When topics of protest and counter-protest diverge : asymmetrical issue contestation in left-right street confrontations

Abstract

Works on protest counter-protest dynamics tend to assume that protesters and counter-protesters make competing claims about the same issue. This paper challenges this basic assumption. Based on an original dataset on local protests in Germany, it demonstrates that events that trigger a counter-protest and the response event, that is, the counter-protest, differ significantly in the issues they address. While a range of issues elicit counter-protests, the response events generally mobilize around anti-far-right claims, even if the initial protest does not explicitly advance fascism/racism issues. We argue that the observed asymmetry results from the way counter-protests have historically emerged as a specific repertoire used by left-wing actors to oppose fascist/racist groups and claims.