Assembling Movements: A Case Study on Boundary Work in (between) Events

There are moments in which the effervescence of protest practices can trigger the emergence of new subjectivities that significantly impact the relationships among protesters. Despite its relevance in activists' discourses, research on boundary work during protest events still tends to rely on approaches that privilege the stability of the group identifications while assuming an 'us' versus 'them' mentality. This article explores the group identification logic of collectives during protest events, using as a case study Extremadura's Anti-Repressive Movement. This research draws on data from a multi-year ethnography (January 2018–December 2020) that includes 28 in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis carried out during and between two events that triggered waves of contention in southwestern Spain. This article analyzes how the 'us' of Extremadura's Anti-Repressive Movement was built upon momentum and disagreement. It argues that the 'us' was not necessarily publicly negotiated or structured around shared meanings but constructed through some individuals' (self)exclusion from the practices emerging in that context. It also analyzes how these (self)exclusions reinforced some categories that acted as core values within this movement, preventing alternative positions. Finally, the article suggests a selfing/othering mechanism for this field.