PART IV.  POLICING SITUATIONS STEWARDS Stewards are generally volunteers patrolling the event, directing participants, making sure people stay on the right route and that the event takes place in an orderly fashion. It is good practice for these stewards to receive training, and know how to deal with conflicts whenever they might arise and know how to quell them at an early stage, thus preventing escalation. Law enforcement officials should acknowledge the importance of the role of stewards, engage with them, and treat them with respect, whilst understanding that their effectiveness will vary, depending on the extent of training, numbers of participants and the type of protest (cohesive, single-issue, variety of groups with different agendas, etc.). Authorities in some countries appoint a liaison officer whom organizers can contact before or during an assembly, sometimes the liaison officer accompanies the demonstration leaders throughout the demonstration in order to provide direct information to the authorities so they can respond to any difficulties in facilitating the assembly. For example, in Greece a senior police officer is appointed to cooperate with the organizers on the spot and to provide real-time information on the assembly to the operations centre; in the Czech Republic there are “anti-conflict teams”, a specialized division, talking to the participants of an assembly and mediating in conflict situations. The anti-conflict teams pay attention to the mood of the people and potential dangers and supply relevant information to the head of the team, who works closely with the commander of the entire police operation. Members of the anti-conflict team are recognizable, as they wear high-visibility vests with “anti-conflict team” written on them.243 In some countries police and other authorities are experimenting with using social media to communicate with organizers and participants. For example, in Denmark the Copenhagen Police updates participants via Facebook and Twitter with information related to the protest or event.244 A model for effectively facilitating assemblies Over the years a growing consensus has developed among law enforcement practitioners and researchers that professional policing of assemblies requires law enforcement officials to apply four principles:245 Knowledge: Encompasses any information that is useful to facilitate the assembly, including police intelligence. Law enforcement agencies should, in line with the available regulations and procedures, which themselves must be in accordance with international human rights law, actively acquire information about the assembly, its objectives, intended route, organizers, expected participants and their intentions in order to understand the interests and goals of the groups involved and facilitate their legitimate goals. With this knowledge, law enforcement officials can develop the tactical plan. It also helps to identify whether there may be potential “troublemakers”, and whether the organizers intend to deploy stewards. Facilitation: In line with the duty on States to respect peaceful assemblies, police strategies should aim to help the assembly achieve its legitimate objectives. The underlying premise is to assume that Ibid., paras. 216-218. See Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. A/HRC/22/28, 21 Jan 2013, para. 49. 245  See OSCE Human Rights Training Guide to Policing Assemblies, Dialogue Police: Experiences, Observations and Opportunities, Swedish Police, 2010: https://polisen.se/Global/www%20och%20Intrapolis/Informationsmaterial/01%20Polisen%20nationellt/Engelskt%20informationsmaterial/Dialogue_bok100630Webb.pdf. 243  244  113