Policing, collective action and social movement theory: the case of the Northern Ireland civil rights campaign

In this paper we examine the relationship between social movements and the police through an analysis of the Civil Rights Movement (CRM) which emerged in the late 1960s in Northern Ireland. Following della Porta (1995) and Me lucci (1996) we argue that the way in which episodes of collective action a re policed can affect profoundly both levels of mobilization and the orient ation of social movements. We also submit that the symbolic and representat ional dimensions of policing can be a significant trigger in the stimulatio n of identification processes and collective action. The paper concludes by questioning some of the assumptions contained within social movement theor y, and their applicability to divided societies such as Northern Ireland.