Negative sanctions by authorities escalate protest into collective political violence

Evidence

A tactical scenario that makes the resort to violence especially likely can readily be constructed. A group of contenders makes political claims cheaply, say, by petition. No response is made by authorities. Pressure is stepped up, perhaps through a stoppage of work; but still no response. A more dangerous organized demonstration is used next. The authorities remain intransigent and call out some squads of police to indicate determination. A more intense demonstration occurs; perhaps now some undisciplined elements or provocateurs throws rocks or do some looting. The authorities call on police and militia; heads are broken. At this point it will be clear that only violent collective action has any prospect of success at all. And, given some chance of success and intensity of claims, the high-cost method will be used. The moral is that negative sanctions precede collective political violence. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4357 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: A police crackdown transformed a small fare protest into a mass uprising — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and…, 40; Protest movement leaders simultaneously shielded attacked police and blamed the state for violence. — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and…, 377; Negative sanctions and repression typically precede and provoke collective political violence — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4357 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Negative sanctions and repression typically precede and provoke collective political violence #corroborates (0.97) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4357