direct action

 

theory and methods used by certain labor groups to fight employers, capitalist institutions, and the state by direct economic action, without using intermediate organizations. Political measures, such as arbitration, collective bargaining, and trade agreements, are rejected as ineffective. According to the theory, workers, acting as a class, are in a position to exert pressure on capitalist institutions to secure rights. Such measures as the strike, the general strike, the boycott, and sabotage—frequently accompanied by physical violence—are the preferred methods for labor disputes; propaganda and agitation are employed against the government. The specific reforms gained are seen as steps toward the ultimate revolution and toward abolition of capitalism. The theory was developed with the rise of the labor movement in the 19th cent. and was formulated as a definite policy in the early 20th cent. by anti-Marxist radical groups, notably proponents of syndicalism. The method was used in France and spread to other European countries. In the United States the Industrial Workers of the World advocated it.

Bibliography

See W. Mellor, Direct Action (1920); L. L. Lorwin, Labor and Internationalism (1929).

Direct action is a form of political activism which seeks immediate remedy for perceived ills, as opposed to indirect actions such as electing representatives who promise to provide remedy at some later date. Direct action can include such activities as strikes, workplace occupations, sabotage, sit-ins, squatting, revolutionary/guerrilla warfare, demonstrations, vandalism or graffiti. Direct actions are often (but not always) a form of civil disobedience and are thus sometimes illegal. For example vandalism is illegal, while demonstrations are not illegal (in most constitutional democracies). Less confrontational forms of this definition of direct action include establishing radical social centers, and performing street theatre.

Utilizing creativity and resources within their power, direct action participants aim to either:

• obstruct another political agent or political organization from performing some practice to which the activists object; or,
• solve problems major societal institutions (businesses, governments, powerful churches or establishment unions) are not addressing.

Some direct action participants engage in "indirect actions" (voting in elections, targeted boycotts) as part of larger campaigns.

History

Direct action tactics have been around for as long as conflicts have existed, but the theory of direct action developed primarily in the context of labor struggles. In his 1920 book, Direct Action, William Mellor placed direct action firmly in the struggle between worker and employer for control "over the economic life of society." Mellor defined direct action "as the use of some form of economic power for securing of ends desired by those who possess that power." Mellor considered direct action a tool of both owners and workers and for this reason he included within his definition lockouts and cartels, as well as strikes and sabotage. However, by this time the American anarchist and feminist Voltairine de Cleyre had already given a strong defense of direct action, linking it with struggles for civil rights:

"the Salvation Army was vigorously practising direct action in the maintenance of the freedom of its members to speak, assemble, and pray. Over and over they were arrested, fined, and imprisoned ... till they finally compelled their persecutors to let them alone." (de Cleyre, undated)

By the middle of the 20th century, the sphere of direct action had undoubtedly expanded, though the meaning of the term had perhaps contracted. Most campaigns for social change—notably those seeking suffrage, improved working conditions, civil rights, abortion rights, an end to gentrification,and environmental protection—employ at least some types of violent or nonviolent direct action.

The anti-nuclear movement used direct action, particularly during the 1980s. Groups opposing the introduction of cruise missiles into the United Kingdom employed tactics such as breaking into and occupying United States air bases, and blocking roads to prevent the movement of military convoys and disrupt military projects. In the U.S., mass protests opposed nuclear energy, weapons, and military intervention throughout the decade, resulting in thousands of arrests. Many groups also set up semi-permanent "peace camps" outside air bases such as Molesworth and Greenham Common, and at the Nevada Test Site.

Anti-globalization activists made headlines around the world in 1999, when they forced the Seattle WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 to end early with direct action tactics such as blocking traffic and destroying property.

One of the largest direct actions in recent years took place in San Francisco the day after the Iraq War began in 2003. Twenty-thousand people occupied the streets and over 2,000 people were arrested in affinity group actions throughout downtown San Francisco, home to military-related corporations such as Bechtel. (See March 20, 2003 anti-war protest).

