Blueprint for Revolution: how to use rice pudding, Lego men, and other non-violent techniques to galvanise communities, overthrow dictators, or simply change the world

by Srdja Popovic

We called our preparations for being arrested “Plan B,” and it worked wonders. Soon, instead of speaking of prison in hushed tones, our friends and acquaintances spoke of it dismissively, even humorously. They knew what to look forward to. Being in prison was still scary, sure, but it was much less scary than the dark things we used to imagine before we gained experience and started educating one another. And we covered for each other too. If the police actually got one of us, we all had legal documents signed and ready, giving a few lawyers sympathetic to our cause power of attorney. Finally, we had elaborate phone lists in place, so that if any of us got arrested there was always someone notifying parents and friends and loved ones. And, of course, there were piles of pre-made press releases sitting on top of desks and tables ready to be sent out to the media seconds after shit went down, with only the names of the activists and the address of the jail left blank and waiting to be filled in.