POLITICL VIOLENCETransnational Dynamics in Violent Outcomes for Protest Movements: A Rapid Evidence Assessment
This report offers a synthesis and critical analysis of research that has considered whether and how transnational dynamics inform the interaction between protest, radicalization, and terrorism. The analysis draws on research on transnational movements and processes that inform how and why people engage in protests which are or become violent, and which involve violent extremist actors. It explores the influence of transnational intergroup relations.
Executive Summary
Introduction
This executive summary of the Full Report, offers a synthesis and critical analysis of research that has considered whether and how transnational dynamics inform the interaction between protest, radicalization, and terrorism.
The analysis draws on research on transnational movements and processes that inform how and why people engage in protests which are or become violent, and which involve violent extremist actors. It explores the influence of transnational intergroup relations.
Aims
This review seeks to synthesize existing research on transnational mechanisms and processes to provide insights into the factors that shape protest-extremism dynamics to address the following primary research questions:
- What increases the vulnerability of protest mobilizations to transnational actors (states, violent movements, individuals) promoting violence across borders?
- What factors constrain the potential for violence, radicalization, and terrorism in transnational social movements/ mobilizations?
- Under what conditions do alliances between social movements and international actors lead to an increased potential for violence? What characteristics of both types of actors contribute to this dynamic?
- What are the mechanisms of influence between transnational and local protest mobilizations?
Methodology
This research uses a rapid evidence assessment (REA) approach, synthesizing knowledge on specific topics in line with the research questions from published journal articles, book chapters, reports, and dissertations, including both academic and “grey” literature (e.g., government and think tank reports).
The REA adopted a streamlined methodology using keyword searches of major social science databases, after which identified documents were screened for inclusion based on pre-determined eligibility criteria.
Key findings
The literature on both transnational protests and transnational interactions with local movements or protests does not significantly differ from the core findings of the previous two Rapid Evidence Assessments in this series which focused on social movement insights into violent protests (Salman, Marsden, Lewis, 2025) and interdisciplinary research into individual-level processes that shape radicalization and violence related to protests (Peterscheck, Marsden & Salman, 2025). Earlier findings that remain highly relevant to transnational processes include:
