THE ANATOMY OF ANARCHISM: DIGITAL MOBILISATION, CROWD PSYCHOLOGY AND HOW MODERN STATES CONFRONT ORGANISED DISORDER (SPECIAL PUBLIC LECTURE ON NATIONAL SECURITY, INTELLIGENCE AND STATECRAFT)
A peaceful country can be destabilised without an invading army. It can begin with a coordinated digital campaign, deliberately inflamed public emotions, organised disturbances and calculated attempts to undermine confidence in national institutions. Today, a single message can mobilise thousands of people within hours. A football match, religious gathering, cultural ceremony or entertainment event can become the centre of a national political controversy through digital mobilisation.
An incident involving a few individuals can be recorded, selectively edited, circulated internationally and presented as evidence of widespread instability. When these activities are deliberately coordinated, financed and directed towards destabilisation, they become a serious national security concern
Zambia must understand that peace is a strategic national asset. It must be protected through intelligence, institutional preparedness, modern technology and disciplined statecraft. This special public lecture examines anarchism, organised destabilisation, crowd psychology and the technological capabilities required to protect modern states.
1. Understanding anarchism and organised disorder
The word anarchism originates from the Greek anarkhia, meaning the absence of a ruler. Historically, anarchism developed as a political philosophy challenging centralised authority and advocating alternative forms of social organisation. There are several schools of anarchism, including individualist, collectivist, anarcho-communist, anarcho-syndicalist and insurrectionary traditions.
For the purposes of this lecture, our principal concern is not the philosophical debate about government. It is the security implications of organised disorder, particularly where violence, intimidation, deception or deliberate destabilisation are involved. Three concepts deserve particular attention.
Insurrectionary anarchism is a revolutionary tradition emphasising direct action and insurrection against established authority. Historically, some associated movements have embraced violent confrontation after the initial state destabilisation tactics gain traction. Organised destabilisation involves coordinated activities intended to weaken public safety, disrupt institutions or create conditions of instability. Such activities may be undertaken by criminal networks in the name of “politics”, violent extremist groups or other organised actors.
Sponsored disorder occurs when individuals or networks deliberately finance, facilitate or direct violent disturbances to achieve political, criminal or other strategic objectives. These concepts are related in certain circumstances, although they describe different phenomena. The essential security question is whether an activity represents ordinary public participation, spontaneous disorder or a coordinated operation intended to produce instability.
2. Sponsored disorder can destabilise an entire country
Organised disorder becomes particularly dangerous when it is financed, strategically coordinated and supported by sophisticated communication networks. A sponsor may provide resources, transport, communications infrastructure or logistical assistance to individuals involved in disturbances. Digital networks can then amplify the resulting events and create impressions of widespread national instability.
The objectives may include disrupting economic activity, intimidating institutions, provoking confrontation or damaging international confidence in a country. Consider the consequences of recurring violent disturbances in commercial centres. Businesses may close temporarily. Transport can be disrupted. Investors may postpone decisions. Tourism operators may face cancellations. Public resources are diverted from development towards emergency responses. The economic damage can extend far beyond the immediate incident.
A country can lose investment confidence through repeated perceptions of instability, even when the actual disturbances are geographically limited. For Zambia, whose development depends on investment, industrialisation, tourism, trade and infrastructure expansion, this is a strategic concern. National security institutions must therefore possess the capacity to investigate the organisation, financing and operational direction of serious disturbances.
3. Digital mobilisation and the strategic timing of public events
One of the most important developments in modern political communication is the ability to coordinate large gatherings through digital platforms. Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok and other communication systems allow messages to circulate rapidly across different communities. A public event can attract attention far beyond its original purpose.
Consider a hypothetical situation. The Head of State is delivering an important address to Parliament. International media organisations, diplomats, investors and other observers are following developments in the country. At precisely that moment, another event attracts considerable attention through coordinated digital messaging. The event itself may be entirely ordinary. However, individuals seeking to manufacture a crisis could exploit its timing, circulate misleading information or provoke disturbances designed to compete with the official national event.
Footage of a confrontation could then be distributed internationally, accompanied by claims that the country is experiencing widespread instability. This illustrates the strategic importance of timing, communication and international perception. Security analysts should therefore examine whether apparent coordination reflects ordinary mobilisation, shared public sentiment or credible evidence of a deliberate destabilisation operation. The central concern is the possibility that organised actors can exploit the visibility of major national occasions to maximise the impact of a manufactured security incident.
