The Challenges of Mobilizing after Emergency Events

Transformative events are typically analyzed in relation to repression, whereas the conditions under which human-made disasters spur social mobilization remain understudied. This article addresses this gap showing how disaster-induced contention is uniquely tied to a human factor: emergency events become catalysts for protest through human (in)action, allowing activists to politicize state neglect and lack of accountability structures. This process faces distinct logistical and strategic challenges that distinguish disaster-induced contention from backlash protest in reaction to state violence. Through a comparison of the 2023 dam collapse in the Libyan city of Derna, the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey, and the 2020 Beirut port explosion, we identify external and internal pressures that shape post-disaster mobilization, offering a framework for understanding the challenges of contentious politics in emergency contexts.