This book presents a new framework for understanding the dynamics that connect protests, protest campaigns and armed conflict. Through a comparative study of conflicts in Colombia and South Africa, it shows the processes of collective action and their escalation to protest campaigns and civil wars, as well as the de-escalation of conflict away from armed conflict. The book moves past the traditional division between studies of collective action and the literature on civil wars to present a tool to help us understand why growing socio-political tensions, inequality and global tensions across the world could lead to a sharp rise in organised violence.It is a vital resource for scholars and practitioners focused on sociology, political science, conflict and peace studies, and international relations. Dr. Díaz Pabón explores how shifts in political freedoms, equality, state strength and legitimacy, and provision of public services can help us to understand the processes of escalation, de-escalation and recurrence of conflict. In doing so, he provides new insights into the dynamics of protests, riots and violence emerging across the world.