The repertoire of collective action: the denunciation approach (THESIS VERSION)

Abstract

The denunciation approach of the Movimiento del Dolor serves the dual purpose of making visible the relatives’ demands and of applying pressure on those in power. The purpose of the denunciation approach is to inform society over and over again, in marches and meetings, of the crime that was perpetrated and of efforts to bring the perpetrators of that crime to justice. The approach also aims to take active measures to investigate the case, and to demand action on the part of the courts to bring those accused of police violence to trial. To a large extent, the movement draws its repertoire of collective action from past Argentine social movements. They are rarely copied in identical form, but are instead adapted to the current circumstances, issues and demands. However, in some cases the copying of previously used strategies is what helped make the Movimiento del Dolor more visible and powerful. Specifically, the use of banners and buttons with the victims’ pictures, which had previously been used by the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo Foundation Line helped bring cases involving victims of police violence into the forefront of public consciousness. In doing so, the Movimiento del Dolor has shown that cases of police violence are not isolated incidents, but that they form part of larger system of state repression that has been entrenched for decades.