(iPoster) Why Are 'Isolated Protests' on the Rise?

• In Event: Poster Session: Issues in the Political Theory of Economic Equality and Democracy & Political Methodology
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Political Methodology

Abstract

What drives the shift from collective to individual forms of political resistance? This paper explores the rise of 'isolated protests' as a new mode of dissent in both democratic and authoritarian contexts. Isolated acts of protest, initiated by individuals rather than organized movements, have gained prominence where collective action is always increasingly repressed by government. By building a mathematical model, I investigate how state suppression, media dynamics, and decentralized social networks contribute to this trend. The model shows that isolated protests are more resilient to suppression than collective movements, especially in high-repression environments. Case studies of Colin Kaepernick and Mohamed Bouazizi illustrate how personal defiance, amplified by social network, can shape political outcomes even without large-scale mobilization. These findings suggest that isolated protests, as a flexible and adaptive form of resistance, are constantly reshaping the landscape of political mobilization in the modern repressive era.

Author

• Yiyuan Lu, East China University of Political Science and Law