This guide isn’t for the faint of heart—or the fragile of ego. If you’re reading this, you know the storm is already here. No more hypotheticals. It’s time to prep like your home, hideout, or squat might get raided by a regime that hates your guts and your rights. Because when they knock (or don’t), you don’t get to say “oops.”
Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Map your exits—then test them.
Every window, every door, every fire escape. Know them. Use them. Practice leaving in 10 seconds or less with just your go-bag. Yes, really. Set a timer. If you trip over your cat, start over.
2. Memorize what you must destroy.
Which devices hold sensitive info? Where are your protest plans, burner contacts, encrypted drives? Make a “digital death list.” You may only get 30 seconds to wipe or smash before jackboots kick down your door.
3. Get your go-bag raid-ready.
Include ID (real or fake), cash, burner phone, charger, clean clothes, emergency meds, snacks, a mask, and a hoodie. Pack it light and silent. Keep it always by the exit—not buried in your closet like a forgotten yoga mat.
4. Camouflage your existence.
If your place screams “leftist hideout,” tone it down. Remove anything that could be used as pretext—flyers, books, stickers, zines. Hide your Resistance Kitty merch. Tragic, but necessary.
5. Train your crew.
Your roommates, your comrades, your chosen fam—everyone needs a raid protocol. Practice what to say, how to hide, when to run. Panic kills. Rehearsal saves.
6. Encrypt. Everything.
Phone: encrypted. Laptop: encrypted. Chat apps: encrypted. Flash drives: encrypted. Your My Little Pony fanfic folder? Okay, maybe not. But everything else? Lock it down.
7. Know your rights—then assume they’ll be violated.
Have a raid rights card taped next to your door. Do NOT talk to law enforcement. Ask for a warrant. If they don’t have one, don’t let them in. If they force their way in, shut up and lawyer up.
8. Create a raid alert system.
Set up a way to signal trusted allies when you’re being raided. Could be a code phrase (“feeding the goldfish”), a missed call, or a group message on Signal. Make sure someone always knows where you are.
9. Have a cleanup crew.
If you get taken, who’s deleting your files? Feeding your cat? Posting bail? Think ahead. Designate roles now. Nobody should have to guess your password under duress.
10. Practice getting caught—and staying quiet.
Run drills. Play “what if” scenarios. Learn to keep your mouth shut, your breathing calm, and your story straight: lawyer, name, nothing else.
Today’s To-Do List:
- Pack and stage your go-bag
- Do a 30-second evacuation drill
- Shred or encrypt anything that could get someone else arrested
- Review your rights during a raid (and print a copy to keep at your door)
- Set up a raid alert system with your closest allies
Final Growl from Resistance Kitty:
Raids aren’t about justice—they’re about fear. They want you scared, disoriented, and divided. So get ready. Train like the resistance fighter you are. Because when they come for one of us, they come for all of us. Be unbreakable. Be unfindable. Be a ghost with claws.
Sources:
- Activist Raid Defense Guide – EFF
- Know Your Rights During a Police Raid – National Lawyers Guild
- Creating an Emergency Go-Bag – Mutual Aid Disaster Relief
- Riot Medicine – Evacuation Chapter
- Digital Security Guide – Tactical Tech