Of all the challenges preppers might have to face, civil unrest is probably the most unpredictable. It might sound strange right. A nuclear blast, or an EMP, you can fall back on tech, safety measures and your storehouse of supplies.
When you watch and read interviews from people who’ve been through a civil war, major civil unrest event or wide-spread riots, a lot of them will say “I didn’t see it coming!” They didn’t know what to look for or know when to be concerned.
It’s especially concerning here in the western world where we are constantly being exposed to inflated media messages about hot-button things going on elsewhere. To the point that it can desensitize you to seeing the real signs of civil unrest coming straight at you!
So, we thought it was wise to look at some of the major moving forces that lead to civil unrest and how to identify when to truly be concerned. This might buy you the precious days, hours, or minutes you need to do what you need to do to stay safe.
Political Polarization
The political extremism in the US and many western nations these days isn’t as much about diametrically opposed political parties as it is that our society has forgotten how to agree to disagree and be civil about it.
Political entertainment shows only toss fuel on this fire, blurring the lines between uncivil discourse and civil unrest about to explode onto the streets.
Election years tend to really turn up the political polarization throughout western civilization.
Certain pieces of legislation and hot-button topics weighed in by higher courts are rife with the risk of sparking off civil unrest.
Related: The Countdown to Chaos
Signs to Watch For
Political polarization can turn into the kind of civil unrest you need to be warry of when political leaders start calling directly for action. The tricky filter you have to develop here is not to take it seriously when political pundits, media personalities, faux-journalists and celebrities start calling for action.
These are people who tend to think they have more influence than they really do. They’re also skilled at using evocative language. Yet you rarely get any serious civil unrest or real energy on the street coming from their calls to action.
In the chaos of widespread civil unrest, cities can quickly become war zones. When things get too intense, retreating to the wilderness might be your best chance for safety. But surviving out there requires more than just basic skills—you need to master the long game.
That’s why I trust this guide. It’s not just another survival manual; it’s a straightforward resource that imparts the time-tested wisdom of our ancestors who thrived by living off the land.
So, as you prepare for your escape, make sure this handbook is in your backpack. It could be the crucial advantage you need when everything else falls apart.
Drunken Sporting Events
It might sound strange, but sports riots can cause a lot of economic devastation and potential loss of life for people living in urban and suburban areas.
While some of the worst sports riots have been overseas tied to soccer games, there have been some major incidents in the US and Canada.
Suddenly alcohol-fueled inhibition takes hold and seemingly ordinary people start vandalizing, and looting. Violence quickly follows and what started out as a cheerful event leads to overwhelmed emergency rooms and the loss of life.
Signs to Watch For
If you live in an urban or suburban area within 60 miles of any home team hosting a championship game, you need to be warry of a sports riot breaking out. Ironically the damage is likely to be worse when the home team wins, and the celebration spills out into drunken riots in the streets.
If the game is close with a lot of back-and-forth lead changes, it adds to the emotional tension. When it’s over all of that built-up tension releases into a tidal wave. Add in a splash of herd or mob mentality, and you have the perfect recipe for epic mayhem.
Related: 6 Traps to Place on Your Property Against Looting Rioters
Religious Protests and Vandalism of Sacred Sites
Religion ranks right up there with politics when it comes to things that can incite riots and civil unrest. The 24-hour news cycle, the internet and social media can all combine to throw fuel on the fire.
An event can happen on the other side of the world and the media picks it up to disseminate it amongst the masses.
Sometimes it can be a local incident, like a prankster teen or someone with mental health issues vandalizing another religion’s place of worship.
The spark ignites and other tensions like race, economic status, and social injustice cause it to spill over into a full-on riot in the streets.
Signs to Watch For
Religion-fueled riots and mass protests tend to be localized near places of worship, city districts with high population density, and university campuses.
If there’s a vandalism event, shooting, or another incident at a place of worship in your city, you need to be wary. The same holds true for sacrilegious events in other parts of the world, shrines, and places of worship that the faithful revere.
If possible, try to stay at least a mile away from these places of worship when traveling. If you live within a mile, it’s best to shutter your home and take steps to protect your property just in case. but before you consider building a tall fence for security, here’s why that might not be the best idea.
Social Media Amplification
Social media has evolved into an interesting outlet for free speech. It’s also become a tool for businesses, and various content creators to increase the presence of their message through algorithms.
Phones, laptops, tablets, along with the apps and browsers within them have algorithms built in.
They note what you and everyone else views, click-on, share, like and interact with online. The algorithm then adjusts the content that the user is exposed to.
