Domestic extremist tactics
There is an escalating pattern of core tactics used in domestic extremist campaigns.
- Phase 1: Lawful protest
- Phase 2: Intimidation and harassment
- Phase 3: Criminal attacks and 'home visits'
Phase 1: Lawful protest
Protesters will contact the primary target by letter, email and telephone asking it to stop what it is doing. The tone of the correspondence from protesters during this phase is initially polite.
Other correspondence to customers and suppliers will also make polite requests to cut links with the primary target.
During Phase 1 of a campaign, domestic extremists may also:
- publish the name of a target – primary, secondary or tertiary – on an extremist website encouraging people to contact the organisation to ask it to stop what it is doing or cease trading with a primary target
- go to a target to ask it to stop what it doing or cease trading with a primary target
- mount demonstrations outside the business premises of a target with small groups of protesters.
Phase 2: Intimidation and harassment
Contact from domestic extremists in Phase 2 of a campaign will be hostile and overtly abusive or threatening. The tactics will move from lawful protest to unlawful and criminal activity.
Domestic extremists will begin to contact individual directors and employees of target organisations at work and at home. They will also begin to carry out coordinated activity.
Activity during Phase 2 of a domestic extremist campaign may include:
- threatening and abusive letters, phone calls and email to staff
- trespass into offices to disrupt work, which may include attempts to steal documents and information about clients
- photographing staff and staff cars
- intelligence-gathering to gain more knowledge of the primary target and identify new targets
- attempts to bribe staff for information about directors and clients
- the use extremist websites to make general threats to staff
- threats to go to the homes of individual staff – 'home visits'
- computer-related crime – hacking, virus attacks, phishing, denial of service attacks to computer and telephone systems.
Phase 3: Criminal actions and home visits
In Phase 3 of a domestic extremist campaign protesters will carry out a sustained campaign of criminal actions that can result in criminal damage.
Domestic extremists will target business premises, private property – including the homes of staff, known as 'home visits' – and individual employees.
In a 'home visit', domestic extremists will commit crimes at the homes of individual staff and in their communities. Domestic extremists may also make contact with the family, friends and neighbours of individual staff.
The main aim is to harass and intimidate by damaging property and attempts to damage the reputation of individuals. However, animal rights extremists have attacked individuals, causing actual bodily harm when disturbed while carrying out acts of vandalism, although this is very rare.
