Protest Safety & Capitol Police

We have cultivated a good working relationship with the Capitol police. We’re not pro-police and we recognize the entire policing system is deeply flawed and steeped in racism, ableism, and classism.

However, we do see the value in having a pleasant working relationship with the people who police the area our events are primarily held in.

We ask that event attendees help us keep our protests safe by adhering to the following:

• Don’t carry weapons to our protests. We believe in non-violence and de-escalation, and carrying weapons is not only illegal on Capitol grounds; it’s antithetical to our mission statement. We’ve seen instances where openly carrying weapons can promote violence and lead to tragedy, and we don’t want that at our events. We understand the value of having liberal groups that openly carry; but our events aren’t the place for it.  

• Abide by other Capitol rules; even if they seem a little silly. You’re also not allowed to carry aerosols (including spray sunscreen), knives, multitools, screwdrivers, and other tools that could be used as a weapon. You also cannot bring toasters. Please leave both the toasters and the soup for your family at home.

• Ignore any counter protesters. There’s always a chance people will show up to stir up trouble at any protest. This can look like someone driving by and yelling something rude to nazis marching around. They want attention. Please don’t give it to them.

• Don’t participate in violence. If you see someone being aggressive, alert our event safety team—don’t engage! Our safety team is trained in de-escalation and non-violent tactics.

We’ve given our attendees our word that we’re doing what we can to make a space for peaceful protest, and we hold that promise sacred. We cannot control what others do, but we will do our best to keep every attendee safe.

If we see you carrying a weapon at our protest, we will kindly ask you to put it back into your vehicle or leave the event. This is for everyone’s safety.

If you don’t want to disarm, you can walk across the street from the Capitol. To be honest, we’d prefer it if you left the weapons at home or in your vehicle, but this is an option that is available to you legally.

If you refuse to disarm or leave, you’re creating a safety concern for our attendees. If our speaking to you doesn’t work, we may indeed get the Capitol police involved.

A note on guns:

Our group’s position is mixed, but largely pro-weapons-in-the-right-hands. We believe in require comprehensive proper background checks, making it illegal for those with domestic violence records to have weapons, and keeping guns out of children’s hands. Many of us are gun owners. Our group contains veterans, hunters, and private citizens who are comfortable around the idea of gun ownership.

However, we don’t want weapons at our protests, for reasons beyond their illegality at the Capitol. Guns have a way of making people uncomfortable and can be extremely triggering to a lot of people. It “raises the temperature” and makes protests feel less safe. When you walk up to a protest with a gun, no one knows if you’re the next Kyle Rittenhouse or if you’re intent on providing “security” for the attendees. It just adds stress and strain.

We ask that if you do have a passion for keeping those around you safe, you leave the weapons at home and look into joining our Safety Team.