batons

Article

5 May

Batons are also known as truncheons, nightsticks or simply clubs. Clubs were among the first weapons used in history and were the first weapon of choice for the modern police, intended to appear less violent than blades or guns. Batons are commonly carried by general duties police, particularly in jurisdictions like the United Kingdom where most officers do not carry firearms. Batons are also used in crowd control, often in combination with shields and other weapons, like tear gas.

Batons were originally constructed out of wood, but are now commonly made from metal, plastic or rubber. They come in several varieties:

Straight: The most simple batons are long cylinders.
Side handle: These batons have a short side handle perpendicular to the shaft.
Expandable: Also known as collapsible or telescoping batons. These are lightweight and easier to carry on a belt. It may be used by plain-clothes police officers. Expandable batons concentrate their weight in the handle, so they have less impact than fixed batons.

a brief history of baton use

When the Metropolitan Police Force was established in 1829, their officers were armed simply with a baton rather than a sword or firearm. Many police forces copied this practice of arming their police with batons, but without the restrictions on firearms.

Batons have been omnipresent in routine police brutality and the repression of protests. Perhaps most infamously in the West, in 1991 Black man Rodney King was beaten with batons for fifteen minutes by a mob of police, fracturing his skull and causing permanent brain damage (1). Unlike most previous lynchings and beatings, this incident was captured on camera and public opinion turned against the police. Since then, tasers and oleoresin capsicum spray have superseded batons as batons came to be perceived as overly violent.

dangers of baton use

Batons are high impact weapons designed to cause pain and injury ranging from bruising to broken bones. They are especially dangerous when striking the head, neck, chest, spine, kidney and tail bone. Striking in these areas can cause unconsciousness, permanent disabilities, or death (2). Police are officially discouraged from using overhead strikes since these are likely to result in serious injury or death, but often use this technique regardless.

There are many reports of police using batons to anally rape victims including black man Theodore Luhaka in Paris, February 2017 (3), which set off a wave of demonstrations against racist policing.

countermeasures

If a group of police initiate a baton charge against a line of protestors, it is important not to panic and run in an uncoordinated retreat (4). This leaves you unable to defend yourself, and it is easier for a police officer to dehumanise and attack you when they can’t see your face. If your line breaks, some people may be picked off and arrested or beaten by the police. Instead, try to act as a group and retreat in a slow jog while keeping the police in sight.

Baton strikes can be blocked with improvised shields made from plexi-glass, heavy plastic or plywood.
Shields can also be painted with slogans or artwork to raise awareness of relevant social issues. During the 2020 Black Lives Matter uprising following the killing of George Floyd, the Oakland Builders Collective painted shields with slogans such as “American Capitalism = Racist Oppression” and “Defend Black Lives” (5). Other groups have painted shields to look like radical book covers to form a “Book Bloc” (6).
Depending on the jurisdiction body armour similar to that worn by police may be available, or it may be outlawed for civilians.
Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) armour is designed to withstand sword and club blows, and is legal in some contexts.
If body armour can’t be worn, wear a bike or sporting helmet and padding such as cricket shin guards.
A third DIY option is to tape foam padding, magazines or other material around the abdomen, arms and legs. This can provide limited protection against blows and can be hidden underneath clothing.

All options for countering baton strikes are likely to antagonise police and may lead to an escalation of force. Before using these techniques or any of the methods described for other weapons, discuss your tactics with trustworthy comrades and come up with a consensus for the best approach. If you escalate an action but others are unprepared, you increase the risk that they may be injured.