Leaderless resistance

Leaderless resistance, or phantom cell structure, is a social resistance strategy in which small, independent groups (covert cells), or individuals (a solo cell is called a "lone wolf"), challenge an established institution such as a law, economic system, social order, or government. Leaderless resistance can encompass anything from non-violent protest and civil disobedience to vandalism, terrorism, and other violent activity.

Leaderless cells lack vertical command links and so operate without hierarchical command,^[1] but they have a common goal that links them to the social movement from which their ideology was learned.^[2]

Leaderless resistance has been employed by a wide range of movements, including animal-liberation, radical environmentalist, anti-abortion, military invasion resistance, anarchist organizations, colonialism resistance, terrorist, and hate groups.^[2]

^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Joosse, Paul (2007). "Leaderless Resistance and Ideological Inclusion: the Case of the Earth Liberation Front". Terrorism and Political Violence. 19 (3): 351–368. doi:10.1080/09546550701424042. S2CID 17532687.

[:2-1] Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Joosse-2] Joosse, Paul (2007). "Leaderless Resistance and Ideological Inclusion: the Case of the Earth Liberation Front". Terrorism and Political Violence. 19 (3): 351–368. doi:10.1080/09546550701424042. S2CID 17532687.

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