I am tired of being afraid

Emotions and protest participation in Belarus

Bibliographic Data

ID2356092
AuthorsOlena Nikolayenko (0000-0002-6753-8329, Fordham University, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume37
Issue1
Pages78-96
Publication date2022-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0268-5809 • E-ISSN: 1461-7242
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/02685809211023051
OpenAlexW3217473449
LanguageEN
Citations received18
References cited39

Belarus witnessed a staggering level of mass mobilization in the aftermath of the 2020 fraudulent election and disproportionate use of police force against peaceful protesters. Using the case of anti-government protests in Belarus, this article argues that a confluence of moral and reflex emotions explains an incredibly high level of protest participation in a hard autocracy. Specifically, indignation over the magnitude of electoral malpractices and the intensity of police violence, in congruence with the loss of fear, provides a moral battery for generating and sustaining mass mobilization. It is further argued that a sense of unity within the protest movement mitigates fear of repression and facilitates sustained engagement in protests. Drawing on media reports and protesters' narratives, the study traces how citizens overcame their fear of state reprisal and took to the street. The article contributes to contentious politics literature by elucidating the role of emotions in shaping mass mobilization

Autocracy · Democracy · Indignation · Mass mobilization · Mobilization · Narrative · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Social movement · Sociology · Eastern European Communism and Reforms · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Populism, Right-Wing Movements

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