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unit4 (definition: protest policing (Marxist social theory (Gary T Marx…
unit4
definition: protest policing
A.policing
Dealing with something ‘crime related’ and ‘non-crime related’
representations of police in popular culture are often crime-related
B. during protests, at least some laws are often breached
C. moral ambiguity involved
D. While protesters usually refer to the policing of
protest as ‘repression’, the state sees it as ‘maintaining law and order’.
Marxist social theory
more sympathetic to protesters
view the policing of protests as acts of repression.
see protesters’ acts as motors pushing forward social change
Gary T Marx state repressive actions
1.gathering information;
discouraging activists
• creating an unfavourable image of protesters
Official government statements
1.facilitate the right to
protest
policing protests should be performed within a framework of policing by consent
Types of police intervention — violent and non-violent interventions
non-violent tactics
Before protest
meetings with protesters to negotiate with them about the organization of the protest event
2.collect information and intelligence about protesters and/or their organizations
During the protest
2.verbal commands
3. use of video recording devices against the protester
s
1.presence (including the presence of uniformed police officers and police vehicles)
violent tactics
2. Slightly higher level
control and constraint tactics such as surrounding protesters,using cable ties and handcuffs,use of ‘less-lethal’ arms such as pepper spray, tear gas, water cannons
very rare occasions
firearms
1. Lower-level
use of ‘stop and search’ or ‘search and seizure’
the more violent tactics the police use, the closer the police agencies come to acting as a ‘repressor’
less violent the tactics they employ, the more likely the police agencies are acting as ‘facilitators’.
Social media and protests :
powerful in terms of their ability to diffuse protest information
2. Alternative journalism: journalism outside the mainstream mass media
Government reactions
4. The limitations of social media
may not in fact be as powerful as they seem
Three main strategic areas
1. coercive strategies
using weapons and physical force to control or disperse protests;
2.Less-lethal’ arms might also be used.
3.make arrests
2.persuasive strategies
attempts to control protest through establishing contacts with the protesters and the organizers of the protests;
2.• Minimal bargaining: discussion with protest organizers
3.Cooperation:police agencies collaborate
with protesters in the development of a peaceful demonstration.
1.
intimidation
: use of police power to discourage potential participants in a protest. For example, police agencies often threaten protesters that they will be arrested if they do not break up.
3. information strategies
gathering information as a preventive feature in protest control, which can involve collecting information about lawbreakers without interfering with protests directly
Models for protest policing
B negotiated management model
created many troubles for police agencies, including deaths, injuries, property damage, public criticism, and pressure from political elites
more tolerant protest policing model emerged the negotiated management model.
protest was increasingly seen as legitimate means of political expresson.
the role of the police was to protect the freedom of expression and association of protesters as it maintained social order
dominated protest policing in the 1980s and well into the 1990s
growing tolerance for minor law violations, large-scale collection of information, and increasing willingness for police agencies and protesters to bargain and negotiate with each other
background: The escalated force policing strategy generated long-lasting public controversy over the process of policing protest events.
excessive use of force
intolerance of disruption of public order.
indiscriminiate arrests
disrespect protester liberties and rights
ineffiective communication
Three main strategic areas
Persuasive strategies
restrictions imposed by the police were only ‘friendly advice’, and in the best interests of the protesters
‘liaison officer was also sometime appointed to carry
out communication between protesters and police
tendency for police agencies not to intimidate protesters, but ideally to cooperate with them both before and during an actual protest
gave advice to inexperienced protesters in terms of how the protest could be organized, how a parade could be instructed
5.establish a climate of mutual trust between the
police and the protesters
Information strategies
protest-permitting process
aimed at facilitating police agencies’ collection of information about protesters and planned events.
to communicate with the protest organizations, and to help the police to avoid troubles such as using excessive force,
reduced conflicts between police and protesters by making each better known and more predictable to the other
Coercive strategies
coercive intervention was used
only as a last resort. E.g. 1980s, Italy: coercive strategies were increasingly limited to situations in which the
security of the citizens was at risk
principle of the minimum use of force was
also adopted
A. the escalated force model
Perspective: no matter how rational, peaceful, or law-abiding a protest might start out, it can potentially develop into an irrational, violent, law-breaking ‘mob’
protests and demonstrations were not tolerated by the state,The right to demonstrate at that time was given low priority. Massive use of force was deployed to suppress even small violations of laws and ordinances
Lohman’s stages of mob formation(TABLE4.2)
Three main strategic areas
Persuasive strategies
discourage and deter potential protesters, the police agencies threatened the protesters by different means.
Information strategies
2.infiltrated protest organizations, and/or made use of informants, to gather intelligence about protesters
3.collected information about both influential and less-influential activists
1.all protesters and their organizations were seen as transgressors and potential dangers that needed to be combatted.
the information used to disrupt and discredit these influential leaders and their organizations.
Coercive strategies
the presence of a massive number of uniformed police officers that are highly visible to protesters. They are usually equipped with heavy anti- riot gear
Different types of ‘less-lethal’ arms are often used against protesters,
arrest a large number of protesters,
C strategic incapacitation model
definition
maintain security and to neutralize those people who are most likely to threaten internal security and public order
categorize protesters into two types: the ‘good protesters’ and the ‘bad protesters’,
good protesters’ are typically defined by police agencies as those who use predictable, conventional, and law-abiding tactics, who are willing to negotiate with police agencies, and who are generally older.
‘bad protesters’ are those who use unpredictable and illegal tactics, who refuse to negotiate with police agencies, and who are generally younger
only the rights of ‘good protesters’ are protected
Three main strategic areas
Persuasive strategies
one-way communication process to inform the protesters what protest activities will be allow, and where and when they will be allowed.
usually refuse to communicate or negotiate with protest organizers whom they see as ‘transgressive’, ‘potentially transgressive’, ‘bad’, or ‘potentially bad’, while at the same time protesters now also refuse to negotiate in advance with police
Information strategies
Before and between different protests,
2.join their discussion lists,
track them over long
distances when they travel from one place to another
monitor
protesters’ websites
covertly infiltrate into protest groups to collect
intelligence.
extensive
surveillance
collect intelligence from a wide range of sources, i.e. from both those who have and have not committed any crimes.
by collecting information during the protests, police agencies can categorize protesters as ‘good’ and ‘bad’,
5.This information is used by police agencies against ‘bad’ protesters to neutralize or incapacitate them. Images collected from videoing and photographing are also used as criminal evidence
Coercive strategies
routinely use force against both those they perceive to be potential law-breakers, and against actual law-breakers (i.e. ‘bad protesters’)
Less lethal weapons such as tear gas, pepper spray, are used by the police agencies against the protesters
Reason
police agencies had few rights to put surveillance on protest groups that had not yet committed any illegal offences
negotiation between the police and protesters became increasingly difficult
strategic incapacitation was affected by the social control philosophy
Controlling space in the strategic
incapacitation model
Soft zones: usually right outside the hard zone; usually the area in which most direct confrontations between the police and the protesters take place
free-speech zone: usually far away from the targeted building, usually out of sight and hearing; guarded with fences and armed police officers
Hard zones: protesters are not allowed to enter; to prevent protesters from accessing and disrupting their targeted organizations; well- protected