Basko says that you should choose your fellow protesters wisely. "Is the protest being run by responsible groups? Or is it being run by people who want to start a fight and cause damage?" Do some background checking before you show up to a protest. If you encounter troublemakers at the demonstration, do your best to avoid them. "Anyone advocating violence—that urges you to make a bomb, throw a bomb, throw any item, break a window, or damage a vehicle—is highly likely to be an undercover cop," Basko warns. "They will urge you on and then when you are arrested, they will be the witness against you." If you do encounter a provocateur, it's best to make a clear oral statement that you will not be involved, and immediately leave. Don't worry about seeming rude or unfriendly, Basko says, as "provocateurs often play upon this fear, urging you to be part of the crowd or to not disappoint them."

Finally, know when to leave. "As a protest wears on in hours, violence is more likely to occur. And of course, if police are shooting less lethal weapons and you do not want to be hit by a rubber bullet or bean bag, it is time to leave."

Come to a protest prepared for violence. "Police departments nationally must have received some sort of horrible training telling them to force people to lie on the ground to be arrested," Basko observes, a relatively new tactic that seems to be becoming a standard procedure. "Forcing anyone to the ground is dirty, dangerous, degrading, and harmful," and is often a result of an already abusive situation in which an officer has tackled, shoved, or tripped a protester to get them down. "The people of the United States have the right to be treated in a dignified, decent way by the police."