Banged up in the Battles of Berkeley, her new memoir tells activists how to burn it down without burning out'

"In her new book, Love Rebels: How I Learned to Burn it Down Without Burning Out, due Oct. 17, Kitty Stryker urges readers to strike a balance between their activism and their personal lives something she knows about quite well. As a toddler, Kitty Stryker went to NOW rallies and violence against women protests with her activist parents. In her 41 years she has attended so many demonstrations, she stopped counting."

"Stryker describes her new book as part call to action and part memoir. The memoir part at times reads like a cautionary tale based on her own multiple burnouts. It can get really overwhelming, she said. There are so many things that require action and attention. So it's hard to pick and choose what you're going to focus on. One of her worst burnouts was after the Berkeley protests of 2017,"

"For weeks she volunteered as a street medic. It was traumatic, but I felt like if I'm not doing this, who's going to do it? Stryker said. She said she pushed her body too hard, getting knee and ankle injuries from pounding the pavement and being hit by non-lethal rounds from police. The book offers practical tips on what to do before, during and after a protest and how to organize and create leadership and accountability in an activist group."

A long-time activist recounts childhood attendance at NOW rallies and decades of demonstrations, describing multiple burnouts. Personal experiences include volunteering as a street medic during the traumatic Berkeley 2017 protests, sustaining knee and ankle injuries and being struck by non-lethal rounds. The content blends memoir with practical guidance on protest safety, including what to do before, during and after actions. Advice covers organizing, building leadership, and establishing accountability within activist groups. Street-level activism is presented as one option, with alternatives offered such as letter writing and showing up at government meetings to sustain involvement without burning out.

Read at www.berkeleyside.org