The
raised fist, or the clenched fist, is a long-standing image of activism, often a symbol of social
revolution and political
solidarity. It is also a common symbol of
anarchism and
communism, but can also be used as a salute to express
unity, strength, or
resistance. The origin of the
raised fist as a symbol is unclear. Its use in trade
unionism,
anarchism, and the labor movement had begun by the 1910s. William "Big Bill" Haywood, a founding member of the Industrial Workers of the World, used the metaphor of a fist as something greater than the sum of its parts during a speech at the 1913 Paterson silk
strike. The
raised fist logo may represent
unity or
solidarity, generally with
… Read more oppressed peoples. The black fist is a variation of the logo generally associated with the
Black Power movement. Its most widely known usage is by the
Black Panther Party, a Black Marxist group in the 1960s.
Direct action originated as a political activist term for economic and political acts in which the actors use their power to directly reach certain goals of interest by, for example, revealing an existing problem, using physical force, highlighting an alternative, or demonstrating a possible solution. Both
direct action and actions appealing to others can include
nonviolent and violent activities which target
persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the action participants.
Nonviolent direct action may include sit-ins, strikes, street blockades,
sabotage, and counter-economics.
Nonviolent direct action has historically been an assertive regular feature of the tactics employed
… Read more by social movements, including
Mahatma Gandhi's Indian Independence Movement and the Civil Rights Movement. Anarchists
organize almost exclusively through
direct action, this manifests as a varied set of actions,
non-violent or violent.
Direct action is used by anarchists due to a rejection of party politics, and refusal to work within hierarchical bureaucratic institutions.
Anti-capitalism is a political
ideology and movement encompassing a variety of attitudes and ideas that oppose capitalism. In this sense, anti-capitalists are those who wish to replace capitalism with another type of
society, usually some form of
anarchism or
socialism.