Affective Polarization of a Protest and a Counterprotest: Million MAGA March v. Million Moron March

Protest movements around the world have become increasingly likely to incite counterprotests that adopt an opposing stance. This study examines how a protest and counterprotest interact with shape each other as digitally networked connective action. My empirical focus is so-called Million MAGA March—in which supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump protested “stealing” November 2020 election by his rival, Joe Biden—and erupted simultaneously. Drawing on computational mixed-methods approach examine two corpora tweets featuring hashtags used protesters counterprotesters, respectively, identifies three mutually reinforcing dimensions protest–counterprotest interaction: affective repertoires, discursive strategies, network structures. It argues “affective polarization”—or negative partisanship driven hostility toward outgroup—offers useful conceptual means understanding significance affect collective identity in digital social movements, especially interactions. In doing so, also addresses concerns “big data” methods are insensitive role expressive communication movements. Finally, demonstrates online offline political action constitutive aspects contemporary contentious politics.