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How does an occupation movement become a political force capable of taking power?
This book explores Mexico s 2006 mass encampment in Mexico City an unprecedented 48-day protest sparked by a contested presidential election. From this occupation emerged new mobilisations against privatisation and inequality, reshaping the Mexican left and paving the way for electoral victories in 2018 and 2024. Drawing on long-term fieldwork, the book traces activist networks, grassroots organising, and innovative repertoires of action, offering insights into how movements transform into enduring political parties. Through the stories of key figures, including Claudia Sheinbaum and Andrés Manuel López Obrador, it provides a human and sociological account of political commitment, revitalising debates on occupations and social movements worldwide
List of contents
Chapter 1 An angerfuelled camp.- Chapter 2 Women on a war footing: Mobilising the Adelitas.- Chapter 3 Turning the protest movement into an organisation.- Chapter 4 Holding camp, holding rank.- Chapter 5 Ambivalent commitment and its relationship to social context.- Chapter 6 Social and activist(in)felicity.- Chapter 7 When activists are created by the district.
About the author
Hélène Combes is a CNRS Research Professor and member of the Center for International Studies (CERI-Sciences Po/CNRS). Previous editor of the journal Critique internationale. Revue comparative de sciences sociales (Presses de Sciences Po, 2017-2023)
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her research focuses on Mexican politics, political parties and social movements.
Summary
How does an occupation movement become a political force capable of taking power?
This book explores Mexico’s 2006 mass encampment in Mexico City—an unprecedented 48-day protest sparked by a contested presidential election. From this occupation emerged new mobilisations against privatisation and inequality, reshaping the Mexican left and paving the way for electoral victories in 2018 and 2024. Drawing on long-term fieldwork, the book traces activist networks, grassroots organising, and innovative repertoires of action, offering insights into how movements transform into enduring political parties. Through the stories of key figures, including Claudia Sheinbaum and Andrés Manuel López Obrador, it provides a human and sociological account of political commitment, revitalising debates on occupations and social movements worldwide