4. Crowd psychology: how small incidents become major disturbances
Crowd psychology is essential to modern public order management. People participating in large gatherings respond to emotions, shared identities, perceived threats, rumours and the behaviour of others around them. A football stadium provides a useful example. Thousands of people may attend primarily to enjoy a match. Some may chant political slogans, others may celebrate their teams, while others may simply observe.
A sudden confrontation, alarming rumour or aggressive incident can change the atmosphere within minutes. Several processes can contribute to escalation. When I did sociology I learned about emotional contagion. This could be fear, anger and excitement can spread rapidly through a gathering. Social influence can also apply whereby a few individuals may imitate the actions of people with whom they identify.
Others are rumour amplification through which unverified claims can influence collective behaviour before the facts are established; Provocation through which a small number of violent individuals can trigger reactions affecting a much larger crowd; and Poor operational response exemplified by confusing instructions, inadequate crowd routes and inappropriate interventions, which can worsen a developing situation.
A modern Police Force must understand these processes. Its officers require specialist training in crowd psychology, negotiation, communication, incident command and early intervention. Professional public order management begins with understanding the people involved and the circumstances influencing their behaviour.
5. Threats against the Presidency are national security matters
The Presidency is an institution at the centre of national continuity, constitutional authority and state stability. A credible threat to assassinate a sitting President is therefore a matter of critical national security. The President represents far more than an individual political officeholder. The institution connects the country’s constitutional leadership, security command, international relations and continuity of government.
An attack on that institution can have consequences extending across the entire nation. History provides a devastating example. On 6 April 1994, an aircraft carrying President Juvénal Habyarimana of Rwanda and President Cyprien Ntaryamira of Burundi was shot down near Kigali. Both presidents were killed. Their deaths triggered an immediate political and security crisis in Rwanda, where extremist networks and militias were already organised amid deep ethnic tensions and civil conflict.
The genocide against the Tutsi followed, with approximately 800,000 to one million people murdered during roughly 100 days. The Rwandan tragedy demonstrates how the violent removal of national leadership can become a catalyst for catastrophic instability when dangerous political and security conditions already exist. The security of the Presidency is inseparable from the security and constitutional continuity of the state. Threats of assassination must therefore receive serious professional investigation, credible threat assessment and appropriate protective responses. The protection of national leadership is a responsibility owed to the entire nation.
In modern national security, even an unconfirmed but credible threat demands immediate action. Recent reports of alleged Russian plans to assassinate senior defence industry figures in Europe, and threats against Poland’s Prime Minister, demonstrate why security institutions must remain vigilant. Such intelligence alerts have already triggered immediate changes to protective arrangements and the wider security architecture. National security cannot wait for threats to materialise. Even a seemingly minor warning must be taken seriously because the consequences of complacency can be catastrophic.
6. Digital manipulation and the manufacture of instability
The digital information environment has created new opportunities for deliberate deception. A short recording can be removed from its original context. Artificial intelligence can generate convincing false audio or video. Coordinated accounts can repeat misleading narratives until they appear widely accepted. Such techniques may be used to exaggerate public disturbances, fabricate incidents or spread false allegations during sensitive national events.
The task of professional intelligence analysis is to establish what actually happened, identify credible threats and determine whether criminal coordination occurred. This requires highly advanced digital forensic expertise, evidence preservation, analytical software and trained investigators. Zambia must develop these capabilities as permanent components of its national security architecture.
7. Sensor technology: building intelligent public safety infrastructure
This is one of the most important areas in which Zambia should invest. Modern states increasingly have access to technologies that can detect emerging public safety risks before an incident develops into a major emergency. Sensor technology refers to electronic systems that detect, measure and transmit information about physical conditions or events.
In public spaces and other places of interest, these systems can provide operational information to police commanders, emergency services and other responsible institutions in real time. Several technologies are particularly relevant, but those details are beyond the scope of this public lecture. General sensors include, inter alia, crowd density sensors, acoustic event detection sensors, environmental and infrastructure sensors, and integrated emergency alert systems. The greatest value comes from integrating these technologies rather than operating them as isolated installations.
A stadium, major commercial centre or other high density public facility can be supported by a coordinated monitoring system.
8. Zambia needs an integrated digital intelligence and public safety architecture
The next stage is to connect technological capability with professional intelligence analysis. Zambia should develop an integrated national public safety information architecture linking relevant Police Force capabilities, emergency response systems and intelligence functions. Trained personnel should integrate verified information, assess the seriousness of alerts and coordinate appropriate operational responses.
