This panel is an attempt to compare a set of recent mobilisations (2011-12 in European countries), analyse their commonalities and differences, and assess their connection to the economic and political context of austerity in Europe. At first glance, it may seem obvious that the Spanish, Greek, and Portuguese demonstrations are the symptom of the socio-economic crises that these countries have been undergoing. However, “collective action does not spring automatically from structural tensions” (della Porta and Diani 2006: 63). We need thus to take into account but also look beyond the socio-economic context. In order to contribute to a better understadning of current mobilizations and street protests, this panel proposes to focus on two questions: 1) the question of novelty (do these mobilizations embody something new in terms of actors, discourse, and modes of action, or is it more of the same?); 2) the question of their comparability, both in terms of causes and dynamics (if we put aside the context of austerity, are we really looking at similar phenomena or are we comparing apples and oranges?).