Direct action has also been used on a smaller scale. Refugee Salim Rambo was saved from being flown from the UK back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo when one person stood up on his flight and refused to sit down. After a two hour delay the man was arrested, but the pilot refused to fly with Rambo on board. Salim Rambo was ultimately released from state custody and remains free today.

Nonviolent direct action

Nonviolent direct action is any form of direct action that does not rely on violent tactics. Mahatma Gandhi's teachings of Satyagraha (or truth force) have inspired many practitioners of nonviolent direct action (NVDA). In 1963, civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. described the goal of NVDA in his Letter from Birmingham Jail: "Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored."

One major debate is whether destruction of property can be included within the realm of nonviolence. This debate can be illustrated by the response to groups like the Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front, which use property destruction and sabotage as direct action tactics. Although these types of actions are often viewed as a form of violence, and even terrorism, supporters define violence as harm directed towards living things and not property.

In the U.S., the term has come to signify civil disobedience, and protest in general, particularly where the organizers are not concerned with preventing violence. In the 1980s, a California direct action protest group called Livermore Action Group called its newspaper Direct Action. The paper ran for 25 issues, and covered hundreds of nonviolent actions around the world. The book Direct Action: An Historical Novel took its name from this paper, and records dozens of actions in the San Francisco Bay Area.

"Direct Action" has also served as the moniker of at least two groups: the French Action Directe as well as the Canadian group more popularly known as the Squamish Five. Direct Action was also the name of the magazine of the Australian Wobblies. The UK's Solidarity Federation currently publishes a magazine called Direct Action.

Direct action and anarchism

As a principle, direct action is central to autonomism and many strands of anarchist theory, including anarcho-syndicalism, anarcho-communism, insurrectionary anarchism, green anarchism and anarcho-pacifism.

United Kingdom

Main article: Environmental direct action in the United Kingdom

The Environmental direct action movement in the United Kingdom started in 1990 with the forming of the first UK Earth First! group. The movement rapidly grew from the 1992 Twyford Down protests, culminating in 1997.

See also

• Anarchism
• Propaganda of the deed
• Civil disobedience
• Definition of terrorism
• Direct democracy
• Dual power
• General strike
• Nonviolence
• Sabotage and/or Ecotage (Monkeywrenching)
• Tax resistance
• Tree sitting
• Security culture
• Citizen journalism
• Independent Media Center

Some groups which employ direct action

• ADAPT
• Anarchists Against the Wall (Israeli group)
• Animal Liberation Front
• ACT UP
• Campus Antiwar Network
• Code Pink
• "Cypherpunks write code!"
• Earth First!
• Food Not Bombs
• Greenpeace
• Industrial Workers of the World
• Landless Workers' Movement
• MindFreedom International
• Not Dead Yet (group)
• Operation Rescue
• PETA
• Reclaim the Streets
• Students for a Democratic Society
• Trident Ploughshares
• WOMBLES
• War Resisters' International
• Camp for Climate Action

References

• de Cleyre, V. (undated) Direct Action. Available at Spunk Online Anarchist Library.
• Hauser, Luke (2003) Direct Action: An Historical Novel. Available at www.directaction.org.
• Lunori, G. (1999) Direct Action. Available at sniggle.net.
• Sparrow, R. (undated) Anarchist Politics and Direct Action. Available at Spunk Online Anarchist Library.

External links

• DA! (Direct Action) Gallery. Direct Action in Londons Art scene.
• Ecodefense: A Field Guide to Monkeywrenching
• ACTivist Magazine
• Civil Disobedience Manual from ACT-UP/NY
• ReclaimingQuarterly.org features photo-coverage of contemporary nonviolent direct actions
• DirectAction.org offers online organizing resources
• Greenpeace encourages its activists to use Non-Violent Direct Action
• The Citizen's Handbook
• Ruckus
• The Boston Direct Action Project
• IWW Organizing Department
• libcom.org/organise - organising direct action at work, in the community or anywhere else tips and guidelines
• War Resisters' International
• The Scouring of the Shire: Fairies, Trolls and Pixies in Eco-Protest Culture by Andy Letcher (2001)
• Video clips of some direct action

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