This document provides guidance on how to stay safe during crowds, civil unrest, and riots. It advises having an emergency exit plan, knowing your surroundings, avoiding confrontation, blending in to move away from danger, and curling into a ball if threatened on the ground. During arrests or violence, the document instructs not resisting and contacting an embassy if overseas. The overall message is that crowds can quickly become dangerous and it is important to always be prepared with safety in mind.

1. How To Deal With
Crowds,
Civil Unrest, and Riots

2. Crowds act differently than individuals.
What was a peaceful protest or event can quickly
escalate.
No matter what your role, even as an innocent
bystander, it pays to be prepared.
Also, you can unexpectedly become caught up in an
incident while in transit from work, school or traveling.
Crowds, Civil Unrest and Riots

3. This also applies to any crowded environment where
things can get out of control:
Sports events.
Concerts.
Movie theaters.
Any time there is a crowd, there is a possibility for an
incident that will get out of control.
People have been killed and hurt at these events.
Civil Unrest and Riots

4. On the left is the crush at the Hillsborough Soccer
match where poor crowd control led to a crush that
killed 96.
On the right is the Station Nightclub Fire which killed
100.
Any gathering of a number of people can turn
dangerous in a myriad of ways.

5. 11 people were killed at a Who concert because of the
crush for festival seating.
39 people were killed at a soccer match in Belgium
while trying to escape a fight between fans.
96 people were killed at a soccer match in England
when fans were channeled into too tight a space with
no exit.
I cover this event in The Green Beret Guide to Great
Disasters where I show the cascade events that led to
the disaster; none of which were the crowd’s fault.
Civil Unrest and Riots

6. Crowded night clubs have often been the scene of
disasters.
The Station fire in Rhode Island killed 100 people when
pyrotechnics started a fire. Many died rushing for the
same door and getting caught in the stampede.
Civil Unrest and Riots

7. Think about what would happen if a fire broke out or an
active shooter occurred at any large event.
Always know where the exits are.
Have a plan to get out.
Remember: people will instinctively go toward the way
they came in.
Locate the emergency or other exits as soon as you
enter any venue. Make sure you can find them in the
dark and in a panicked crowd.
If going with a group, make sure you have a rally point
outside the venue to meet at in case you get separated.

8. Know the area where you live, work, and go to school.
Check out and know alternate routes.
Get familiar with the area.
Check maps by looking at your phone apps.
Every so often, take a different route to familiarize
yourself with alternatives. You might even find a faster
way.
If driving, make sure you have a physical street map.
If you can prepare and have to travel through an area
that might have a riot, carry a solution for rinsing your
eyes out in case of tear gas.
Make sure you have identification.
Be Prepared

9. The best way to avoid problems is to avoid the riot.
Social media, hashtags and local media can give
warning of where crowds are gathering.
Avoid places where security forces/police are
gathering.
Be Prepared

10. Eye protection is critical as rubber bullets are not soft.
The same with gas pellets fired by ‘paintball’ guns.
If either strike your eye, you can lose your vision.
In 10th Special Forces, we were issued ballistic eye
armor at one point, both clear and shaded, to protect
our eyes during close quarters battle drills (room
clearing).
While it might be tempting to film things, this also puts
you in the line of fire of whatever you’re filming.
Civil Unrest and Riots

11. Note the gear
an experienced
protestor has.
For those not
involved and
bystanders,
consider which
parts of this you
can improvise for
your own
protection.
Do not shine laser
pens into anyone’s
eyes.

12. When traveling, aim for as many crossroads as
possible because they give you three options to go in.
Try not to get channelized.
Remain calm.
Hide.
Avoidance is always best.
Blend in while moving away.
Avoid law enforcement if they have donned their riot
gear because they will tend to arrest first and ask
questions later.
If you must pass through rioters/looters/etc wear long
sleeves, long pants, consider a motorcycle, bike or
other helmet.
Civil Unrest and Riots

13. Walk, don’t run, as you might attract attention.
Don’t make eye contact.
Don’t confront people.
Don’t stop.
If you’re with someone from your team, hold hands
tightly.
Don’t get involved. It’s not your riot.
Stay close to walls, on the edges of crowds.
Avoid bottlenecks.
Civil Unrest and Riots

14. If you’re in your car, back up and get away from any
crowds. Never attempt to drive through.
If you are caught in a crowd, don’t drive through, speed
up or act aggressive. Keep your doors locked and your
windows up.
Riots usually happen on streets, not in buildings.
Get off the street and into a building.
Stay away from windows.
Look for another exit.
Be careful of fire.
Civil Unrest and Riots

15. If necessary, on foot, go with the flow. Become part of
the crowd and edge your path away from the violence.
Don’t go against the flow of the crowd.
Walk away; don’t run as it will draw attention.
Avoid being filmed as much as possible. Remember
there is CCTV everywhere. Keep your head down.
Cover your face. Even if innocent, you can be
considered a suspect.
Civil Unrest and Riots

16. If pushed to the ground, curl into a ball.
Cover your head with your arms and remain still until
the crowd moves away. If possible, try to get against a
wall.
If shooting breaks out, drop to the ground, lie flat, and
cover your head with your arms. Try to find any cover
close by. Underneath parked vehicles works.
Civil Unrest and Riots

17. If arrested, do not resist.
Go along peacefully.
If overseas and arrested try to contact the embassy
immediately.
Civil Unrest and Riots

18. Cool Gus says Stay Safe Out There!

19. More Free Information
I constantly update free, downloadable
slideshows like this on my web site for
preparation and survival and other
topics.
FREE SLIDESHOWS
Also, I conduct Area Study workshops
for those interested in properly
preparing for their specific
circumstances.

20. AMAZON
This book walks you through your personal situation,
your home, and your Area of Operations.

21. AMAZON

22. AMAZON

24. New York Times bestselling author, is a graduate of West
Point and former Green Beret. He’s had over 80 books
published, including the #1 bestselling series Green Berets,
Time Patrol, Area 51, and Atlantis. He’s sold over 5 million
books. He was born in the Bronx and has traveled the world.
He’s lived on an island off the east coast, an island off the
west coast, in the Rocky Mountains, the Smoky Mountains
and other places, including time in East Asia studying martial
arts.
He was an instructor and course developer/writer for years
at the JFK Special Warfare Center and School which trains
Green Berets and also runs the SERE school:
Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape.
www.bobmayer.com