Content creators have gotten savvy in finding ways to make certain content more clickable or algorithm friendly. This gives them more likes and social media ad dollars. Yet it can also amplify new stories, leading to content saturation that makes small events seem major.
Unfortunately, it also means social media amplification can easily fuel excessive protests, riots and civil unrest that disrupts civilized life. It can prompt students to protest things half a world away, or get people in Portland, Maine picketing about things happening in Portland, Oregan.
Signs to Watch For
Dealing with social media amplification requires a two-prong approach. The first is not to become a victim of it yourself. This starts with limiting the number of apps you use for your own social media experiences.
You should also balance this out with the variety of apps and sites you use. If you notice your favorite apps, browsers and sites seem to be bombarding you with the same messages and content stories, switch over to a competing site.
Is this other site talking about the same subject? Are the content messages different or in different saturation elsewhere?
If you go to a competing site and you see the messages and positioned content are vastly different from what your favorite is serving up, an algorithm might be trying to make you a victim of social media amplification.
If you go to a competing site and the messages are the same, it’s a strong sign that this is indeed a serious incident. You need to then take steps to evaluate the risk of it causing severe civil unrest in your area.
Understanding the signs of impending civil unrest can provide you with valuable time to prepare and protect yourself and your family. For more insights, you can learn here which are the first states that will go down during a civil unrest and if you live in the red zone. Stay vigilant, stay safe.
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The article “If You See These Signs, Civil Unrest Will Follow” by Eric Beuning attempts to outline the signs leading to civil unrest, yet its analysis is shallow and overlooks significant events and dynamics that would provide a deeper understanding of the issue.
One glaring omission is the failure to mention the January 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol. This event, incited by powerful figures including then-President Donald Trump, exemplifies how influential individuals can indeed incite violence. Contrary to the article’s assertion that serious unrest rarely stems from calls to action by celebrities or media personalities, the Capitol riot demonstrates that political leaders can play a direct and dangerous role in fomenting civil unrest. This omission undermines the article’s credibility and shows a lack of awareness of recent, highly relevant events.
The section on drunken sporting events also lacks depth. While the article correctly identifies sports riots as a potential source of unrest, it fails to provide concrete examples. For instance, Boston has experienced significant riots, such as those following the Red Sox World Series win in 2004. These events involved substantial property damage and public disorder, illustrating the real impact of sports-related unrest. Moreover, Massachusetts is not a dry state, and the availability of alcohol contributes to the intensity of these incidents. By not including such historical context, the article’s argument appears uninformed and superficial.
When discussing religious protests and vandalism, the article misses an opportunity to ground its claims in actual events. In the U.S., incidents like the 2017 Charlottesville rally, which had significant religious and racial undertones, highlight the serious consequences of religiously fueled unrest. By failing to cite such examples, the discussion remains abstract and lacks the impact that real-world incidents could provide. This omission makes the analysis less relatable and reduces its overall effectiveness.
The section on social media amplification is another area where the article falls short. It vaguely addresses the role of social media without mentioning specific platforms like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), which are critical to understanding modern dynamics of civil unrest. These platforms have been instrumental in organizing protests and spreading information, sometimes leading to significant unrest. For instance, TikTok has been used to mobilize protests quickly, demonstrating the powerful role of algorithms in amplifying content. By not referencing these platforms, the article misses out on providing a comprehensive understanding of the current social media landscape.
In conclusion, while the article aims to inform readers about the signs of impending civil unrest, its analysis is weakened by a lack of concrete examples and a shallow exploration of the underlying factors. Including significant events like the January 6 Capitol riot, Boston sports riots, and notable incidents of religious unrest in the U.S., as well as referencing specific social media platforms, would provide a much-needed depth and context to the discussion. This would not only enhance the article’s credibility but also offer readers a more nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding civil unrest.
what a crock I have a ton to do today and a back injury otherwise I would countering your points because you really are not up to date on current events, the people behind them the plan from enemies and there are a huge number in our gov all branches, both sides of the aisle are paid for puppets taking direction from our enemies they have bought and sold. The best advise for anyone right now is make sure you have what you need together and expect the unexpected. With all the migrants here and soros paid for clowns along with the clintons and dirt bag republicans there will be violence its all the left does, unfortunately many have left that party and those that remain are an angry bunch so it wont be pretty. I am not 12 the reality of this bs was noticed decades ago as we watch the players hit thier stage and play out their bs. Trump was great because , as Biden said “The problem with Trump is he keeps showing everyone we cant be trusted” from dementia Joes mouth and who would know it better after 50 plus years of spewing crap, telling lies and ripping off the nation. Trump didnt take a salary BIden is taking a salary from us, the Chinese, the Russians and anyone else that will line his pockets. Be ready be wary trust your instincts.
