evolve their own response for the next time. They’re doing it now.

      A small town neighborhood protection team can, MAYBE, secure (I mean REALLY secure) a full block to the compass points, depending upon terrain, buildings, etc., and assuming they have a solid comms capability. In my little berg, on our little end of town near the limits and a marsh, the goal & planning is that they don’t even start up the block before receiving encouragement to change their behavior or direction. But, as stated, this stuff is something worked out beforehand, not the afternoon of. Everyone’s topography is different.

      Pandering “I’m harmless” camo on the house? Not a chance. We’ve already seen, it DOESN’T work, home or business. Ask a couple of NW city mayors about how that worked out for their beautiful homes that now aren’t ready for that photo-shoot from Progressive Monthly..

      • NC Scout September 29, 2020 at 18:27

        Depends on what their goal is. They could level a rural area quickly if they wanted to. That’s not currently a goal.

        They have ‘organic farms’ for that, later.

        • Brad September 29, 2020 at 18:45

          I would think voter intimidation has to be high on their list if not their primary goal. Which brings up another real potential problem area. Polling places. No matter where you live. And you can’t carry a gun, legally, inside of those places.

          • NC Scout September 29, 2020 at 18:54

            They already did that en masse with the covid mail in ballots.

            We didn’t do that for polio or smallpox, which actually did have people laying dead in the streets.

  5. WilliamtheResolute September 29, 2020 at 14:26

    As outlined in “A Failure of Civility”, the entrances to our low-rise neighborhood will be barricaded and controlled by armed sentries. Any rioters who breach the perimeter will be engaged by prepositioned assets willing to use as much force as necessary. We aren’t vigilantes but we don’t intend to be victims, the goal is to drive the insurgents from the neighborhood and end the fight quickly with as little loss to life and property as possible. We are fortunate to live in a deep Red state but our largest city is quite Blue and only ten miles away, it has the potential for thousands of rioters to invade the affluent suburbs surrounding the city.

    If our defenders are threatened by armed rioters we consider kneecap level buckshot to be a warning shot and any arsonists will be neutralized. In the event these tactics don’t get the desired result there will be a major escalation of response. These rioters are Marxists and paid criminals and have stated repeatedly they are willing to kill anyone who stands in their way, they need to be dealt with swiftly and decisively. We intend to stand our ground and protect our families and our property, good luck and God Bless all patriots.

    • Matt Bracken October 1, 2020 at 10:44

      Amen, brother.

  6. Exring September 29, 2020 at 18:44

    With a very superficial look at the responses, one thing sticks out. We have a system that supports a “two tiered” legal system (there is NO Justice). The “aggressor” is already organized and gets a “pass” in the “legal system” while I hear the above detractors suggest that we will be in trouble if we “resist”. So, when do we get the ‘green light’ to fight back. Every encounter I had with the bully on the play ground was only stopped with more aggression than they leveled on me. The problem is “If I wait for the first punch to be thrown, will I be guaranteed a second punch?” Just asking, particularly the “Johnny paratrooper”.

    • NC Scout September 29, 2020 at 18:53

      I agree. But it doesn’t change “what is”.

      At least for now.

      • Exring September 30, 2020 at 09:40

        And this is the delemma! We may be capable but without support and leadership, all I can try to do is control the end of my driveway.

        • NC Scout September 30, 2020 at 09:49

          That’s the other problem, you’re thinking too big.

          Keep your cells small. Go back and watch “The Battle of Algiers.” I posted it here some time ago. That’s how you fight an asymmetric war.

          It starts with recognizing Traditional Authority, which itself begins by recognizing the Tradition of a People.

          • Curious Passerby October 1, 2020 at 00:08

            This might do better as a new topic all its own, but something about your comment resonated with me. Battle of Algiers was awesome. I remember watching it with Arabic students at DLI years ago.

            So, many modern resistance/liberation movements have drawn on border regions and neutral nations as safe areas for non-combat operations, like fund raising, procurement, training, arms smuggling, propaganda, recruiting, medical support, etc. Pre-ISIS, Iraqis used Syria and Iran for safety. Afghans have always relied on Pakistan. Novorussians rely on Russia. The NVA relied on Laos and Cambodia. North Korea relied on China. Mexican narcos rely on Mexico. The IRA used Boston.

            David Kilcullen’s Out Of The Mountains discussed this issue with his idea of “littoral regions” stretching much father inland then was previously considered and how organized crime and rebel groups can exploit their immigrant groups overseas for support.

