Use When
Commanders order lethal force on peaceful assemblies or impose curfews to silence dissent.
Operations include extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, or torture.
Mass kettling and blanket arrests lack individualized probable cause.
Instructions
- 1
Define the action's objective by assessing the legality of commands against international human rights standards to establish a clear constitutional argument for refusal.
- 2
Sharpen the public message to focus strictly on institutional duty, civilian protection, and adherence to the rule of law.
- 3
Assemble a trusted core team across legal, logistics, and communications sectors, assigning specific roles to manage institutional levers.
- 4
Establish discreet lines of communication with independent legal allies, human rights monitors, and external oversight bodies for mutual verification.
- 5
Signal adherence to duty in advance by demanding written, legally justified operational orders from command structures.
- 6
Engage independent media and trusted civil channels to amplify the constitutional rationale behind the impending stance.
- 7
Execute the refusal cohesively across units, securing armories and prioritizing the active protection of civilians and critical infrastructure.
- 8
Maintain strict nonviolent discipline during the intervention, documenting all communications and radio traffic using tamper-proof logs.
- 9
Post-action, deliver secured evidence to independent prosecutors while publicly anchoring the narrative to solidify accountability and prevent misrepresentation.
Historic Parallels
- Portugal, 1974, Armed Forces Movement refused repression and sided with civilians; ended dictatorship and began democratic transition.
- Philippines, 1986, military units defected and refused to fire on crowds; enabled peaceful transfer of power.
- Soviet Union, 1991, army elements disobeyed coup orders; restored elected authority and collapsed the putsch.
Portugal, 1974, Armed Forces Movement refused repression and sided with civilians; ended dictatorship and began democratic transition.Modern Examples
- A gendarmerie battalion issues a public directive: protect medics and journalists, no live fire on assemblies, and no detentions without individualized grounds; commanders invite independent observers.
- Base commanders confine troops to defensive duties and safeguard hospitals, utilities, and polling sites; weapons remain secured while unlawful crowd‑control orders await judicial review.
- Border units decline removals lacking judge‑signed process, log every request, and transfer humanitarian cases to civil agencies while alerting oversight bodies.
Participants
Individual
No
20–60+ across units—command liaison, legal officer, logistics and armory leads, medical and chaplaincy, communications and public information, documentation and evidence, perimeter and critical‑infrastructure teams, and civil‑society liaison.
Helpful Materials
- Refusal templates
- Rights cards
- Tamper-proof incident and order logs
- Chain-of-custody evidence collection kits
- Mobile scanners
- Portable speaker systems
References
- United Nations, Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, 1990
- United Nations, Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, 1979.
- United Nations Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 36 on the Right to Life, 2018.
- United Nations Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 37 on the Right of Peaceful Assembly, 2020.
- Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR), Human Rights Handbook on Policing Assemblies, 2016.
Use of Action Playbook educational materials must adhere with Unruled Masses’ Terms of Service.
Stay Nonviolent. Coordinate Strategically. Take Back Your Power.