Chuck: It is obvious your rebuttal to the article was generated by left leaning biased AI. Do you have any original thoughts?
So civil unrest is perfectly okay when it demolishes and devastates private (and mostly poor) communities but not okay when it’s directed at the actual culprit – the US Government??? Or it’s okay when left wing protestors direct ire at the government but not right wing protestors???
While I agree this article leaves a lot out, the premise of your comment that only right wing protests are anything to be concerned about is a lie at best and completely inflammatory misinformation at worst. The left-wing, anti-zionist protests and rhetoric spreading across the country right now calling for “death to Jews” and “death to zionists” makes the “Jews will not replace us” chants at Charlottesville look like a damn lullaby.
Another area to watch out for,(maybe a subcategory) is people in power overreacting and dispatching poorly trained subordinates to the scene of a domestic situation. I am referring to Kent State which happened 54 years ago last month. Unarmed peaceful students were demonstrating on campus and the powers that be decided they were not going to have it. Armed state national guard were sent in and they fired on the group. Twenty-eight National Guard soldiers fired about 67 rounds over 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others. This kind of overreaction was tragic and we must guard against it ever happening again. I was regular army at the time and could only think what a totally insane circumstance had been allowed to take place.
Dome-
Do you know that the Kent State agitator protesters were foriegn assets of the former Soviet Union in country?
The agency was filming before and after subversive activities.
For tentliving, with a couple thousand gathered some of them would have been from out of town and some of those could be rated as genuine trouble makers. I am pretty sure the 12 killed or injured were American citizens. They did not deserve to die for raising their voice against the American policy of the time. Our constitution has very clear wording about the use of the military against our own citizens. Even if there was Soviet Union operatives in the area how can you imply that it would justify gunning down students?
I was in a combat zone at the time and there are rules of engagement that I had to be aware of and follow. Killing an unarmed person even if he is screaming his head off is not an allowed action.
This event, incited by powerful figures including then-President Donald Trump, exemplifies how influential individuals can indeed incite violence.
That is leftist Democrap propaganda.
I watched the entire event before, during, and after.
At NO time did Trump say squat about storming anything nor be violent.
On the contrary, he said go PEACEABLY and make your voices heard.
Thumbs down for your leftist lies.
crazysquirrel, Trump said “You had better fight like hell. If you don’t fight like hell you won’t have a country left” Leftist lies? We all watched the words come out of his mouth and what happened next was horrifying. I’m an independent voter and I look at all sides. I think that we should stand together and not be so divided by all of the politicians. Nobody should be called “EVIL” because they have different views.We are all Americans (except the illegals). As christians we are told to love thy neighbor. WWJD
Bravo Sierra Chuck, Trump had nothing to do with it. The Democrats did it and Nanna just admitted she wouldn’t let the National Guard in there before hand as per President Trumps request.
Interesting…not one mention of the BLM “mostly peaceful demonstrations”
I won’t waste anyone’s time by writing a detailed point by point rebuttal of this piece. of crap. All that I will say is this piece is ABSOLUTE BULLS**T!
I just want you to know that every downvoter is just angry that you’ve popped their delusion bubbles.
You’re 100% correct and your statements are based in reality and fact, not in feelings or tribalism like the opinions of MOST on here (most notably, your detractors).
Thanks for stating it how it is rather than preaching to the already-converted choir.
a communist spews garbage.
You wish your Manchurian puppet is going to get us into WWIII soon with the help of G Soros. There are dark secret billionaires feeding these illegals and street protests in the USA.
You are the black sheep of the family.
Fact is J6 was fixed , set up , caused by the rich elites so as to change the election and steal, decieve, create Kaos
Just like the Democratic Crime political structure
Lie , cheet , Steal , K— , and no matter the cost
They understand how the mobster Familys work in our gov. and how to decieve many and get rid of any they choose.
No surprise of the outcome
Mob s used for thier agenda and then NO justice, No trials, No Court dates and yes 3.5 years later , still in power , still commiting the same liars games , crimes, and atrocities
but Because God is Truth , Just , and Does No Evil He waits
Rest Assurred No one gets away Free, God s Judgement is Eternal , and Just
They will pay for thier crimes , and We the People Wait upon the lord for his Vengence , not our s
God will avail and all who repent will have the same chance of salvation
No liars networks , no politics , no more deception from the democratic liars, Thieves, criminals who run the country for power and control , MONEY , the Root of EVIL
They Serve themselves , and thier MONEY
In reading the article, the general points made were helpful. As Chuck correctly pointed out, they didn’t go into depth. As an article to bring issues to our awareness for specific and localized research I think it served it’s purpose.
