Skill Level: đźź Intermediate
The Tool: Building Your Own First Aid Kit
When you march into the streets, you’re not just up against fascists—you’re up against pepper spray, rubber bullets, tear gas, dehydration, and exhaustion. Waiting for EMTs isn’t an option when the regime blocks medics or arrests them. A DIY first aid kit is your shield, your paw-pack of survival, and sometimes the difference between walking away and being carried.
Why It Matters
History teaches us that regimes always target medical care. In Chile under Pinochet, volunteer medics ran secret aid stations. In the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, “street medics” tended to beaten protesters when ambulances refused. And in today’s America, federalized police forces have already kettled protesters and blocked medical responders. If you or your comrades don’t bring supplies, no one else will.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Start With the Basics (Compact but Critical)
- Gloves (nitrile, latex-free) – protect both you and the injured.
- Masks – filter against pepper spray, tear gas, and bloodborne risk.
- Hand sanitizer or alcohol wipes – disinfect fast.
- Band-aids & gauze pads – treat cuts and abrasions.
- Medical tape – secures dressings in place.
2. Level Up Your Kit (Protest-Specific Gear)
- Saline solution – flush pepper spray and tear gas from eyes.
- Burn gel or aloe packets – soothe chemical burns and sunburn.
- Electrolyte packs – prevent dehydration collapse.
- Instant cold packs – treat swelling from baton strikes or rubber bullets.
- Scissors & tweezers – cut tape, remove debris, improvise solutions.
3. Pack for Tear Gas Survival
- Carry extra masks or bandanas soaked in water, vinegar, or diluted baking soda.
- Keep a small spray bottle of saline for quick eye flushes.
- Avoid milk—it can worsen burns. Saline is safe.
4. Organize for Speed
- Use a transparent bag or mesh pouch so gear is visible in seconds.
- Label compartments with tape: “Burns,” “Bleeding,” “Eyes.”
- Pack light—you need to run, not lug a suitcase.
5. Don’t Forget Comfort & Safety
- Snacks (protein bars) to keep energy up.
- Feminine hygiene products—they double as absorbent wound dressings.
- A Sharpie—to write emergency contacts on arms in case of arrest.
6. Build Community Medics
- Pair up: one protester carries a mini-kit, another carries bulk supplies.
- Train together. Watch YouTube street medic guides, take a CPR/first aid class, or link up with mutual aid networks offering workshops.
- Share kits across your group so no one is left unprotected.
Example in Action
In 2020, Portland medics set up “protest medic stations” with volunteers carrying backpacks filled with DIY first aid supplies. They flushed eyes, patched wounds, and kept people safe when official responders were blocked. Their simple, DIY kits saved lives and kept the movement marching.
Final Rallying Purr
They want you bleeding, coughing, and broken so you slink home. Instead, we bandage, flush, and stand taller. Every protester with a kit is a medic. Every medic keeps the resistance alive. Build your kit, teach your pride, and remember: claws heal as well as they scratch.