Responding to Authoritarian Regimes

The election of an authoritarian leader poses a severe threat to democracy. As citizens, we must resist, document, and plan. This action plan can serve as a guide.

Immediate Priorities (First 100 Days)

An authoritarian regime's early days are crucial to rapidly consolidating power by suppressing critics and spreading propaganda. However, this transitional moment allows citizens to coordinate resistance before being silenced. Though the regime may seem dominant, organized people using truth as their weapon can expose lies and nonviolently withdraw consent. By documenting unlawful acts, sharing facts within trusting networks, monitoring early power grabs, and laying the groundwork for broader civil resistance, alert citizens can stem the tide of autocracy even in its supposed moment of triumph. The future will be shaped by those who take action, while truth still holds some sway.

Preserve Information - Documenting unlawful actions creates accountability and an accurate historical record for later evidence.

• Copy and store important national documents (laws, data, official reports, statistics) while they are still publicly available if they are later restricted.
• Print/photograph any changed historical records to document revisions
• Upload critical materials to offshore servers not controlled by the regime
• Create redundant copies stored across media formats in multiple locations

Record Government Actions - Tracking institutional takeovers reveals the regime's plans and helps identify resistance allies.

• Note public statements that admit intent to violate laws/norms or contradict previous positions.
• Transcribe/screenshot news interviews and speeches by regime figures
• Archive official press releases, government websites, social media accounts
• Photograph/video potentially unlawful government acts as supporting evidence
  Monitor Power
• Document changes in control and leadership of government agencies to track the purge of critics
• Collect lists/photos of removed officials to identify resistance allies later
• Closely analyze new legislation and executive orders for rights restrictions

Share Facts - Countering propaganda with truth sustains access to information vulnerable citizens need.

• Debunk false claims by widely spreading factual evidence in online networks not yet restricted
• Hold covert in-person meetings to share accurate information by word of mouth.
• Use secure messaging apps with encrypted content to evade digital surveillance.

Unite Citizens - Building solidarity networks strengthens society's resilience and coordinates opposition.

• Form neighbourhood groups committed to lawful resistance actions coordinated locally.
• Meet discreetly with diverse allies (educators, clergy, lawyers, workers) to build solidarity.
• Support independent judges and journalists resisting regime pressure behind the scenes.

Long-Term Goals

Sustained resistance requires resilience, as authoritarian regimes aim to exhaust dissent through attrition. When mass mobilization is impossible, small acts of cultural preservation and truth-telling undermine totalitarian myths. By maintaining lifelines to independent civil society, applying nonviolent pressure, and planning for inevitable openings in the future, exhausted citizens can regain initiative. No dictatorship lasts forever - centralized brutality contains cracks that widen over time. Supporting each other through unlawful systems while awaiting chances to safely reclaim lost freedoms demands unity, courage, and faith that the tide will ultimately turn toward justice. Stand firm in hope.

Strengthen Civil Society - Supporting independent groups maintains organized civic resistance amid repression.

• Fund underground newspapers and media to counter state propaganda
• Support academic freedom at schools/universities resisting politicization
• Assist civil society groups targeted by regime harassment, like charities, religious organizations, etc

Apply Legal Pressure - Leveraging domestic/international law constrains authoritarian force behind principled barriers.

• File domestic and international lawsuits contesting unlawful policies using transcripts saved earlier as evidence.
• Demand sanctions and election monitors from foreign governments and bodies like the EU, UN
• Hire human rights lawyers to prevent abuses against detained opposition groups.

Resist Autocracy - Strategic nonviolent action diminishes regime control and legitimacy by withdrawing consent.

• Stage lawful public demonstrations invoke the right to protest before being banned by the regime.
• Conduct consumer boycotts and strikes by professionals like teachers, doctors, and lawyers.
• Vote strategically to elect regime critics or the least-worst candidates in limited opportunities.

Plan the Future - Preparing transition plans hastens democracy’s restoration once openings emerge.

• Identify and support potential whistleblowers within government institutions.
• Coordinate with foreign governments to refuse recognition of the regime if power is obtained illegally.
• Prepare an alternative transitional government to assume power when the regime falls.
• Create a national reconciliation plan to heal social divisions fueling authoritarianism.

The struggle against authoritarianism requires unity, courage, vigilance, and perseverance from citizens seeking to protect democracy. By following an organized plan of lawful resistance, documentation, and civic solidarity, citizens can help defeat authoritarianism over time. Though the path may be extended, we must work persistently toward democratic renewal.