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The Politics of Protest: Social Movements in America by David S. Meyer. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. (215 pages; cloth)
American citizens' first amendment rights to assemble peaceably and petition the government for redress of grievances remain effective (though often under-analyzed) tools for promoting policy change. Engaging and insightful, The Politics of Protest successfully probes the history and trajectory of American social movements writ large, making an excellent reference for political science or sociology courses (and even grassroots organizations), engaging the form and function of political protest and social movements.
In March 2003, a group of citizens protesting the invasion of Iraq were arrested for blocking a thoroughfare in Nevada City, California and charged with disturbance of the peace. Most of the protesters accepted a plea bargain mandating fifty-three hours of community service or three days in jail. "Fifteen of the protesters, however, were determined to present their claims in court; essentially, they argued that they were acting to protest the war and be part of a process to reduce harm" (p. vi). This book's author, David Meyer, Professor of Sociology, Political Science and Public Policy at the University of CaliforniaIrvine, was called as an expert witness for the defense. Qualifying as a political protest and social movement expert before the court, Meyer testified
that dramatic protests, like the one in Nevada City, could be part...