Civil unrest and protests

Before

Smartraveller (Australian Government):

• Follow the news.
• Unrest often happens around major anniversaries and elections.
• Authorities may block phones or the internet during unrest. Get information while you can.

If unrest is near you

Smartraveller:

• Avoid all protests. Even peaceful ones can turn violent without warning.
• Stay put or move. If you're safe where you are, stay; many protests are short. If you're not safe, go to a safe place away from the unrest.
• Don't watch. Don't go watch or film it. Authorities may treat you as a participant.
• Follow instructions. Do what police and paramedics tell you.
• Check in early. Tell family and friends you're okay as soon as you can, because communications may be cut later.
• Expect closures. Roads may close and transit may stop. Plan transport before you go out.

Sheltering

If officials tell you to stay inside, use Ready.gov's shelter-in-place steps (the Shelter chapter).

If violence breaks out where you are, use Ready.gov's public-attack steps: run, cover and hide, and defend only as a last resort.

After

If you're injured, go to a hospital away from the unrest.

Check whether your insurance excludes civil unrest. Smartraveller says it is a common exclusion for hire cars.