Abstract

A continuum of citizens with heterogeneous opportunity costs participate in a protest with well-defined demands. As long as the government does not concede, it pays a cost increasing in time and participation rates. Citizens who are part of the victory team enjoy a psychological “merit reward”. A protest equilibrium must display (a) single-peaked participation and (b) delay in government concessions. The set of equilibria is fully described by the protest peak time, which can vary within bounds that I characterize. Evidence from the Black Lives Matter movement supports the features that I extract from this model.