We are a non-hierarchical affinity group of Atlanta street medics seeking to provide medicine for liberation.
We provide medic support at protests and actions, organize workshops, trainings, and skillshares, and empower our community to understand and care for their health.
We first formed in November 2011 as an outgrowth of the Occupy movement. Our collective grew into an affinity group that organized trainings, provided medic support for events, and created community health programs. After a hiatus due to members moving away or becoming occupied with other projects, we reformed in 2017 and created our Points of Unity. Since then, we have grown into an active collective of both new and experienced Atlanta street medics. In addition to providing medic support for actions, we work on community health projects and offer regular street medic trainings.
We have been active throughout the 2020 Movement for Black Lives. Our members were on the ground from the first day of protests in Atlanta, and we are offering additional trainings to increase the number of skilled medics on the streets. We welcome new members who support our points of unity.
Our Points of Unity
ARM adopted these points of unity as the core values of our collective in 2017. All of our members are committed to these values, and you must agree with these statements to become a member.
- We are committed to resisting hierarchy and oppression in all its forms, including within our own groups, between medics and those they help, and in the broader community.
- We recognize the absolute importance of consent. We will share our skills and knowledge so people can make informed choices about their own healthcare.
- We proclaim the failure of capitalism, the state, and their agents to provide decent and adequate healthcare for the people. We seek to liberate healthcare from these institutions.
- Our goal is to care for people to facilitate the success of their liberatory actions. We will not police the tactics of these actions.
- We recognize that a diversity of tactics is necessary for both street medicine and community health. A variety of approaches is necessary to support our communities.