Direct action
Direct action is a form of protesting / civil resistance characterized by actions that place pressure on those in positions of power to respond to fulfill a set of demands; die-ins, strikes, sit-ins, blockades, vigils, boycotts, teach-ins, lobbying, etc. - George Lakey & the Global Nonviolent Action Database, adapted by Michelle Xie [1]
"Direct action is a category of activism in which participants act directly, ignoring established (or institutionalized) political and social procedure." -The Direct Action Movement [2]
Examples of direct actions
Direct actions may sometimes fall into a form of civil disobedience, which may involve a degree of intentional law-breaking where persons place themselves in arrestable situations to make a political statement. [3] Direct action can be nonviolent and/or violent. Examples of direct action are strikes, boycotts, blockades, tree-sits, obtaining secret footage, property damage, etc. Individuals participating may have different forms of what is considered 'violent' vs 'nonviolent'.
Specific examples of direct action held in so-called Canada:
- The Fairy Creek blockades to protect the old growth trees in so-called British Columbia, on Pacheedaht Nation territory.
- Student sit-ins, whether in university centres, board member's offices, meeting spaces etc., to pressure their universities to divest from fossil fuels.
- Human or structural blockades between police and houseless people in encampments, to protest the encampment eviction, lack of shelter space and housing for all.
For those unable to engage in direct action, support is critical for the success of those that participate in direct action. Support can look like fundraising, technical support, media engagement, social media presence, upskilling and so much more. [4]
Direct action has historically been an effective tactic employed by social movements (i.e. the Civil rights movement, LGBTQIAS+ right movement etc).
If you have any suggested revisions or additional resources to share related to the above content, please email them to kenzie@lehub.ca.
