May 2, 2024
Protesters distributed “De-arrest Primer” pamphlets throughout their encampment on UW-Madison’s campus on Wednesday containing instructions on how to overpower police who are attempting to make an arrest.
One tactic is to wrestle the person being arrested away from police. Another tactic involves wrestling and striking police officers until they release the person. The pamphlet warns, however, that doing so “could lead to assault on an officer charges or escalate the LEO [law enforcement officer] response.”
One tactic involves surrounding squad cars and intimidating the police until they release the arrestees. The pamphlet states that’s already proven to be effective at other pro-Hamas rallies around the country, indicating this is a brand new publication that’s incorporating real-time information.
MacIver News obtained a copy of the pamphlet late Wednesday morning at the UW-Madison encampment. Earlier that morning, law enforcement removed tents (which are illegal to set up on campus) and arrested 34 protesters trying to interfere. It’s not known whether any of them had seen the pamphlet, but they would have received some sound advice if they had.
“Being arrested, jailed, and catching charges are all awful experiences, but many, if not all, protest arrests are catch and release so it’s important to think about the consequences of particular kinds of de-arrests,” it states.
Eight officers were injured during the arrests. Out of the 34 people who were arrested, only four were booked into the jail. Everyone else was released and back on campus within a few hours.
Here’s what #HamasOnCampus is teaching students at @UWMadison this week. This is a pamphlet that explains how to overpower police trying to make an arrest. #Wiright pic.twitter.com/IvHGiN7kEL
— MacIver News Service (@NewsMacIver) May 2, 2024