Spreading ripples

The Prefectural Government and pro-growth elites tried to contain and muffle protest in Seki, but without success. Ripples of influence spread outward and upward from the grassroots Seki movements through the political hierarchy. Behind the scenes, the ripples lapped against Governor Kinoshitas decisions about what factories to invite to Landfill No. 8. The ripples also reached to the national ministries, eroding their support for Oitas Phase Two plans. Friction between local and national political opportunity structures tore holes in the web of elite dominance. At a certain point, the Governor crumbled and compromised, handing the Seki movements a decisive victory - a promise that Landfill No. 8 would not be built until Three Conditions were met: local citizen consensus, an end to factional fighting in the Fishing Union, and an environmental impact assessment. The granting of these conditions represented an important turning point in the path of Oita s GE dilemma.

What path, what sequence of moves and countermoves in changing contexts, led to this outcome? Back and forth, each side devised and applied new tactics and sanctions on the other in contrapuntal fashion (McAdam, 1983). This social dynamic unfolded step-by-step over time as a meso-level process among active organizations. Each step entered a new situation that influenced the following step. In the United States, typically, protest movements meet resistance from state agencies (allied with established interests) and generate countermovements (stirred up byestablished interests).