Police use of force promotes protester violence: the mediating role of social identity and perceived procedural injustice in the context of police-protester relationships.

The article focuses on a study examining the relationship between police use of force and protester violence during Chile’s 2019 Social Outbreak. Using the Elaborated Social Identity Model (ESIM) and procedural justice theory, the research found that experiencing police repression increased protesters’ identification with radical groups, which in turn was associated with greater justification of violent protest actions. While police violence did not directly affect perceptions of procedural injustice, it influenced these perceptions indirectly through increased identification with radical protesters. The findings highlight the potential role of police actions in escalating protest violence and suggest implications for promoting peaceful protest methods. [Extracted from the article]