Abstract
What explains collective mobilization against criminal violence? Why do communities mobilize against criminal victimization in different ways? Mexico has been entrapped in a vicious cycle of violence since 2006. Given the absence of state-sponsored security, ordinary citizens in many parts of the country have mobilized to resist the violence and coercive orders imposed by criminal organizations. Mobilization strategies, however, have not been homogeneous. Some communities have engaged in violent forms of collective action, such as organizing self-defense groups, while others have resorted to peaceful protest. We examine original data on citizen mobilization against criminal violence in Mexico from 2013 to 2018 to understand the forces that drive the emergence and type of collective mobilization against criminal groups. We find that similar dynamics drive violent and non-violent mobilization, in particular, moderate levels of violence and inter-cartel competition. However, while violent mobilization is associated with past experiences of armed struggles, non-violent mobilization is not. Based on detailed qualitative evidence from a set of cases of contemporary armed mobilization, we contend that past experiences of armed struggles leave organizational and normative legacies that make violent mobilization more available.