Call for participants: RAN POL WG meeting ‘Which police strategies and tactics can contribute to the prevention and countering of radicalisation of protest movements?’

On behalf of the Working Group Leaders Marzena Kordaczuk-Was and Luc Van Der Taelen, we are asking for your support. We are looking for suitable police officers with expertise in strategies and tactics for preventing and countering the radicalisation of protest movements.

Aim and focus of the meeting

This meeting will leverage insights from previous RAN POL Working Group meetings, including the Scenario Planning and Police Capacities (May 2023) and the introductory training on the Dialogue Police approach (November 2023). Building upon these findings, we will focus on strategies and approaches for police to uphold public order and a healthy democracy.

We will address the diverse groups within protest movements, aiming to prevent the latter from developing and using extremist tactics. We will mainly focus on the effective police strategies and tactics that support the prevention and countering of violent radicalisation of these protest movements.

Background

Protests across Europe, involving various groups like farmers and climate activists, are escalating, with radicalised environmental extremists resorting to violent tactics. At the same time, the rising polarisation around migration and identity politics poses challenges for governments, which face a rise in anti-institutionalist tendencies. In this context, the human-rights based police faces the complex task of facilitating peaceful demonstrations while being viewed with distrust and hostility by anti-institutionalist groups, with individual officers being doxed and intimidated. As conflicts may intensify in a polarised society, strategies to tackle these issues and understand the dynamics within the current protest movements are required.

RAN emphasises prevention of radicalisation within these movements, as some groups within them might be considering the use of extremist violence. This necessitates a careful consideration of tactics like dialogue policing, strategic communications, and intelligence to support PCVE efforts.