Of protestors and policemen

 Interdisciplinary perspectives on the determinants and consequences of the relation between policemen and protestors 

June 11th, 13h-17h
Sciences Po, K215
1, place Saint-Thomas 75007

Abstract

At a time when images of confrontations between police and demonstrators are becoming increasingly common, and when many countries are tightening the rules surrounding the right to demonstrate, this workshop aims to examine, by combining historical, sociological and political perspectives, the relationship between police and demonstrators and the consequences for the perception of demonstrations and their legitimacy. It will focus on, but is not limited to, topics such as police tactics in public order management, current legalities surrounding the right to demonstrate, and the role of social media.

Speaker

Dr. Laura Keesman (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam )

Laura Keesman is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU). She obtained her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in 2023 based on a long-term multi-site ethnographic study into violent interactions within the Dutch Police Force between 2017 - 2022, entitled 'Being in Control: Policing Bodies, Emotions and Violence'. She accompanied police teams throughout The Netherlands in different roles: front line policing, riot policing, specialized arresting units, and trainings for police officers and recruits. Her research explicates how the police put control into being on bodily, emotional, discursive and visual levels. In 2022-2023, she was an Assistant Professor at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen department of Sociology.