All social movements have, at one point or another in their development, been confronted with the question of legality. This may come about either because the movement aims to change the law, or because it is itself facing legal repression. This could reflect that the law is as much a tool for action as a constraint for the state. Legal victories of the civil rights movement led to increased interest in the study of how the law is used by protesters. However, the effects of such legal strategies remain the subject of debate.