How Self-Limiting Mobilisations Work: The Case of Morocco

Speaker: Frédéric Vairel, University of Ottawa Discussant: Nawal Mustafa, LSE Chair: John Chalcraft, LSE Frédéric describes how self-limitation works in contemporary Moroccan mobilisation, with particular reference to the 20th February Movement. In 2011, contestation dynamics did not reach national amplitude despite being spread across various parts of the country. Frédéric looks at the institutionalisation of contentious space, shedding light on the relation between contentious space and institutional politics. He also addresses how different actors within contentious spaces calculate their actions and explains why self-limitation is not embedded in a moral economy in Morocco. Recorded on 20 May 2015. This seminar forms part of the 'Social Movements and Popular Mobilisation in the MENA Research Theme'. Image Credit: Hasna Lahmini, Flickr. Protesters carry the Moroccan flag during the February 20 protest in Rabat.