Attitudes towards Authority and the Decentralisation of Social Movements: Evidence from Hong Kong

The structure of contemporary social movements is often decentralised. In Hong Kong, the 2019 Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement (hereafter Anti-ELAB Movement) was notable for its decentralised structure since it lacked a central leadership; this marked a significant departure from previous social movements since the handover of sovereignty. Using a mixed methods approach, this article argues that a decline in respect for authority contributed to the emergence of this decentralised structure. In 2014 and 2018, even before the movement began, citywide survey data indicated a decreasing respect for authority. Such an attitudinal change was more pronounced among citizens with a propensity to participate in protests. After the movement occurred, both civil society leaders and ordinary protesters exhibited strong objections to, and scepticism of, authority. This study contributes to the literature on social movements by demonstrating that, in decentralised movements with informal leadership, protesters tend to strongly oppose centralised and all-encompassing authorities that issue orders and demand compliance among participants. Therefore, political attitudes and values could affect the organisational structure of social movements.