Gendered Dissent and Social Threat: Attitudes Towards Protest Repression in Colombia – Gabriella Levy
Posted: 2/12/2026 (CSDE Seminar Series)
We are looking forward to hosting CSDE Affiliate Gabriella Levy from the University of Washington on Friday, October 24 in Parrington Hall 360 and on Zoom. This seminar is co-sponsored by the Population Health Initiative.
What determines support for police restraint in times of social protest? Previous research shows perceptions of protest violence increase support for repression. We argue that protests violating social norms are also seen as less deserving of restraint— even when they pose no physical threat. Focusing on gender-related protests, we test this argument using a survey experiment in Bogota, Colombia, which like many cities in Latin America has repeatedly experienced women-led protests in recent years. Our results show that protests for LGBTQ+ rights and expanded abortion access reduce support for restraint compared to demands that are less threatening to the social order, even though perceptions of violence do not vary by protest goals. Non-violent protest tactics that violate traditional gender norms also reduce support for police restraint. These findings suggest that the right to peacefully protest—an essential component of liberal democracy—is sensitive to the perceived normative subversiveness of protest demands and tactics.
Gabriella Levy is a political scientist who studies the ways that individuals and societies react to and come to terms with political violence in countries in or emerging from civil conflict or other forms of large-scale instability. She focuses on Latin America, particularly Colombia, and primarily uses survey methodologies.
Date: 02/27/2026
Time: 12:30 - 1:30 pm
Location: Parrington Hall 360 and on Zoom