Preparing for Hands Off!

Tomorrow, April 5 from 2-4pm

Good morning Hands Off! friends, 

We hope you’re as excited as we are for tomorrow! There are more than a half million people registered to attend more than a thousand events all around the country and several actions outside the U.S. in solidarity as well.

Here in Rock Hill, we have hundreds of folks registered, and we’ve heard from many more who haven’t registered but are still planning to come. We’re so grateful there are so many of you ready to raise your voices and GET LOUD with us!

We’ve heard some questions and so we put together a quick FAQ: 

Who is hosting this specific event: 

York County Rising, in partnership with national organizations Hands Off!, 50501, MoveOn, Working Families, and dozens of other partner organizations. 

York County Rising is a group of concerned neighbors united in the fight against fascism and oligarchy. We know the only way through is together, and our community is worth fighting for. We put on regular days of action, hold community meetings, and more. You can learn more about us at YorkCoRising.com (You are here now!)

Timing

Our event is tomorrow, Saturday April 5 from 2-4 p.m. 

Location

We had to put in a specific address for the map on Mobilize to work. We will be right next to that spot on the map, at Dave Lyle between Main Street and White Street. 

Parking

There's a parking lot directly behind/at the sidewalk where we are meeting, and more public parking on the same block. There's also a parking garage on the corner of Main Street and Black Street, which is next to us. The bus transit hub is also nearby on White Street. Bus info: https://myriderockhill.com 

Bathrooms

The Mercantile has generously offered us the use of their bathrooms. We also encourage you to join us there after the event and grab a cup of coffee or tea! The Mercantile is the big building with the beautiful murals at 153 E. White Street. 

Health and Safety

• Start hydrating today! The weather will be warm and likely humid tomorrow, so increasing your hydration today will be helpful to keeping you safe and feeling well tomorrow

• Speaking of, please remember to bring your water tomorrow. We will also have some water on site

• Don’t forget sunblock!

• We will have a volunteer medic and about a dozen volunteer Event Marshals on site tomorrow. We will introduce you to them at the beginning, and they will be wearing special items so you can spot them easily 

• If the Event Marshals ask you to do something, please listen. Whether they are asking you to move to a different location or even to sit down, please know there are safety reasons for their requests and their role is to help ensure all of our safety

Legal

We are not anticipating any legal issues tomorrow, but we are prepared if things happen. 

• We have requested a Legal Observer

• We are clear with the City and we are speaking with local law enforcement to ensure they understand what we’re doing

• If a situation does come up with counter protestors, police, or anything else — we will handle it

• If you are detained for any reason, please do not touch the officers. Stay calm, request a lawyer, and then utilize your right to remain silent. If anyone is arrested, we have a plan in place and will come to you

• If you see someone being questioned, detained, or arrested, please do not escalate the situation. Alert an Event Marshal, and take photos or videos

Photos, Videos, and Livestreams

While we cannot control what event participants do and don’t post online, we do ask that you remember consent and security, and be mindful of what you share. 

We will have a photographer taking official photos and videos of the event — and they may even ask to interview you! — and we will take steps to anonymize folks before we share those images. 

If you wish to be left out of official event photos altogether, please stop by and talk to the photographer. She will ask you to take an identifying photo so she can identify you later in larger crowd photos and ensure you aren’t in them. That identifying photo will be destroyed after the action.

All of that said, please remember there is an inherent risk of being posted online when you attend an action. 

If you are taking photos, videos, and/or livestreaming, please be courteous of the people around you and aware of your surroundings. 

Nonviolent Action

A core principle behind all Hands Off! events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We, the organizers at York County Rising and all of the partner orgs, expect all participants to de-escalate any potential confrontation as-needed, and to act lawfully at events. Please leave weapons at home, even if they are legally permitted. 

Resources

• The ACLU is hosting a free “Know Your Rights” training TONIGHT AT 8PM. If you’d like to attend, you can register for that here

• You can also check out this ACLU “Know Your Rights” resource

See you out there tomorrow!
York County Rising