Dispatch: This is what democracy looks like…

Non-violent people power is perhaps our most powerful tool to resist oppressive regimes and want-to-be dictators.

Peaceful protest is a powerful tool of resistance to even the most autocratic and heinous acts of government, as demonstrated this month by Turkish protesters defending democracy and Israelis protesting the restart of bombing in Gaza. But globally, the right to protest is under threat. Systematic attacks on the tools and infrastructure of resistance are happening concurrently with far-right gains in popularity—a key tactic in the “authoritarian playbook”.

While the road to authoritarianism looks different across countries, authoritarian leaders use common tactics to repress dissent and shut down criticism. This includes curtailing freedom of expression and the right to protest alongside measures to weaken civil society.

Tactic #1: Banning protest and cracking down on freedom of expression

• Banning protest and imprisoning the opposition: The right to protest is core to functioning democracies. Days before the election of a new opposition leader, the Turkish government escalated crackdowns on peaceful protest with a protest ban and arrest of Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is now the leader of the opposition. Protests continued throughout the week, with thousands now detained, including journalists. Bandwidth restrictions have been reported on X, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
• Banning freedom of expression and surveillance: In Hungary, parliament passed a law banning Pride events and allowing authorities to use facial recognition software to identify people attending events, an alarming expansion of surveillance. 

Tactic #2: Attack and restrict sources of funding for civil society

• Cuts in funding for civil society through USAID or the “Netherlands first” policies are impacting peoples’ lives around the globe, with non-profits shutting down due to the financial hit,  weakening our ability to respond to increasing autocracy in the short and long term.
• Use of SLAPPs: Following a lawsuit by Dallas-based oil and gas company Energy Transfer, Greenpeace was ordered to pay at least US$660 million to the pipeline company for defamation, among other allegations. SLAPP lawsuits destroy our rights to peaceful protest and penalise dissent. This order also has the potential to bankrupt Greenpeace’s US entity, and because the vast majority of their funds come from individual donors, this is one of the few avenues to cripple the organisation financially. 
• “Foreign agent” laws: Following the national election that saw widespread fraud, the Georgian government introduced a law requiring civil society and media organisations receiving foreign funding to register as a “foreign agent”. After more than 100 days of consecutive protest, the government is now freezing the bank accounts of NGOs that provide financial and legal assistance to detained protesters. This tactic is being used by authoritarian regimes from India to China to Hungary to silence dissent and press freedoms.

Tactic #3: Shut down and/or attack the legitimacy of civil society organisations

• Raids as a tool of delegitimisation: Amid Serbia’s protests and half a million people signing a petition against the security force’s use of a sonic weapon against protestors, police conducted raids on four USAID-funded organisations using Trump’s criticism of the agency as a pretext. All of the organisations work on human and civil rights, fair elections and the rule of law.
• Civil society shutdowns: The Ethiopian Authority for Civil Society Organizations (ACSO) has continued its attack on civil society by shutting down at least five organisations since November engaged in defending human rights and democracy. Last year, the ACSO shut down at least 1504 NGOs for failing to submit their annual reports. 

Tactic #4: Create a culture of fear so people are afraid to speak out or stand up

• Violence and disappearing protestors: More than 80 people were abducted in Kenya last year following mass protests to the government’s finance bill that would have taxed basic commodities like bread. At least 24 people are still missing. 

Where now?

We need to strengthen civil society with our own ‘resistance playbook’ of strategies and tactics based on the autocratisation context. A few suggestions:

• Let anger fuel your work. The far-right have weaponised anger but it can also be a source of strength. Mindworks’ Anger Handbook(pdf) offers clear and actionable steps to harness collective and constructive anger and channel it to create socio-political change. 
• Support grassroots movements. Many oppression tactics are hitting small civil society organisations and grassroots groups hardest, yet continuing this work is vital to grow and maintain communities of resistance. Last week the Global Grassroots Support Network unveiled a charter for equitable partnerships that expresses the need for NGOs and funders to address the threat of rising fascist and authoritarian regimes to civil society.
• Resist. People power is taking on the world’s richest man and impacting him financially. The Tesla Takedown movement has grown over the last two months and represents an important form of resistance and non-cooperation with the Trump-Musk regime.
• Integrate care into your work. The chaotic nature and ongoing stress that comes with working in oppressive or shrinking civic space is intended to wear down resistance. Building a culture of care and collective wellbeing is essential to maintain resistance. The UnSchool Eco-Anxiety Toolkit is a great resource to start with – the wellbeing tools here are applicable more broadly beyond the climate justice movement.

We will continue to bring you perspectives on what is happening globally in this crackdown on civil society and how people and organisations are resisting. Please get in touch if you have examples or learning to share about how you are fighting back against authoritarianism and the far-right.