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.
A.C.A.B. (All Cops Are Bastards) is an
acronym used as a political slogan associated with
radical activists who are opposed to the police. It is typically written as a catchphrase in
graffiti, tattoos, or other imagery in public spaces. It is sometimes numerically rendered as "
1312," representing the ordering of the letters in the alphabet. During the 1980s, ACAB became a symbol of anti-Establishment, especially within the
punk and skinhead subcultures. It was popularized in particular by the 1982 song "A.C.A.B." by Oi! band The 4-Skins. In later years, ACAB turned into a popular slogan among European
football hooligans and
ultras, and among anarchist and anti-authoritarian movements
… Read more across the world. In the wake of the May 2020 murder of
George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin, the use of the term A.C.A.B. became more frequently used by those who oppose
police brutality. As protests in response to Floyd's death and discussions about racially motivated
police violence spread through the
United States, A.C.A.B. was more frequently referenced on social media
A
black bloc is a tactic used by anti-capitalist protesters who wear black clothing, ski masks, scarves, sunglasses, motorcycle helmets with padding, or other face-concealing and face-protecting items. The clothing is used to conceal wearers' identities and hinder criminal prosecution by making it difficult to distinguish between participants. It is also used to protect their faces and eyes from pepper spray, which is used by police during protests or civil unrest. The tactic allows the group to appear as one large unified mass.
Black bloc participants are often associated with
anarchism,
anarcho-communism,
communism, libertarian
socialism, antifascism, or the anti-
globalization movement.
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The tactic was developed in the 1980s in the European autonomist movement's protests against squatter evictions,
nuclear power, and restrictions on abortion, as well as other influences. Black blocs gained broader media attention outside
Europe during the 1999 Seattle WTO protests when a
black bloc damaged property of various
multinationals.
Diversity of tactics is a phenomenon wherein a social movement makes periodic use of force for disruptive or defensive purposes, stepping beyond the limits of
nonviolence, but also stopping short of total militarization. It also refers to the theory which asserts this to be the most effective strategy of
civil disobedience for social change.
Diversity of tactics may promote
nonviolent tactics, or armed
resistance, or a range of methods in between, depending on the level of
repression the political movement is facing.
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