Based on a view of communication as constitutive of protest movements, this paper considers how online communication shaped the organizing structure of Occupy London. The movement’s belief in non-hierarchical organizing methods rendered the power and legitimacy of the media team an object of intense debate. Internal power struggles also centred on the management of social media platforms. At the same time, the internet contributed to dynamics of decentralization, allowing different activists to create their own online spaces devoted to the movement. These spaces exemplified the contrasting social media logics within the movement, as some focused on strategic mobilization while others attempted to replicate the open processes of Occupy on social media. The picture that emerges is complex, demonstrating that the design and proprietary nature of these technologies, as well as activist cultures with regards to strategy and internet use contributed to both centralizing and decentralizing dynamics within the movement.
