[Zuider]

From experience, I would agree that the first thing activists who wish to take over a group will do is to behave badly, and then use this as the pretext to demand a Code of Conduct.

They will then subvert the spirit of the CoC, while adhering legalistically to the letter, in order to control others. They allows them divert a topic into pointless discussion of the rules, or to needle someone persistently, while remaining within the rules, until that person reacts, at which point they will insist that he has violated the CoC.

[theshrike79]

I think this kind of action is in the CIA guide to subversive action or something that's been circulating around the Internet for decades.

Basically you use excessive bureaucracy and arcane rules to grind all progress to a halt.