The construction and shaping of protesters’ perceptions of police legitimacy: a thematic approach to police information and intelligence gathering

This paper aims to examine antecedents and contingents associated with the construction and shaping of protesters’ perceptions of police legitimacy and provides a thematic approach to information and intelligence gathering in protest policing. It uses data obtained by qualitative interviews (N = 79) and non-participant observations at 13 protest events across London, between 2010 and 2015. Three inter-related themes are identified: 1) protester constructions of policing; 2) power and identity, and 3) levels of protester engagement and distancing. These suggest that protesters carry antecedent beliefs and are influenced by contingents during events, potentially leading to tensions that policing based on procedural fairness and respectful treatment alone, appear unlikely to ameliorate. The findings add to a growing recognition of the significance of context to perceptions of police legitimacy and provide police leaders and practitioners with a thematic approach that can be applied to the facilitation and management of protest.