Use When
Blanket protest bans or curfews are used to suppress peaceful assembly.
Commanders order kettling and mass arrests without individualized probable cause.
Dragnet data purchases or administrative subpoenas target critics.
Instructions
- 1
Map statutory duties and enforcement discretion to identify a precise legal objective rooted in constitutional compliance and the narrow tailoring of authority.
- 2
Sharpen a neutral, professional public narrative focused strictly on institutional integrity, procedural fairness, and the protection of fundamental human rights.
- 3
Formulate small, cross-functional shift cells across ranks, assigning specific responsibilities for legal analysis, shift coordination, and tactical documentation.
- 4
Establish secure channels with independent ombudsmen, legal defense groups, and human rights monitors to legitimize the cell's institutional posture.
- 5
Implement standard operating procedures that mandate written scope clarifications and utilize formal refusal scripts for legally ambiguous directives.
- 6
Issue public-facing policy notices and conduct cards that visibly emphasize de-escalation, open egress, and medical prioritization.
- 7
Engage trusted media platforms and oversight bodies to transparently communicate the unit's unyielding adherence to constitutional law.
- 8
Execute selective noncooperation by meticulously pacing enforcement actions, maintaining safety corridors, and registering every directive in tamper-proof ledgers.
- 9
Secure all logged data, transmit anonymized metrics to independent watchdogs, and firmly anchor the narrative of lawful, disciplined institutional defense.
Historic Parallels
- East Germany, 1989, security forces exercised restraint in Leipzig, enabling mass demonstrations and negotiations.
- Tunisia, 2011, military and police elements declined unlawful force, hastening leadership exit and transition.
- Ukraine, 2004, interior troops withheld crackdown during protests, contributing to an election rerun.
Modern Examples
- Traffic and patrol units prioritize safety calls and critical crimes, while quietly deprioritizing citation blitzes tied to political events.
- Riot-control teams meet all safety and reporting rules but pace deployments, keep dispersal lanes open, and use citation‑and‑release rather than transport where law permits.
- Cyber and intel units preserve data but postpone discretionary analytics until legal reviews finish, releasing only audit‑ready subsets and publishing aggregated transparency statistics through official channels.
Participants
Individual
Yes
5–12 per shift—legal liaison, steward for de‑escalation, documentation lead, safety/medical, operations lead, and communications, coordinated across units for consistent practice.
Helpful Materials
- Lawful-process pocket cards
- Refusal scripts
- Tamper-proof incident and evidence ledgers
- Speakers
- Policy QR codes and signage kits
- Legal hotline and peer-support cards
References
- United Nations, Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, 1979
- United Nations, Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms, 1990
- Organization for Security and Co‑operation in Europe, Human Rights Handbook on Policing Assemblies, 2016
- Necessary and Proportionate Coalition, International Principles on Communications Surveillance, 2013
- Article 19, The Right to Protest: Principles, 2016
- International Commission of Jurists, The Duty to Disobey Unlawful Orders (Briefing), 2013
Use of Action Playbook educational materials must adhere with Unruled Masses’ Terms of Service.
Stay Nonviolent. Coordinate Strategically. Take Back Your Power.
