The World Says No to War

On February 15, 2003, the largest one-day protest in human history took place as millions of people in hundreds of cities marched in the streets, rallying against the imminent invasion of Iraq. This was activism on an unprecedented scale.

 

The World Says No to War strives to understand who spoke out, why they did, and how so many people were mobilized for a global demonstration. Using surveys collected by researchers from eight countries—Belgium, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States—The World Says No to War analyzes how the new tools of the Internet were combined with more conventional means of mobilization to rally millions, many with little experience in activism, around common goals and against common targets.

 

Contributors: W. Lance Bennett, U of Washington; Michelle Beyeler, U Bern; Christian Breunig, U of Toronto; Mario Diani, U of Trento; Terri E. Givens, U of Texas, Austin; Bert Klandermans, Free U Amsterdam; Donatella della Porta, European U Institute; Wolfgang Rüdig, U of Strathclyde; Sidney Tarrow, Cornell U; Peter Van Aelst, U of Antwerp.

Preface, Sidney Tarrow, Introduction, Stefaan Walgrave and Dieter Rucht, 1. February 15, 2003: The World Says No to War, Joris Verhulst, 2. Political Opportunity Structures and Progressive Movement Sectors Michelle Beyeler and Dieter Rucht, 3. Politics, Public Opinion, and the Media: The Issues and Context behind the Demonstrations Joris Verhulst and Stefaan Walgrave, 4. Legacies from the Past: Eight Cycles of Peace Protest, Bert Klandermans, 5. New Activists or Old Leftists? The Demographics of Protesters, Stefaan Walgrave, Dieter Rucht, and Peter Van Aelst, 6. Peace Demonstrations or Antigovernment Marches? The Political Attitudes of the Protesters, Bert Klandermans, 7. Paths to the February 15 Protest: Social or Political Determinants?, Donatella della Porta, 8. Boon or Burden? Antiwar Protest and Political PartiesWolfgang Rüdig, 9. Open and Closed Mobilization Patterns: The Role of Channels and TiesStefaan Walgrave and Bert Klandermans, 10. Promoting the Protest: The Organizational Embeddedness of the DemonstratorsMario Diani, 11. Crossing Political Divides: Communication, Political Identification, and Protest Organization W. Lance Bennett, Terri E. Givens, and Christian Breunig, 12. The Framing of Opposition to the War on Iraq, Dieter Rucht and Joris Verhulst, Conclusion: Studying Protest in Context, Stefaan Walgrave and Dieter Rucht, Acknowledgments, Appendix A: Methodology of Protest Surveys in Eight Countries, Appendix B: Media Content Analysis, Contributors, Index