Policing counter-protest

Abstract

In the Trump era, when clashes between right wing protesters and left counter protesters escalate, police disproportionately repress left wing activists. Explanations that rest solely on the conservative politics and culture of the police, or the ideological targeting of the left neglect the ways political systems, identities and organizations shape interactions between police and protesters. This study draws on the research on social movements, counter-protest and protest policing in order to explain the patterns of policing of counter-protest.