How to Build a Micro-Resistance Cell (And Why You Should) 🕵️♀️✨
When fascism is knocking down doors, the smartest thing you can do is stop being a big, obvious target.
Welcome to the art of micro-cells — tiny, tight resistance teams that can outsmart surveillance, outlast crackdowns, and raise absolute hell.
It’s not just survival. It’s strategy.
🎯 The Mission: Create a small, trusted group to organize, act, and defend without painting a neon target on your backs.
🕳️ How to Build a Micro-Resistance Cell Without Getting Infiltrated or Burned
1. Start Tiny, Stay Trustworthy
- A “micro-cell” means 3 to 7 people max.
- Only include people you personally trust, who’ve already shown up for the movement.
- If someone’s new, curious, or overly intense, they go on the bench, not inside the cell.
2. Define Your Purpose, Not Just Your Vibes
- Pick a focus: flyering, mutual aid, digital disruption, protest logistics, jail support, etc.
- Be clear about what your cell will do so everyone knows the mission.
- Keep it tight and achievable—you’re not toppling the regime alone.
3. Establish Communication Protocols
- Use encrypted apps only: Signal or Session, not WhatsApp or SMS.
- Set up burner accounts for shared tools (emails, docs).
- Decide: Will you talk in person only? Meet with phones off? Code words?
4. Practice Operational Security (OpSec) Like It’s Your Job
- Never discuss illegal actions in digital spaces.
- Rotate meeting spots. Use code names for places and people.
- No selfies. No tagging. No linking identities across platforms.
5. Assign Roles and Rotate
- Typical roles:
🔹 Comms Lead – manages signal/security
🔹 Logistics – plans operations or missions
🔹 Supplies – gathers gear, info, or contacts
🔹 Watchdog – monitors news, surveillance, and cops - Rotate these regularly so no one gets siloed or targeted.
6. Document Nothing (Unless It’s Useful Propaganda)
- Don’t keep notes, to-do lists, or spreadsheets unless you need them.
- If you must document anything, use encrypted files and burn after reading.
- Propaganda (zines, memes, street art)? Yes. Group chats about bolt cutters? No.
7. Have a Burn Plan
- Create a worst-case scenario checklist:
🔹 What happens if someone is arrested?
🔹 How do you shut down communications?
🔹 Who contacts legal help? - Agree on what info can and can’t be shared under pressure.
8. Stay Grounded, Not Paranoid
- Train together. Debrief often. Watch for burnout, not just surveillance.
- Create check-in rituals: mental health, politics, safety.
- This isn’t just defense—it’s building a new world in the shell of the old.
🤫 Golden Rules of Micro-Cell Resistance:
Trust is earned, not given. Vet new members carefully. If you don’t trust someone to delete their messages and lawyer up without singing like a canary, they don’t get in.
Stay small. 3 to 5 people max. Big groups are easier to infiltrate, harder to keep quiet.
Need-to-know only. No one needs to know every action plan unless absolutely necessary. Operational security saves lives.
Communicate securely. Think encrypted apps (Signal, Session), burner phones, dead drops. Ditch group chats and email chains like they’re made of dynamite.
Practice compartmentalization. Assign clear roles — organizer, messenger, supply runner — so no one person knows everything.
No heroes, no martyrs. Your job isn’t to go down in flames; it’s to stay active and effective for the long haul.
🛠️ Quick Start Checklist:
📍 Identify 2–4 people you deeply trust. (Think: ride-or-die, not “he’s funny at brunch.”)
📱 Set up secure, encrypted communication methods.
📚 Learn basic counter-surveillance moves. (Pro tip: Our upcoming guide #12 will cover this.)
📝 Start with small actions: sticker runs, signal boosting, zine drops, solidarity checks.
🏴☠️ Stay fluid. If something feels off, shut it down, shift it up, and stay ahead.
🔥 Today’s Call to Action:
🖤 Start mapping your micro-cell network. Who are your people?
🛡️ Host a private “Security 101” night with your crew — no phones, no drama, just skills.
🐾 Download our Sticker Rebellion pack and plan a micro-action: Resistance Stickers
💬 Final Scratch from Resistance Kitty:
A million tiny claws will shred the regime faster than a giant roar.
Work small. Work smart. Stay dangerous.
✊🐾 #Revolution2025
📚 Source List:
“Small Unit Resistance: Tactics and Techniques” – Waging Nonviolence
“Secure Communication for Activists” – Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
“The Art of Invisibility” by Kevin Mitnick – Book Recommendation