Some whys and wherefores of blood and bullets Violence in social movements

A question to ponder : Why do activists use violence? Under what conditions are they most likely to use it?

Some general points 1- Most social movements that regularly use violent tactics are national(ist), ethnic, and/or religious movements –Examples: Irish Republican movement, Basque nationalist movement, U.S. White Supremacists 2- Most movements that include an armed flank also use (or have used) more conventional tactics of protest and persuasion –If there is no mass participation external to the guerrilla organization then it may not constitute a movement! A 1998 bombing in Omagh, Northern Ireland that killed about 20 people. ETA car bombing.

(more general points) 3- Organizations do not constitute a movement unto themselves –i.e. the IRA is not a movement, but it is part of one –Not all guerrilla or “terrorist” organizations are part of a social movement 4- Fewer movements are using violent tactics of contention today than they were in the past –Instances of violent ethnopolitical conflict peaked in the early 1990s Working through more peaceful means? A Kurdish demonstration in London. Photo: Edmond Terakopian

Types of violent contention “incidental” acts of violence Episodic or sustained campaigns of violence –riots –Sabotage, destruction of property –extortion –Assassinations & executions –Hijackings –Bombings Buildings, cars, buses, planes, trains, public spaces Suicide bombings –kidnapping –Guerrilla warfare “Incidental” violence: Starbucks takes it on the chin in the “Battle of Seattle.”

Who uses violent tactics of contention? Peoples around the globe from many different cultures –Between : 8 violent ethnopolitical uprisings in western Europe & Latin America; 14 in postcommunist states (Europe & Asia); 30 in the Mid East, Asia, & Africa * Not confined to one socio- economic class Most common in authoritarian contexts but also used in democracies * Source: Ted Gurr, MAR In 1999, volunteers gathered in a parking lot in Yonkers, dressed in fatigues with the insignia of the Kosovo Liberation Army. Photo : The New York Times

What makes sustained violence a feasible tactic? Territorial concentration of challengers –Much more difficult for urban or dispersed groups High degree of community cohesion among challengers –i.e. religious, economic, ethnic –Overcoming internal factions Strong Leaders Source: Ted Gurr, Peoples Vs States: Minorities a Risk in the New Century, 2000

Domestic factors that encourage strategies of nonviolent protest: * Democratic norms and institutions * Strong states with lots of resources Traditions of elite accommodation to class, religious & ethnic interests Domestic factors that encourage strategies of rebellion: * Authoritarian norms & institutions * Weak states with limited resources * Elite reliance on repression to control challenges International factors that influence likelihood (and type) of contention: * External political & material support * Regional & global networks of kin * “contagion” conflict among similar groups * Global doctrines of nationalism, minority rights, etc. Socio-political action Source: Modified from Ted R. Gurr, Peoples Vs States: Minorities at Risk in the New Century, 2000 Banners or Bullets? Who chooses which repertoires?

Factors that may encourage use of violent tactics (especially against civilians) Authoritarian political system An opening -- followed by exclusion from the system Indiscriminate repression Exclusionary movement organizations “good/evil” framing Source: M. Hafez