The Thick Blue Line

• In Event: 282 - Student Forum Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 07. Sociology of the Occupy and Environmental Movement

Abstract

This study addresses the use of excess force against Occupy protesters in the United States. By using multiple media outlets’ coverage of the movement as well as over thirty-five hours of online content generated mostly by protesters themselves, this study seeks to contextualize the actions of police officers who escalated or initiated physical force with otherwise peaceful or physically passive protesters. Drawing from extensive literature on styles of policing protest, police use of excessive force, and police department histories, as well as narratives of protest related events, this study offers insight into situational factors that may explain the surprising levels of violence witnessed in some United States cities. Specifically, this study shows that there were two clear sources of police-initiated/escalated violence: 1) high ranking officers who likely viewed protesters as deviant and reacted emotionally; and 2) mismanagement and lack of coordination at the top level of city bureaucracy. Two departments exemplified these sources of violence, the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Oakland Police Department (OPD).

Author

• Victoria Mallett, London School of Economics