ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the role of various social groups in shaping protests in repressive contexts. The empirical study focuses on the Egyptian uprisings that started in January 2011. The authors use data collected through semi-structured interviews undertaken between 2011 and 2015 with 58 individuals who had all participated in such protests and who were members of various types of organizations. The findings also highlight the flexible and dynamic form of organizations active in repressive contexts, which are capable of reacting and adapting easily to a changing context. The aforementioned resources have been highlighted for most SMOs operating under democratic assets. However, in repressive contexts, the oppositional space in which political organizations such as SMOs can operate is narrow, and hinders the possibility for organizations to engage in contentious collective actions. Scholars have argued that in circumstances where there is limited space for organizations to work, informal groups are crucial sites for the mobilization of resources in repressive contexts.
