Vigilante violence in the 21st century: an international comparative analysis of three case studies. Can facts elude narrative?

Abstract

The article explores vigilante mob violence in the 21st century through cases that achieved national notoriety and became international news. Particular attention is paid to the process of defining the event and its exposure to the general public through images, many generated in real time to be shared on social media. A closer look at three different cases reveals a complexity that resists typological generalisations, as well as the persistence of an assessment of the barbarity of lynching attributed to actors who feel distant and alien to transnational public opinion.