Author: Cameron  J.  Ouellette

Major: Political Science

Graduation Year: 2018

Thesis Advisor: Amy Fried

Description of Publication: The repeated occurrences of protest violence during or following Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrations has been an issue for the United States since the mass demonstrations of Ferguson, MO in August of 2014. Since then, the United States has experienced a trend of organized demonstrations which follow officer-involved shootings of primarily African American civilians. How and why communities around the nation react to police violence can vary, as do the explanations for the responses of community members, demonstrators, and police officers. The protests of Ferguson, MO (2014) and of North Minneapolis, MN (2015) were similarly prompted by police shootings but each experienced a different kind of protest and police response. This thesis explores how different theoretical perspectives illuminate differences between how Ferguson and North Minneapolis reacted to police violence and argues that multiple theories are needed for analyzing such protests.

Location of Publication:

URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/346