Artificial intelligence can assist by identifying unusual patterns, comparing information from different sensors and prioritising alerts requiring human assessment. A verified online threat concerning a major public event could inform advance planning and specialist deployment.
9. Intelligence must become more preventive and technologically specialised
The future of intelligence lies increasingly in the capacity to recognise credible warning indicators before threats materialise. This requires investment in human expertise as much as technological infrastructure. Zambia should strengthen specialist capabilities in digital forensics, cyber threat analysis, open source intelligence, behavioural threat assessment, financial investigation and advanced data analytics.
Intelligence personnel must understand how online narratives spread, how fabricated media are produced and how organised criminal networks may use digital platforms. Financial investigators must also be capable of examining credible evidence of financing behind state destabilisation operations.
Modern investigations may involve electronic communications, financial transactions, transport records, digital evidence and witness testimony. The analytical task is to establish relationships between these elements and identify those responsible for criminal conduct. A strong intelligence system should be able to distinguish genuine public sentiment from deceptive digital activity, spontaneous disorder from planned violence, and ordinary event organisation from criminal coordination. These distinctions make intelligence more accurate and operationally useful.
10. A practical steps by modern states
Priority One: Establish specialised digital public safety intelligence teams. Build multidisciplinary teams comprising intelligence analysts, digital forensic specialists, public order commanders and cybercrime investigators.
Priority Two: Modernise public order training. Introduce advanced programmes in crowd psychology, crisis communication, negotiation, emergency management and incident command.
Priority Three: Deploy smart sensors in priority public spaces. Begin with major stadiums, transport terminals, high density commercial areas and other locations identified through evidence based safety assessments.
Priority Four: Develop integrated public safety command centres. Connect relevant sensor feeds, emergency communications and operational information to enable coordinated incident management.
Priority Five: Strengthen digital forensic laboratories. Invest in equipment and personnel capable of authenticating recordings, examining electronic evidence and investigating serious digitally facilitated offences.
Priority Six: Develop specialist financial investigation capacity. Improve the ability to investigate credible evidence of financing, logistical support and organisation behind violent criminal operations.
Priority Seven: Establish continuous operational review and technology upgrades. After major events and security incidents, evaluate response times, intelligence accuracy, sensor performance, coordination and lessons for future preparedness.
Modern states begin with a national capability audit, followed by pilot deployments, specialist training, clear institutional responsibilities and measurable performance indicators. The goal is a coordinated national system rather than fragmented procurement of equipment.
11. From reactive security to predictive preparedness
Traditional public order operations often become most visible after an incident has occurred. Officers are deployed, roads are closed, investigations begin and emergency services respond. Modern technology creates opportunities to intervene much earlier. Predictive preparedness involves identifying credible risks, recognising developing physical conditions and preparing responses before emergencies escalate. A modern security institution should be assessed not only by how effectively it responds to incidents, but also by its ability to prevent avoidable harm.
12. National stability is an economic development imperative
Security and economic development are closely connected. Investors require confidence that factories, mines, transport corridors, commercial centres and infrastructure projects can operate predictably. Tourism depends on perceptions of safety. International trade depends on functioning transport systems and stable commercial conditions.
When serious disturbances repeatedly disrupt economic activity, the consequences extend to workers, businesses, communities and government revenues. Zambia’s ambitions in industrialisation, manufacturing, agricultural expansion, tourism and regional trade therefore require sustained investment in public safety. This is why national security modernisation should form part of the country’s broader development planning. Security technology, specialist training, emergency infrastructure and professional intelligence capabilities are investments in national resilience.
Conclusion
The modern state must stay ahead of emerging threats. The digital revolution has fundamentally changed the environment in which public disorder can develop. Information moves instantly. Large gatherings can be mobilised rapidly. Artificial intelligence can manufacture convincing false narratives. Organised criminal networks can exploit digital communications and public events.
Modern states must develop the institutional capacity to understand and respond to these developments. They invest in specialist intelligence capabilities, advanced digital forensics, sound collection technologies, smart sensor networks, professional public order policing and integrated emergency command systems.
Particular attention should be given to the protection of national institutions, the investigation of credible threats against the Presidency and the prevention of organised criminal violence. Peace and national stability are foundations of economic development. Protecting them requires foresight, professional competence, modern technology and disciplined leadership.
The measure of a capable security system is its ability to identify real dangers, prevent avoidable incidents, protect lives and maintain the continuity of national institutions. In the digital age, national security must become increasingly intelligent, integrated and preventive.
Yehuda Ben David
(Saviour Chishimba)
Founder & Principal
THE PEOPLE’S ACADEMY