Delegitimization strategies as a means of policing protesters online during the pandemic in Poland

Dados Bibliográficos

ID11142261
AutoresJoanna Rak (0000-0002-0505-3684, Faculty of Political Science and Journalism, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland, autor correspondente)
Ano2022
Volume30
Data de publicação2022-01-01
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoRevista de Sociologia e Política (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0104-4478 • E-ISSN: 1678-9873
EditoraFapUNIFESP (SciELO) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1590/1678-98732230e007
OpenAlexW4312331038
SciELOS0104-44782022000100216
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas1
Referências citadas20

Introduction: This paper identifies delegitimization strategies that illustrate a range of attitudes of the Polish police towards individuals who resist the government and challenge the state legitimacy. Materials and Methods: The research is embedded in the theories of macro-strategies of delegitimization, out-casting micro-strategies, and is based on qualitative intertextual analysis of police statements in order to explain how the police responded to social opposition and shaped their relations with protesters during the pandemic periods. The study covers the following data: entries on official websites, statements to the public broadcaster TVP Info, and tweets released by the Polish Police Headquarters and the Warsaw Police Headquarters. Results: At the macro-strategy level, the research illuminates the online dimension of the protesters’ discipline process, as well as the policing of protests based on out-casting. These are the predominant resources of delegitimization of the cause. It is argued that its use was based on the categorization of protesters as violators of both law and social norms. In turn, the main micro-strategy applied within out-casting was criminalization formulated in reference to COVID-related law. Delegitimization strategies revealed the nature of moral justifications for negative attitudes towards protesters, as well as threats from and effective use of force. They also allowed the police to legitimize themselves in the public eye and to place their roles as protectors of human life, health, property, public security and order. Discussion: Unconditional acceptance and enforcement of the unconstitutional law established by the government revealed the political bias of the police. The delegitimization of the participants of the anti-government protests and the active and unquestionable acceptance of the pro-government demonstrations confirmed their political favoritism

Criminalization · Criminology · Government (linguistics · Law enforcement · Legitimacy · Opposition (politics · Political science · Politics · Principle of legality · Public engagement · Public relations · Social media · Sociology · Solidarity · Law · Polish Law and Legal System

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