Hope
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2026 5:27 pm
While listening to the horrific reports of yesterday’s homicide, I heard an interview with a reporter on the ground that made me cry. Not out of despair, but out of hope. In describing the reaction of people who flooded the streets after the killing. He mentioned a woman pulling a little red wagon filled with water and snacks and hand warmers, free for anyone in need.
I cried because I know her. Not personally. But I know her tribe. Out here, we call them Care Bears, and they are part of an amazing group of volunteers dedicated to keeping people safe at protests and marches. I’ve been volunteering for safety teams for marches and protests for about a year, and these are my people. Care Bears buy their supplies out of their own pockets (although they won’t turn down a donation). You’ll see them at protests and marches, looking out for people who get dehydrated or light headed from not eating. When I pass them, I make it a point to say “thank you Care Bears.”
But Care Bears are only part of a safety team. An important part is also Street Medics. They are doctors, nurses, Wilderness First Responders, etc. They volunteer their time and supplies to treat anything ranging from heat exhaustion to gunshot wounds. You can spot them in a protest or march by a Red Cross on their clothing (sometimes using electrical tape). If you or someone else needs medical help, yelling “Medic” is your best bet.
If you look around, you may spot bike, motorcycle, or car brigades. During a march, they control side streets to help prevent vehicles from running into protesters. Sometimes police will control those side streets, but they often don’t have the personnel available.
I volunteer on de-escalation teams. My job is to keep protesters safe by defusing confrontations before they escalate to violence. If a car on a side street starts blasting its horn, it’s my job to approach and talk to the driver in a non confrontational manner. It requires listening to and empathizing with angry people. If needed, I’ll help a driver safely turn their vehicle around and advise them off an alternate route. You can find lots of literature online about de escalation techniques. Before intervening, the first step is assessing myself to make sure I can calmly start an interaction. If I can’t, I tap out and signal my partner to intervene. It takes a ton of situational awareness, and I’m usually exhausted by the end of the event.
For the organization I belong to, all of this is coordinated using radios. If a situation develops that has escalated to the point of danger, each pair of de escalators can radio can contact the team lead. The leads for de-esc, medics, bike and other brigades are all in touch by radio to get people where they are needed. We also typically have a police liaison who coordinates with law enforcement. Sometimes events have private security, but I’m not involved with that.
Every single person on the safety team is a private citizen volunteer. No big fat checks from George Soros or anyone else. The regimes lies about “professional protesters” are a source of endless amusement to people with actual experience in how protests are organized.
What there is is a ton of institutional knowledge disseminated through decentralized organizations based on experience. The people who volunteer do so because the rights of free speech, assembly, and petition for redress of grievances are critical to a healthy, functioning society. They understand that the government cannot, and will not, keep people exercising those rights safe. We keep them safe.
The reporter I listened to described the people of Minnesota as traumatized. That makes sense. Who imagines that their neighbors would have their cars rammed, windows shattered, doors broken down, gang tackled and beaten, and executed by paramilitary thugs? But what gives me hope are the Care Bears, medics, and others willing to hit the streets in sub zero weather to keep their fellow Americans safe.
That’s why we will win.
I cried because I know her. Not personally. But I know her tribe. Out here, we call them Care Bears, and they are part of an amazing group of volunteers dedicated to keeping people safe at protests and marches. I’ve been volunteering for safety teams for marches and protests for about a year, and these are my people. Care Bears buy their supplies out of their own pockets (although they won’t turn down a donation). You’ll see them at protests and marches, looking out for people who get dehydrated or light headed from not eating. When I pass them, I make it a point to say “thank you Care Bears.”
But Care Bears are only part of a safety team. An important part is also Street Medics. They are doctors, nurses, Wilderness First Responders, etc. They volunteer their time and supplies to treat anything ranging from heat exhaustion to gunshot wounds. You can spot them in a protest or march by a Red Cross on their clothing (sometimes using electrical tape). If you or someone else needs medical help, yelling “Medic” is your best bet.
If you look around, you may spot bike, motorcycle, or car brigades. During a march, they control side streets to help prevent vehicles from running into protesters. Sometimes police will control those side streets, but they often don’t have the personnel available.
I volunteer on de-escalation teams. My job is to keep protesters safe by defusing confrontations before they escalate to violence. If a car on a side street starts blasting its horn, it’s my job to approach and talk to the driver in a non confrontational manner. It requires listening to and empathizing with angry people. If needed, I’ll help a driver safely turn their vehicle around and advise them off an alternate route. You can find lots of literature online about de escalation techniques. Before intervening, the first step is assessing myself to make sure I can calmly start an interaction. If I can’t, I tap out and signal my partner to intervene. It takes a ton of situational awareness, and I’m usually exhausted by the end of the event.
For the organization I belong to, all of this is coordinated using radios. If a situation develops that has escalated to the point of danger, each pair of de escalators can radio can contact the team lead. The leads for de-esc, medics, bike and other brigades are all in touch by radio to get people where they are needed. We also typically have a police liaison who coordinates with law enforcement. Sometimes events have private security, but I’m not involved with that.
Every single person on the safety team is a private citizen volunteer. No big fat checks from George Soros or anyone else. The regimes lies about “professional protesters” are a source of endless amusement to people with actual experience in how protests are organized.
What there is is a ton of institutional knowledge disseminated through decentralized organizations based on experience. The people who volunteer do so because the rights of free speech, assembly, and petition for redress of grievances are critical to a healthy, functioning society. They understand that the government cannot, and will not, keep people exercising those rights safe. We keep them safe.
The reporter I listened to described the people of Minnesota as traumatized. That makes sense. Who imagines that their neighbors would have their cars rammed, windows shattered, doors broken down, gang tackled and beaten, and executed by paramilitary thugs? But what gives me hope are the Care Bears, medics, and others willing to hit the streets in sub zero weather to keep their fellow Americans safe.
That’s why we will win.