            Where do you foresee FreeFor safe areas? I don’t think our neighbors will be permitted to allow us to use them the way the PLO, Tamil Tigers, IRA, and others used us. I imagine Uncle Sam would lean on them big time to not allow overt “legal” FreeFor supporters to operate.

            I think most of Europe would similarly be off-limits for the same reasons. No NATO country is going to welcome FreeFor personnel. The only areas I can imagine would be Russia and Serbia, maybe some African or Middle Eastern nations?

            Traditionally, hardcore leftists moved out of the country to North African training camps and arms, people, and supplies quietly came back from overseas. Recently, there was more scrutiny and knowledge of US and EU citizens moving to Syria to fight with ISIS. It might be harder to avoid scrutiny in the near future.

          • NC Scout October 1, 2020 at 07:03

            This is an excellent question. And definitely a topic all it’s own.

            I’ll write something up.

  7. Whydah September 30, 2020 at 15:13

    Lots of good conversation here that provides a lot to think about. Our place is rural and isolated. Our isolation is a big part of our security before the hardware comes out. Our isolation is also one of our greatest weaknesses should we be discovered by someone interested in doing us harm. Its only the two of us senior citizens, not a trained cadre of defenders, unfortunately. Not even a real neighborhood as most would understand that term. But I do imagine those residents in the surrounding area would rally if they have the advance notice. A small group of opportunists, however, are my major concern, not a mob. We employ that old axiom, “Don’t keep your eggs in one basket” strategy so we wouldn’t loose it all since we have an evac plan should something not go our way. We’ll either come back to pick up the pieces, or maybe we’ll circle around and put some major hurt on the intruders they weren’t expecting. I would take a great deal of satisfaction in that, and they wouldn’t be leaving… ever, if you catch my drift.

    Living in fear is a awful thing. Allowing fear to prevent you from the exercise of a basic human right like defending yourself and family from likely serious bodily harm or death for fear of later punishment for doing so is the worst type of fear I think. That type fear steals away your very humanity. What sort of person allows themselves to be violently victimized in fear of a crooked prosecutor? Attempt to set my house ablaze while we are inside and I will shoot you. Force your way into my house while we still occupy it and I will shoot you. Can’t be more clear than that, and there won’t be any “equality” signs in the window, either.

    • Mike Nomad September 30, 2020 at 20:14

      Yes, living in fear of these clowns to the point that you allow them to steal your God-given gift of life is insane. Will not happen. Doffing the Flag or placing BLM signs in your window is also an affront to my freedom and human dignity. Also, what good is the 2A if you keep your guns in your locker? If someone tries to burn or invade my home, then it is time to use those guns for what the Framers intended. If Antifa or BLM gets blown to pieces in the process…well do stupid things, win stupid prizes. Yes, I suppose a verdict against you could end up depriving you of all your material possessions, but if you submit to communism, you will lose it all anyway, If people are only worried about losing their “things” then I question their ultimate commitment to freedom. The Founders were willing to lose everything for precious freedom. However, don’t be stupid; your preps should include self defense insurance, at least a half-million, and also if you have your retirement, lock it up in a pension. If it was good enough to prevent the Browns and Goldmans from exercising their 33M legal judgment against OJ Simpson, then it is good enough for the average person to come out of these troubles with something. Seems like if you come out with social security, a pension and drive Uber, you will be doing okay in retirement after the smoke clears!

  8. Anonymous September 30, 2020 at 16:46

    0.5

  9. Ohio John October 1, 2020 at 08:23

    If you are forced to engage them, take them all out. There won’t be much legal difference between shooting 1 and shooting 50 so you might as well do a service for your country. The Just-us system will fuck you hard either way.

    My house is 200 feet off the road. If they get to the halfway point of my yard they will get shot. Once that starts I’m going to clear the deck. Given enough warning our road is easily closed at both ends and it’s a half mile walk through the woods and marshes from the next road. We have a lot of radios and my entire ham radio system is off grid solar so it will stay up and running.

    I’m not expecting things to get too sporty around here but we are prepared nonetheless.

    • Johnny Paratrooper October 1, 2020 at 11:48

      You can only get the electric chair once. That’s what I always say.

      Also, Don’t bother warning them. They know they are Trespassing.
      FYI, in MD(And other states) you cannot charge someone with “Trespassing” unless a sign is up marked “No Trespassing” and the boundary is clearly marked.
      Prepare your markings now. And when things go hot, you can throw them up.
      Do it now. Or, lose the legal high ground. And possible your sanity if you blast the wrong person. Which does happen.

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