How to be a street medic
[Originally posted October, 2004]
The prospect of being on the receiving end of police brutality during political protests is not new for many activists. However in the past several years, particularly since the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle, it has become a more prominent issue. Dealing with the immediate and long term health effects of police violence presents many unique issues that are not addressed by mainstream health providers. Street or action medics are those groups and individuals who have stepped forward to help meet some of these needs by providing health care specifically to protesters and activists.
The health needs of activists are wide ranging and street medics attempt to meet these in a variety of ways. Paramedics are often barred from entering the scene of protests until police have determined the area “secure,” thereby creating delays in access to professional medical care for protesters. Street medics will often work on the ground during actions to provide appropriate first aid care to protesters and, if necessary, negotiate with police for the movement of injured persons to safe areas. Because the health effects of pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets and handcuffing are not understood by most health professionals, street medics have researched appropriate treatments for these and have learned how to provide acute and long-term care for these types of exposures and injuries. Many medic groups also offer trainings for non-medic activists on staying healthy, including such topics as remembering to bring water and sunscreen to events, as well as what to do with clothes that have been covered in pepper spray. As medic groups have become more established, many are also addressing long-term health issues by opening clinics specifically for activists and offering mental health support for those who are recovering from protest-associated trauma.
Street medics come from a variety of health care backgrounds including herbalists, nurses, EMTs, NPs, health educators, physicians, medical students, and acupuncturists. However, a medical background is not necessary to be a street medic as most receive additional training in first aid, the management of activist-specific injuries and such topics as scene control and pre-hospital assessment. However being a street medic requires more than just medical knowledge. The ability to work in non-hierarchical affinity groups, value non-western medical knowledge and work in stressful, and at times dangerous, situations are all equally important to street medic work.
Political dissent requires more than individuals who willing to openly speak their mind. The success of political actions is based on the underlying support structure in place for those actions. Street medics are a vital part of this support and allow all types of health care workers to use their unique skills to help sustain political activism.
The following websites are excellent resources for learning more about street medics. Most contain a links page to other street medic sites.
Black Cross Health Collective, Portland, OR
Boston Area Liberation Medic(BALM) Squad, Boston, MA
Bay Area Radical Health Collective
AMSA Direct Action Interest Group
For more information on street medics, you can contact Juliana Grant.
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