Reflection of Clan Politics in Repertoires of Contention: Protest Movements in Kyrgyzstan (2010, 2020)

Revolutions in Kyrgyzstan can be described using Sidney Tarrow's theory of Protest Cycles. Protest movements and revolutions in the "cradle of democracy" of Central Asia occur with high frequency. In this paper, I explore how another cultural-political phenomenon - clans and clan politics is reflected in protest repertoires. I examine the cases of 2010 and 2020 as the most significant illustrations of protest mobilization in Kyrgyzstan to answer the key research question: "How clannism and clan politics were reflected in the protest movements of 2010 and 2020 in Kyrgyzstan? " In this study, I conceptualize the notion of clan politics and justify its relevance as a variable influencing political and social processes in Kyrgyzstan. Then, using fundamental theories of protest mobilizations, I identify the main potential vectors of clan influence on the causes and repertoire of protests. The interpretivist approach and analysis of triangulated qualitative data, including observation, interviews, and media source analysis, allowed us to establish that clan politics influence protest movements in three key directions. First, the political ambitions of clan representatives and their actions aimed at changing the political structure impact crises that form public grievances and provokes a breakdown. Second, clans effectively mobilize potential protesters through their controlled media, interpersonal connections, and material incentives. Third, clan representatives use clan resources to support protesters, allowing protests to last longer and directly influencing the protest repertoire by coordinating it through their networks. Clan politics as a meta-status associated with nepotism and corruption is used by opposition politicians as a to publicly criticize their political opponents. This paper also rises the question that the confrontation between southern and northern clans might be a mechanism preventing democratic backsliding in Kyrgyzstan, which is a potential vector for further research.