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Expert Investigations
The most effective protest movements have tactics for spreading their message. Welcome to the fourth article in this series, where I will briefly look at an aspect of protests in each article.
Setting the Scene
The country and the world are increasingly becoming a fractious, violent, tumultuous place of unrest. With the huge increase in false media, fake news, conspiracy theorists and self-appointed unqualified ‘sleuths and hacks,’ is the population being led more proactively towards protests and disruptive behaviour?
Organised and established protest groups actively seek publicity in order to fuel their cause. Many such groups have international reach. But there are also those more localised protest groups who equally seek local and national publicity.
From ‘Stop the Oil,’ ‘Extinction Rebellion’ or ‘Plane Stupid’ who are the more recognised organisations, localised protests can cause huge disruption, economic loss and fear for those who are the target of the protestors.
What Are The Tactics Used?
Tactics are the methods that a protestor or protest groups will to use in order to achieve what they want in a particular situation. And the advantage is certainly with the protestor(s). The smaller the group / splinter group, the harder it is to identify and prevent or disrupt tactics.
Tactics vary according to the opposition or situation you are facing and the position the tactician finds themselves in. There are so many variables regarding protest groups or individuals. It becomes increasingly difficult, even potentially impossible to pre-empt the tactics that may be used.
Remember as one side devises tactics the other side are frustrating those tactics, and both will be playing to their strengths built around:
Capacity
Which may include their skill set
Resources
Including numbers of individuals, tools and specialist equipment available for the tactic
Finances
Available for the tactic chosen
Infrastructure
To support, aid or hinder the tactics
Personal Safety
Including health and safety for the protestors
As in any other arena where tactics are consistently evident, the tactics will be changeable as the ‘events / situation unfolds. As mentioned in previous articles protests can be local, national and international and many groups may be large, small or a lone individual.
What Affects Tactics?
Resources, such as numbers of persons and their appetite for criminal activity, the risk of arrest and prosecution may also affect tactics. As does the reason for protest, as is the case with climate change and anti-capital activists. Additionally financial support that allows for a more drawn-out protest (some are ongoing from many years ago and will continue to be), will change the tactics again.
Security at locations and the sensitivity of locations will also affect the tactics that a protest group may use. Individual’s homes require a simpler tactic than targeting a Head Office for example.
The sensitivity of a topic of protest can also affect the tactics. In the world in which we live the topic of protest will garner a variety of support and congratulation as well as condemnation with a certain percentage of the population in support or not. This can vary on the subject of protest or the regionality of it, otherwise national or international.
Tactics chosen will also be based on the previous three article topics:
The Hook: What is the reason for the protest?
The Target: What is the target of the protest?
The Narrative: What is the message of the protest?
I would suggest that the majority of protestors have a desire to highlight all three aspects in order to achieve their goal. Through this they also seek to gain support for their protest from those either:
- unaware of the issue
- currently ignorant and uninterested in the issue
- uneducated in the subject issue
- those with political, social or economic influence
Here are a series of case studies that highlight the various tactics that protest groups may employ:
Case Study 1
“Contractors have chopped down a tree that was at the centre of a 15-week protest by local campaigners.”
Rochford Tree Chopped Down After 15-Week Housing Protest – BBC News
I was actively involved with this case. Whilst a local issue, it had national support from Extinction Rebellion (XR), The Green Party and Conservation Groups. The wider implications included anti capitalism, destruction of land and nature and much more.
- This was predominantly a locally organised protest. As part of the tactics the protestors:
- Built a professional platform in the tree, including harnesses for the protestors in the tree (Health and Safety aspect).
- Set up a medium sized camp around the tree base with local and regional protestors
- Generated media awareness via social media, local and national media outlets.
- Had a presence from The Green Party on site.
Whilst the group failed in their intention to prevent the tree being cut down, their tactics caused a 15 week delay. They also highlighted the local and national concerns of members of the public, and caused financial and construction disruption to the housebuilder. The protestors had pre-empted the construction company and implemented their strategy quickly and effectively.
Case Study 2
“Six people have been convicted following a blockade of a Muller dairy site in Worcestershire.”
“Activists from the group Animal Rebellion blocked the dairy in Droitwich as part of a campaign to transition to a plant-based food system. Protestors climbed onto trucks, milk silos and loading bays, while some glued themselves to the ground and chained themselves to fences. Muller plants in Gloucestershire and Somerset were also targeted, as was Arla’s milk factory in Buckinghamshire.”
- This was a nationally organised protest with local support and concerns. Those arrested included travelling protestors from Manchester and Glasgow As part of the tactics the protestors:
- Were prepared for arrest and possible, and subsequent, criminal conviction and punishment.
- Proactive disruption tactics with protestors blocking highways and glueing themselves to vehicles.
- Generated media awareness via social media, local and national media outlets.
- Disrupted the business operation of the diary and those contracted in the business.
Case Study 3
Social Housing Action Campaign (SHAC)
Social Housing Action Campaign – Building Tenant & Resident Power
The Social Housing Action Campaign (SHAC) is a campaign group linking tenants, renters, shared owners, and leaseholders living in homes owned by housing association, council, and private landlords. Together they campaign to improve people’s housing conditions and to reduce the commercialisation of public housing. Annually, they protest at the Social Housing Annual Awards, protesting about many issues in the Social Housing Sector and for the awards at the money spent on commercialisation of the industry at the expensive of their tenants /clients. They call on all tenants to boycott the awards. The protest is a national call to tenants that has a very local resonance for each area of the country.
- It is a peaceful protest with banners, shouting, placards etc. with the intention to highlight the plight and discomfort many have living in social housing in contrast to the perceived wealth of such organisations.
- The risk of arrest is low, and maximised awareness via social and traditional media.
Case Study 4
“Four Jailed In Grave-Theft Case.”
BBC NEWS | England | Staffordshire | Four jailed in grave-theft case
This study was mentioned in the ‘targets’ article. In 2006, 4 animal rights activist were jailed for digging up the body, from her grave, of Gladys Hammond in 2004. The Hall family (Gladys being the Grandmother) bred Guinea Pigs for research and for 6 years were targeted by activists.
I would suggest that no pre planning or business continuity action plan would have foreseen this kind of action being used as a tactic for a protest group.
Summary
Tactics are far, wide and varied. Aggressive and passive. Locally centerer or widely dispersed.
Short and swift or long and protracted. Arm’s length or up close and personal.
The advantage is usually with the protestor(s)
Small / individual groups can act with guerilla tactics on smaller, weaker and more vulnerable targets as well as larger targets.
Larger organisations may be able to identify more realistic vulnerable targets such as the business locations or the home addresses of key individuals, but smaller organisations and businesses may not even consider they are a viable target. Notwithstanding of course that they as a target due to misidentification.
As a business, an individual, group or organisation who may be subject to the potential protest and activist activity there is a need to consider how to:
Prevent
Disrupt
Detect
Any activity. All businesses must adopt a business continuity strategy, working from the broad and general to the specific. Please take a look at the rest of the articles in the series to get a full picture:
- Protest Groups: An Introduction
- Targets: Who And What Are The Targets For Protests?
- Narrative: What Is The Message For The Protest?
- Resources: Investigative and Proactive Resources For Protests
Many of the comments in this article are too complex to be discussed in this short article and the author seeks not to trivialise or overlook them, but merely use them as a conduit to support the narrative.
Get In Touch
David Kearns, a former Police Field Intelligence Detective, is the Managing Director of Expert Investigations Ltd, one of the countries leading investigation agencies, who has worked with numerous organisations in helping to prevent, disrupt and detect protest activity for the commercial sector.
Or alternatively get in touch via the links below: