Activism/proper channels

sample page from the CIA's Simple Sabotage Field Manual advising operatives to sabotage organizational effectiveness through requiring the use of "proper channels"

About

Activists, especially those who engage in civil disobedience, are often advised that they are protesting incorrectly, and should "go through proper channels" in order to effect change. A typical argument is that breaking the law in the name of a cause will discredit the cause they are advocating.

This is actually a diversionary tactic; history has shown that "illegal" protests of various sorts are often the only way to achieve real change, as exemplified most recently by the Floyd uprising of 2020.

@joncstone: "One reason people insist that you use proper channels to change things is because they have control of the proper channels and they're confident it won't work."