Hasty Area Intelligence | How to use PMESII during the next protest

Hey guys,

Austin here with One Hundred Concepts.

With the upcoming No Kings protests and the potential for escalation into low-intensity conflict, I want to equip you with a practical tool that serves as a stopgap for those of you who haven’t completed a full area study.

In an ideal world, everyone would have an area study, or what the military intelligence community refers to as Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace (IPB). Now, this is not a call to make your local protest a battlespace; in fact, quite the opposite.

Our goal is to help you make better decisions, maintain distance from protest zones, and build awareness without feeding the chaos. Using nothing but Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), you’re going to conduct a PMESII assessment of your local area in relation to your nearest protest of concern.

So, What’s PMESII?

Just like METT-TC, this is a military acronym that’s crossed over into the preparedness space because it’s simple, repeatable, and helps you focus on the important details of a task.

• Political: What are the local power structures, political tensions, or figures influencing this event?

• Military: Are there armed actors, security forces, or people with visible tactical training/posture on either side?

• Economic: Are businesses staying open? Is anything being disrupted (transit, food, ATMs, etc.)?

• Social: What are the cultural fault lines at play? Race, class, ideology. What undercurrents are showing up?

• Information – What narratives are being pushed? Are you seeing disinfo, bot activity, or real-time organizing?

• Infrastructure – What key terrain matters? Think roads, bridges, medical facilities, cell towers, power, etc. 

We can apply PMESII from a macro level down to an event level (See ASCOPE RE: Levels of PMESII), but in the interest of time and simplicity, just start with your nearest protest of interest. Don’t be vague; be as specific as possible.

What does that look like using the Houston, TX No Kings Protest?

• Political: The No Kings protest is organized by local activist groups aligned with the broader Indivisible movement, opposing perceived authoritarianism. Houston officials have acknowledged the protest, with a mix of silence and generic public safety messaging. Governor Abbott and other Texas leadership have emphasized law and order, with resources pledged to support enforcement if needed.

• Military: There are currently no known militia groups or armed factions planning to attend the Houston protest, and organizers are encouraging a nonviolent, unarmed presence. However, increased police and DPS presence has been confirmed downtown. Nearby suburbs and counties are coordinating with state-level response teams in case of escalation.

• Economic: No major business closures have been announced, but downtown retailers near City Hall may voluntarily shut down or reduce hours. The protest is expected to disrupt traffic in central Houston, especially between 10 AM and noon. Essential services remain operational, though commuters and delivery routes may be impacted.

• Social: Local Reddit threads and Telegram groups show growing participation, mostly from left-leaning and libertarian users focused on civil liberties. Houston's history of civil unrest and diverse demographics means underlying racial and ideological tensions could become flashpoints. The tone online is still peaceful, but heavily charged.

• Information: Organizers are pushing a message of anti-authoritarianism and coordinating march details through social media. Coverage from local and national media outlets is amplifying visibility without signs of deliberate misinformation. So far, no major counter-narratives or disinfo campaigns have been detected.

• Infrastructure: The protest will begin at Houston City Hall and proceed through downtown, potentially disrupting roads and emergency access routes. No threats to utilities, hospitals, or cell networks are expected. Suburban satellite protests in Katy, Conroe, and League City will reduce crowd concentration in any one area but expand the overall footprint.

With a computer and a few hours, you can assemble a working PMESII snapshot of your local area regarding protest zones or unrest. Here’s how:

 Where to Look

• Reddit
  Search your city name + protest keywords (e.g., “Houston No Kings”) on subreddits like r/houston or r/texas. Sort by “new” for the most recent chatter. Look for discussion, not just memes.

• Telegram & Discord
  Many activist groups organize here. Search public Telegram directories (like t.me or Telegram group aggregators) with relevant keywords. Use caution: some channels are private or misleading.

• Twitter/X
  Use hashtags (#NoKingsDay, #HoustonProtest) and check posts by local journalists, activists, or law enforcement accounts. Track what people on the ground are seeing.

• News & City Government Sites
  Local news outlets often publish protest routes, road closures, and police briefings. City and county pages may also post LE press releases.

• Open-Source Tools
  Use Google Maps or ATAK (this wouldn’t be Austin Miller content if I didn’t sneak in an ATAK reference) to mark out key locations: protest sites, police stations, hospitals, intersections, and fallback routes.

How to Assemble It

1. Make a simple doc with six sections: Political, Military, Economic, Social, Information, and Infrastructure.

2. Drop in a few bullet points under each based on what you find. be specific, not vague.

3. Highlight anything that gives you pause: planned counter-protests, changed traffic flows, weaponized rhetoric, or organized groups mobilizing.

4. Update it daily or as the event gets closer. Intel goes stale fast.

Yes, You Can Use ChatGPT (with a caveat)

ChatGPT can be a great tool for structuring PMESII, offering examples, and even summarizing open-source info, as long as it can provide links to sources. But:

• Don’t take conclusions at face value. If you can’t verify it with your own eyes or another trusted source, flag it as “unconfirmed.”

• Ask better questions. Instead of “What’s happening in Houston?” try “What has local news reported about the No Kings protest in Houston this week?”

Another great online tool (that is sadly paid if you want all the great features) is Feedly, which can be given a topic like a region or event, and it will use AI to aggregate news articles around that topic. PMESII isn’t about being blackpilled, doomscrolling, or fear-mongering. It’s about sharpening your awareness, tracking the environment around you, and maintaining an offset from danger.

Last thing: Every TTP regarding any skill has a lineage. For me, anything that relates to tactical intelligence traces back to Mike Shelby and his work through Forward Observer/Gray Zone Intel. I took his 3-day Area Intelligence course and read his book cover to cover. If you're serious about building real-world readiness, this is the foundation. Grab the Area Intelligence Handbook or check out his upcoming courses at: https://grayzonestore.com/

Do Good, Be Dangerous, Live Free

-Austin Miller