Tactical Contrasts: The Development of Confrontation Repertoire During Opposing Protests Concerning Abortion Rights in Argentina

Abstract

This paper analyzes the development of the contention repertoire in opposing protests regarding abortion rights in Argentina between 2005 and 2018, from the emergence of the Campaign for Legal Abortion to the first legislative debate on the Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy Bill. Using the Protest Event Analysis (PEA) method, we identified four general types of collective action and 33 specific ones. We found a) significant tactical differences between the opposing sides, with direct actions predominating in pro-abortion protests and actions through institutional channels prevailing among their adversaries; b) strong reciprocal influence on agendas, especially in the dispute over non-punishable abortion; c) tactical innovation in pro-abortion protests (collective apostasy); and d) disparities between online and in-person dynamics. This research highlights the importance of the specific political opportunities/limitations of each country, including party institutionalization and the role of the Catholic Church, and suggests the inclusion of online actions in PEA-based studies.

Keywords
repertoire of contention; opposing protests; abortion; Protest Event Analysis; Argentina