Call-out for The Broken Rifle 108: the militarisation of policing and security

All around the world, police forces are being militarised. The lines between the roles of the police and the military are being blurred, with narratives of heightened threat (from terror, drugs, social unrest or people on the move) being used to justify this militarisation.

Militarised policing is something which runs far deeper than the surface veneer of militarised equipment and body armour; scratch the bullet-proof vest and underneath you will find a militarised mentality conditioned to perceive the 'other' as a threat, an enemy, and to respond accordingly.

This issue of The Broken Rifle will explore the different faces and changing nature of police militarisation as well as the consequences for our societies; the violence and brutality inflicted upon subject populations, the entrenchment of racist social hierarchies and patriarchal mindsets, the maintenance of hegemonic power structures.

By doing so we hope to draw out what experiences of police militarisation around the world hold in common, spark conversations and bring to the forefront acts of solidarity and resistance.

If you would like to volunteer to write an article or be interviewed for this issue, or to suggest someone else that may wish to contribute, please write to us at sarah@wri-irg.org. Submissions should be between 800 and 1,200 words and be received no later than 12^th June. A guide to writing for War Resisters' International can be found here.