The introduction chapter critically reviews the existing literature and introduces a theory of mediated threat, which explains how perceived threats to civic freedoms and institutional autonomy can motivate the masses and reshape the relational structure of the democratic opposition. Our basic proposition is that threats do not instantaneously provoke protests; rather, they require perception and socialization among citizens to potentially trigger mobilization. Different groups of citizens may perceive the same threat in disparate ways, leading not only to varied mobilizational responses but also the formation of new organizations and groups. This alters the relational dynamics of the opposition through which new threats are assessed.

Chapter 5 elucidates how the Anti-Extradition Movement erupted despite the lack of political opportunities in the post-Umbrella period. We demonstrate how abeyance networks from previous mobilizations and an online petition campaign transformed the idea of extradition into a widely perceived existential threat, galvanizing popular support for the movement and leading to the confluence of the masses.