Protestors Release Zine on Blockades: Turning Peaceful Actions into Public Safety Hazards
Executive Summary
CrimethInc., an anarchist media collective, has released a new how-to manual instructing activists on how to conduct lockdowns and blockades using tools like PVC lockboxes, chains, and even junker cars to obstruct roads and infrastructure. Released amid heightened civil unrest, particularly around police facilities and U.S. foreign policy, the zine reflects a shift in some activist circles from symbolic protest to strategic disruption. While the guide roots itself in a legacy of nonviolent civil disobedience, it clearly details tactics that authorities increasingly view as threats to public safety and infrastructure, especially in cities like Atlanta where the “Stop Cop City” movement has been met with terrorism and RICO charges.
Analysis
The zine, titled A Demonstrator’s Guide to Lockdowns and Blockades, offers detailed instructions for executing blockades using homemade equipment designed to withstand law enforcement removal. It frames these tactics as both morally justified and strategically necessary in an era of increasing political repression. The document outlines everything from target scouting and material sourcing to construction, deployment, and managing police encounters — turning what might appear to be spontaneous protest into carefully calculated obstruction.
Significantly, the guide also offers examples of past successful blockades, such as the 2003 shutdown of Washington D.C.’s Key Bridge to protest the Iraq War, highlighting tactics like disabling vehicles, using Metro transit to evade police, and coordinated roles to manage support, communication, and media. The language throughout reflects a mix of humor, technical savvy, and revolutionary fervor. While the group emphasizes that these actions are part of a lineage of nonviolent resistance, the extent of disruption described — including potential risks to bystanders and emergency access — raises concerns about escalating confrontations.
Police and lawmakers increasingly view such tactics as crossing a line from protest to threat. In Atlanta, for example, some demonstrators who locked themselves to construction equipment have been charged with serious felonies, including false imprisonment. The zine’s timing, only weeks after similar blockading actions were celebrated in Cop City Is Everywhere, signals a continued push to normalize and expand militant protest tactics. By publishing this guide publicly, CrimethInc. is inviting both scrutiny and emulation, positioning itself not just as a chronicler of dissent but as a tactical engine for it.
Whether viewed as a toolkit for resistance or a threat to public order, the zine underscores how civil disobedience is evolving in an era defined by crackdowns on protest, rising authoritarianism, and radical opposition movements seeking to adapt and survive.
