What makes a big demonstration? Exploring the impact of mobilization strategies on the size of demonstrations

ABSTRACT

Massive demonstrations are the staple of powerful social movements, but research on the factors affecting the size of demonstrations (in terms of number of attendants) is almost nonexistent. Why do some demonstrations pack long avenues with masses of people while other ones barely fill a street corner? Combining resource mobilization, political opportunity, and framing theories, we argue that mobilization strategies – the sequence of decisions and actions taken by protest organizers before staging a protest – shape demonstration size. Multivariate models with 937 Chilean demonstrations between 2000 and 2012 show that demonstrations are larger when they display more demands (especially universalistic demands), target the national government, attract more organizations (especially umbrella organizations), and mobilize cohesive groups with broad public support. We reinforce the internal validity of our argument using interviews with movement leaders and secondary research on Chilean society.

KEYWORDS:

• Collective protest
• social movements
• mobilization
• demonstrations
• protest event analysis
• Chile

Acknowledgment

We thank the excellent comments provided by two anonymous reviewers and the editor.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. See Latinobarómetro’s website.

2. See 2011 CASEN survey’s website, and CNED (2015, p. 2).

3. See 2011 CASEN survey’s website.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by CONICYT (Chile) through a FONDECYT Iniciación en Investigación grant (11121147), a FONDECYT Regular grant (1160308), the Centre for Social Conflict and Cohesion Studies (COES) (CONICYT/FONDAP/15130009), and the Center for Intercultural and Indigenous Research (CIIR) [CONICYT/FONDAP/15110006]

Notes on contributors

Nicolás M. Somma

Nicolás M. Somma is Associate Professor of Sociology at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and Associate Researcher at the Centre for Social Conflict and Cohesion Studies (COES, Chile). He earned a PhD in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame. His research focuses on social movements, political sociology, and comparative-historical sociology. His work has appeared in several journals, including Party Politics, Comparative Politics, Latin American Politics and Society, and Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change, as well as in several book chapters.

Rodrigo M. Medel

Rodrigo M. Medel is a Doctoral Candidate in Political Science at the Instituto de Ciencia Política of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and an Associate Researcher at the Observatory of Labor Strikes of the Centre for Social Conflict and Cohesion Studies (COES) and Universidad Alberto Hurtado. His research interests revolve around labor relations, political participation, and social movements.