Emerging “Unarrest” Tactics by Activist Groups Spark Debate Over Protest Safety and Legality
Recent reports and social media documentation have brought into sharp focus a controversial strategy employed by various activist organizations known as “unarresting” or “de-arresting.” As highlighted by commentators including Wid Lyman, specific groups are utilizing organized teaching methods to train demonstrators on how to intervene effectively when law enforcement attempts to detain an individual.
The tactic of unarresting involves a coordinated effort by protesters to free a comrade from police custody before they can be secured or transported. While methods vary, the strategy often relies on immediate, collective action. According to recent observations, tactics range from physical maneuvers—such as swarming and body-blocking—to psychological pressure, which critics describe as the targeted harassment of officers to break their focus or formation. These interventions are often drilled during activist workshops, emphasizing the window of opportunity that exists between the initial seizure of a person and their placement in a police vehicle.
Background analysis reveals that these tactics have evolved alongside the rise of decentralized protest movements. Proponents within these circles view unarresting not as a crime, but as a form of “community defense,” arguing that they are intervening to prevent what they perceive as unjust detentions or police brutality. This philosophy often rejects the legitimacy of the arrest process in the heat of demonstrations, prioritizing the immediate freedom of fellow protesters over compliance with lawful orders.
However, the practice faces significant legal and safety objections. Law enforcement officials and legal experts warn that unarresting is not merely a form of civil disobedience but a serious criminal offense. Physically interfering with an arrest typically constitutes obstruction of justice, resisting arrest, or even assault on a police officer—felonies that carry substantial prison sentences. Furthermore, critics argue that tactics involving harassment or physical struggles significantly escalate tension, increasing the likelihood of violence and injury for both the demonstrators and the officers involved. There is also the concern that such interventions can turn a situation involving a minor citation for the detainee into a chaotic scene resulting in multiple felony charges for everyone involved.
