Winning the Battle of Seattle: State Response to Perceived Crisis

This article examines the nature of police violence in the context of social discord. Using the anti-World Trade Organization protests as a backdrop, it delineates and applies Stark's (1968) theory of police riots to explain the progression of police aggression in Seattle. The article also exte...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Illness, crisis, and loss crisis, and loss, 2005-04, Vol.13 (2), p.129-145
Main Author: Wozniak, Jesse
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aggressiveness
Capitalist societies
Demonstrations
Demonstrations & protests
International trade
Militarization
Police
Police brutality
Police Community Relations
Policing
Protest Movements
Riots
Seattle
Seattle, Washington
USA
Violence
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Summary:This article examines the nature of police violence in the context of social discord. Using the anti-World Trade Organization protests as a backdrop, it delineates and applies Stark's (1968) theory of police riots to explain the progression of police aggression in Seattle. The article also extends Stark's model by integrating it with a Gramscian understanding of the dynamics of ideological consent in late capitalist societies. Finally, the article demonstrates the dangers that result from official perceptions of protesters as members of the “dangerous class,” and from police displays of excessive and provocative force. It also illustrates how the increased militarization of the police encourages provocative policing practices that undermine fundamental democratic rights, particularly the right to participate in peaceful protests.
ISSN:1054-1373
1552-6968
DOI:10.1177/105413730501300204