Protest injuries: A situational analysis of injurious protests in Gauteng

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3108/2022/vn71a12891

Abstract

In this article, we investigate contextual and situational circumstances of protest events that record injurious outcomes for civilians and examine how these differ from protests which do not record such outcomes. Using the IRIS database, we examine how contextual factors, including protest period, protest location, type of protest, reason for protest, and situational factors, such as damage to property, arrests and police response contribute to civilian injury. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, it was found that: 1) protest-related injuries were more frequent during the late-2000s than the 2010-15 period; 2) protest location was not a significant predictor of protest injury; 3) protests which recorded arrests and damage to property were more likely to report injurious outcomes; and 4) the addition of an aggressive police response was significant in determining protestor injury outcomes. Our findings have implications for public policing strategies, highlighting the role of different modalities of police response in the mitigation or escalation of violence at protest events.

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Author Biographies

Pascal Richardson, Institute for Social and Health Sciences, University of South Africa / SAMRC-UNISA Masculinity and Health Research Unit

Pascal Richardson is a Junior Researcher at the Institute for Social and Health Sciences, University of South Africa & South African Medical Research Council-University of South Africa Masculinity and Health Research Unit. She holds a Masters degree in Psychology from the University of the Western Cape. Her current research interests include violence and injury prevention, masculinity, sexuality, sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing.

Lu-Anne Swart, Institute for Social and Health Sciences, University of South Africa / SAMRC-UNISA Masculinity and Health Research Unit

Lu-Anne Swart is a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Social and Health Sciences, University of South Africa & South African Medical Research Council-University of South Africa Masculinity and Health Research Unit. She completed a Masters on sexual coercion and high risk sexual practices in adolescent dating relationships and a Doctorate on the epidemiological profile, situational context and social ecology of adolescent homicide victimisation. Her current research focuses on the development and testing of community-based (un)intentional injuries prevention interventions and violence prevention programmes in under-resourced communities.

Rajen Govender, Institute for Social and Health Sciences, University of South Africa / Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town

Rajen Govender is jointly Professor Extraordinaire at the Institute for Social and Health Sciences, University of South Africa & South African Medical Research Council-University of South Africa Masculinity and Health Research Unit and PhD Convenor and Chairperson of Graduate Affairs at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town. He holds a PhD in Political Psychology from University of California, Los Angeles. His current research focusses on public policy perspectives on the epidemiology of risk for morbidity and mortality from violence, injury and alcohol and substance use. He has published extensively in these areas.

Mohamed Seedat, Institute for Social and Health Sciences, University of South Africa / SAMRC-UNISA Masculinity and Health Research Unit

Mohamed Seedat is the current Head of the Unisa Institute for Social and Health Sciences, and a faculty member of the South African Medical Research Council-University of South Africa Masculinity and Health Research Unit. He writes about the social anatomy of protests, liberatory and decolonizing community-making and knowledge production, and peace and safety promotion.

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Published

2022-11-03

Issue

No. 71 (2022): SACQ 2022

Section

Research articles

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