Repression, Backfire, and the Theory of Transformative Events

This article examines the role of how state repression can actually empower social movements through their strategic use of backfire, which is the “public reaction of outrage to an event that is publicized and perceived as unjust.” Three case studies are used to demonstrate the power of backfire: Gandhi’s Indian independence movement, the East Timorese independence movement and the U.S. movement for alternative medical therapies.