Lessons Learned from the Post-George Floyd and Capitol Protests

The mass demonstrations of 2020 and 2021 have been different than previous years. Recently, increasing numbers of mass demonstrations and protests have been about and directed toward law enforcement. These demonstrations have been planned and coordinated, effectively leveraged social media and messaging applications, and used more advanced logistics and tactics to counteract known law enforcement and government response strategies. They have been characterized by larger numbers of participants who came from all walks of life, smaller groups who were dynamic and fluid in their movements and were more organized than the responding law enforcement agencies, and posed challenges to well-practiced law enforcement standard operating procedures and crowd control strategies. The lessons learned from the responses to these demonstrations have shown the need for innovative approaches to preparation and response to protests that both preserve democracy and public safety. This webinar will highlight some of the common themes, lessons learned, and promising practices from the public safety responses to these recent mass demonstrations.