Demonstrations, Occupations or Roadblocks? Exploringthe Determinants of Protest Tactics in Chile

Abstract

Collective protest grew recently in Chile, yet we know little about the characteristics and determinants of the tactics employed. By examining more than 2 300 protest events between 2000 and 2012, we explore the determinants of the adoption of four types of tactics: conventional, cultural, disruptive, and violent. Multivariate regression models show that: 1) protests against the state elicit conventional tactics, but protests against private companies elicit disruptive and violent tactics; 2) workers "specialize" in disruptive yet non-violent tactics; 3) the presence of formal organizations in the protest increases conventional tactics and decreases disruptive and violent tactics, and 4) protest events with a smaller number of participants are more likely to have disruptive and violent tactics than more massive events.