Solidarity and tactical coordination in the German anti-nuclear movement: An event history analysis

The rift between militant and nonviolent movement factions can severely diminish its capacity for effective action and lead to deep and lasting animosities among activists. Typically the use of violent tactics leads others to publicly distance themselves from the perpetrators, sparking fierce internal debate over what constitutes violence, whether its tactical use is ever justified, and the proper way to address it in the press. In short, moderate and nonviolent civil disobedience groups often engage in a variety of “taming” rituals designed to discourage, de-escalate, and/or punish the use of violence as they define it. Yet these efforts rarely succeed in preventing the use of violent tactics, and in the last decade or so, some movements have begun taking a different approach: rather than the one side trying to “tame” the other, rituals and frames of tolerance and solidarity have been constructed that allow them to work together more effectively, despite their differences. To determine the conditions that facilitate this kind of cooperation, we examine the relationship between militant and nonviolent factions in the German anti-nuclear movement, focusing on their interactions have developed over the course of a 14-year period in a series of protests against nuclear waste transports in the “Wendland” region of northern Germany. By examining both internal and external framing and mobilization processes surrounding blockade actions in 1997, 2001, 2010, and 2011, we show how the relationship between the two factions has changed from one of severe conflict and distrust to one of relative tolerance and solidarity. In tracing this development, we discuss the ways in which bi-directional social learning has taken place, highlighting continuing challenges and specific practical innovations that have allowed for more effective cooperation, even in the face of adverse political opportunities.