Erica Chenoweth
Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment
Civil Protest
Protest is the bedrock of democracy. But why do people take to the streets, and how do protestors achieve change? At the Ash Center, we’re working to answer these questions.
Related Programs
From the Boston Tea Party and the U.S. civil rights movement to contemporary climate action demonstrations, civil protest is a fundamental tool for influencing political change. While protest movements are an indelible part of contemporary political life, little is often understood about what motivates people to take to the streets and how they achieve nonviolent political goals.
Our scholars analyze protest movements, learn from protestors themselves, and develop tools to help understand why some protests succeed and others fail.
Meet the Experts
Zoe Marks
Lecturer in Public Policy
Liz McKenna
Assistant Professor of Public Policy
The Latest News, Research, and Resources
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Monthly Review: March 2021
The Crowd Counting Consortium recorded more than 1,800 protest events in the U.S. in March 2021, with roughly 88,000 to 125,000 participants in the events.
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Stop Asian Hate
Since the Atlanta-area murders, we have logged 126 events focused on this issue, most of them this past Saturday and Sunday, March 20–21.
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consoritum: Say Her Name: Breonna Taylor
So far, the Crowd Counting Consortium has identified 47 events honoring Taylor on the anniversary of her death in more than 30 localities.
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: It’s the Climate Change, Stupid!
One issue has dominated environmental protest activity in the U.S. for at least the past four years, and that’s climate change.
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Monthly Review – February 2021
So far, we’ve recorded 980 protest events in the U.S. in February 2021, with about 29,000 to 35,000 reported participants in them.
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Dude, Where’s My Protest?
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Contours of the George Floyd Uprising
Just how large and broad was that wave of protests after the death of George Floyd? How destructive was it? And how did police and right-wing counter-protesters respond to it?
Commentary
Crowd Counting Consortium: Trump-Era Themes in U.S. Protests
Under the Trump administration, what did Americans protest about?
Feature
How Authoritarian Police Thrive in Democracy
Kennedy School Assistant Professor Yanilda González delves into the roots of police violence in democratic countries in her latest book.
Video
Book Talk — Authoritarian Police in Democracy: Challenges for Latin America and the US
The Ash Center and Carr Center for Human Rights hosted an event for the launch of Authoritarian Police in Democracy: Contested Security in Latin America by HKS Assistant Professor Yanilda María González.
Video
Saving Our Own Lives: Grassroots Responses to COVID-19 Around the Globe
To what extent have these organizations proven better equipped to deal with the pandemic response, and what are the challenges that these associations face when organizing in the age of COVID-19? In addition, how can they seize this moment to turn their organizing into power and influence in political and economic life?