ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines a partial theory of unconventional political action and then turn to an empirical examination of the outbreak of violence during protest demonstrations. Unconventional political action may be defined as a class of political action including those forms of action in which the actors do or refuse to do certain things. The deprivation roots of unconventional political action involve at least three distinct forms of deprivation. Political scientists have suggested two possible mechanisms by which ‘protest’ can have such effects: a threat mechanism and a bargaining mechanism. The most useful theory of the mechanisms of unconventional political action is the one put forth by the students of non-violent action, particularly George Lakey and Gene Sharp. Most events involving unconventional political action are part of a larger campaign; when looking at the occurrence of violence at demonstrations, it is necessary to look both at general campaign characteristics and event-specific variables.
