Protest policing and public perceptions of police. Evidence from a natural experiment in Germany

This study examines the impact of a high-profile police action—the violent dispersal of a protest in Stuttgart on 30 September 2010—on public attitudes toward the police using a quasi-experimental design. Findings reveal little to no change in perceptions of trust, legitimacy, moral alignment, procedural fairness, or obligation to obey the police, though respondents perceived greater political influence on police actions post-incident. These results suggest that the effects of police violence on public attitudes may depend on institutional context, media narratives, and reconciliation strategies. The study underscores the complexity of how such events shape trust and legitimacy in policing.

Journal Article