What is "kettling"?

You may have heard the term “kettling” after LA’s recent protest violence. Cambridge Dictionary defines the term as, “a method of controlling a crowd in which police form lines around the crowd and prevent people from leaving a particular area.”

I witnessed it via a livestream a member of the peaceful protests for No kings Day in LA. An entire swat team of police marched in, covering the exists in lines. The protesters were too afraid to push past, to go near enough to tell them they wanted to go home. Many of them vocalized how they thought the police were going to hold them there until curfew and then arrest them, which wasn’t out of the question. Already gassed and hit with rubber bullets, the protesters were walking to escape, waiting for the real deal to come, for someone real shots to be fired and for the police to go in for the kill. The clip I have is a great example of how to handle the situation. I’ve linked the clip on my instagram in a video defining and explains kettling for those on there. In the video the crowd follows a general flow, everyone is walking briskly, and keeping yelling to a minimum, giving the police no reason to continue the violence until they were able to find an exist. Someone passed waters as others lead the flow of the crowd, showing people where to go and exit. It was horrifying and energizing at the same time. Witnessing people in real time helping each other, doing the right thing. Everyone is angry, but above that they showed compassion. Both in LA and in my local community, I’ve been fueled by the empathy people have shown each other. I know a lot of people who are angry, people who feed into the anger, too angry to help their people out. I understand the anger, but I also understand we won’t be able to move forward without first building upon our teams, our communities, our locals, to spread, educate, and inform our neighbors and our government we know what’s happening is wrong and why we won’t stand for it.

Merriam-Webster has a long article about “kettling” and its controversies as it was used in 2020. They cited a Newsweek article in which police used kettling in D.C. to surround Black Lives Matter protesters and shoot them with rubber bullets, gas, and unfounded arrests. The term settlings beginnings can be traced to 2009’s G20 summit protests but was made popularized by the media in 2020, ironically enough, during protests against police violence. I’ve been lucky enough to not have witnessed police violence. I grew up in Chicago, where there were only a few times our police acted against us that I can recall. The city kept us as safe they could, and still do. They may not be able to support the protests, but they do protect them, often escorting marches just in case. I can only imagine what it must feel like to feel afraid of your own local government on top of the federal government. Locality makes everything, especially when utilizing communities and building a safe space to push for change.

It’s extra important every single person stands up and acts, if not for yourself, for your family and neighbors. Every body matters when it comes to protesting. Every empty spot is a a vote for the oppressors. Look out for patterns like those between the BLM protest and the No Kings Protests of our time. Protect your neighbors, be there for your friends, and stay safe.

xoxo,

Lotty