unarrest 

1. Street tactic used by marchers and protesters who directly engage with police to assist in the escape of individuals who are in the process of being arrested. When a participant is apprehended by authorities, one or more people will rush the officer an attempt to either confuse them or pull the arrestee back into the crowd.

2. Process of on the street negotiations with authorities, often with the help of a legal observer, to get protesters who have been detained out of police custody.

3. Informal term for a legal process where persons who have been arrested can be released on the grounds of false arrest or insufficient evidence.

1. "They tackled Kate after she broke the window, but someone stole the cop's pepper spray while I unarrested her and pulled her back into the crowd."

2. "The cops had a few kids in cuffs against the wall, but the legal observer managed to convince the sergeant to let them go before the paddy wagon showed up."

3. "They all got arrested at the march but we went down to the police station, and thanks to the legal aid, had them all unarrested because the charges wouldn't stick."

unarrest by activfist August 5, 2009