Defining Indigenous rights activism in Newcastle as a collective social movement

The purpose of this paper is to give consideration to Indigenous rights activism in Newcastle Australia in relation the literature on social movement theory. The paper does not expressly adopt one approach over another, such as theories of resource mobilisation and political process or theories of framing or theories of movement identity. Instead, it draws on a number of key definitional concepts within the social movement scholarship to explain how Indigenous rights activism in Newcastle constitutes a collective social movement. It also considers the importance of particular mobilising social organisations in maintaining this collective social movement, and the significance of tactical repertoires of protest adopted to progress Indigenous rights and bring about social change.