I agree with Chuck’s observation that social media does more than use algorithms to push narratives. It is also used to coordinate “smash mobs” and organized chaos as seen in the regular Antifa activities.
Another item the article missed is high profile court cases or other high profile events that become the focus of a news cycle. Due to the the large number of media outlets, and a 24 hour news cycle, no one wants to be scooped and lose audience share or advertising dollars. The media doesn’t wait for facts or analysis, focusing on whatever angle will incite the greatest emotional response for ratings. Agitators, anarchists, and opportunists will use this as an excuse for violence, theft, and destruction. Besides J6 and Charlotte look at Portland, Seattle, Rodney King, Michael Brown, and George Floyd as examples.
When high profile news involves breathless talking heads and dramatic, intense imagery, take heed because opportunists might see that as an excuse to “support the struggle” or “get what they deserve,” at your expense.
I keep seeing you promote keeping rainwater. How can we do that with the heavy metals polluting our skies. Our skies are being sprayed daily.
Rhoda, that is why after you harvest the rainwater, you must also distillate it. That will remove heavy metals.
I look for pallets of bricks dropped off in unlikely places like alleyways, driveways,over/under-passes, parks, and/or popular/important street intersections, throughout the city, town. Also include U-haul trucks parked on streets overnight on adjacent streets, or areas, where large planned protests or Demon-strations are to take place… If you see something, Say Something! We the People, AMERICANS, are all in this Together. WAKEY, WAKEY!!
DEFINE “Demicide” folks. We are the Targets. ENOUGH, is ENOUGH. Divided We Fall, AMERICA!
I look for pallets of bricks dropped off in unlikely places like alleyways, driveways, over/under-passes, parks, and/or popular/important street intersections, throughout the city, town. Also include U-haul trucks parked on streets overnight on adjacent streets, or areas, where large planned protests or Demon-strations are to take place… If you see something, Say Something! We the People, AMERICANS, are all in this Together. WAKEY, WAKEY!!
DEFINE “Demicide” folks. We are the Targets. ENOUGH, is ENOUGH. Divided We Fall, AMERICA!
I’ll add to this by saying if you don’t have any firearms and a stash of ammo, NOW is the time to get some. I believe that eventually the SWHTF and if you aren’t armed, one can bend over and kiss your butt goodbye. That IS the direction our country is going, all thanks to the marxists.I spent almost 2 years of my life fighting communists and I’m in a wheelchair from that war, but I damn sure can and WILL fight to protect my family AND my neighbors. I don’t play games,I play for real when it involves my family.
I would like to add, that it is time to re-evaluate what you have on hand for protection. I recently upped the staying power of the ‘toys’ I carry on me and in my vehicles when moving around locally. No way of knowing when you may end up in the middle of nasty. I like the info on the pile of brick and rental trucks parked on streets also.
We have all of this as we speak. What I am trying to figure out is what level of these things mentioned in this article is the “breaking point” level.
All good points concerning what could bring about civil unrest. One point was missed, what about shortages. We all remember when people went crazy for TP during lock downs due to the Covid Crisis. What I am saying when shortages occur people get very unstable. For the most part we know that the supermarket shelves will be replenished, but what if they weren’t. Just saying.
British TV had a series called “Survivors”, not to be confused at all with TV reality show “Survivor”, about a pandemic that killed much of the planet’s human population and how in one story subplot specifically a gang of violent marauders found and tried to take over a supermarket’s base warehouse where MONTHS of supplies were. IMDB
As you point out, it is best to stockpile the necessary things even if rudimentary like toilet paper, because if a TRUE TEOTWAWKI event occurs, people will become violent and territorial, and the more weapons they have, the more dangerous they’ll become to others.
Preppers will be in the mix too when their stash is gone.
Bidenomics is the beginning of the end with open southern border, help!
Meanwhile in Texas. We continue to position our state to hit the ground running if the US implodes. Howard Hughes told his engineers working on the Spruce Goose at the time to “Quit thinking like insects”. The message here is to prepare for what appears to be the inevitable breakdown of the society and its government (Federal). What has Texas done to deal with this level of catastrophe ? Governor negotiated an independent trade deal with 13 European countries. We have a state run gold bullion reserve. We have our own Military. The only independent power grid in the US. One of the largest green energy industries in the world Wind/Solar. Our economy is the 8th largest in the world. The best asset we have is our history of being a Nation State which all Texans identify with. Sixty percent of Texas citizens support a referendum to put the issue to a vote in 2024. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail but if they don’t we are continuing preparations just in case.