direct action
Strikes and blockades
Direct action is protest or resistance that bypasses conventional channels—strikes, blockades, sabotage, civil disobedience—rather than working through elections, lobbying, or courts.
The term implies immediacy and often confrontation: The activists turned to direct action after years of ignored petitions.
Associated with labor movements, anarchism, and environmental activism.
Public display of opinion
- sit-inProtest by remaining seated
- blockadeSealing off a place
- occupationOne's regular paid work
- picketingOrganized protest outside workplace
march · rally · boycott · strike · banner · placard · chanting · civil disobedience
Forceful impact or stoppage
- walkoutProtest by leaving
- wildcat strikeUnauthorized work stoppage
- work-to-ruleProtest through strict compliance
- slowdownReduction in pace
picket line · sit-down strike · general strike · shop floor · syndicalism · scab · strikebreaker · collective bargaining
Collective local civic engagement
- mutual aidCooperative community support
- bottom-upStarting from fundamentals
- neighborhoodResidential area nearby
- solidarityUnity among allies
empowerment · volunteerism · participation · engagement · decentralized · cooperative · self-help · tenant union
Deliberate disruption of operations
- monkeywrenchingSabotaging environmentally harmful operations
- arsonCriminal deliberate burning
- insurgencyArmed uprising against authority
- clandestineConcealed from authorities
demonstration
Public display of opinion
- sit-inProtest by remaining seated
- blockadeSealing off a place
- occupationOne's regular paid work
picketing · march · rally · boycott · strike · banner · placard · chanting · civil disobedience · disruption
strike
Forceful impact or stoppage
- walkoutProtest by leaving
- wildcat strikeUnauthorized work stoppage
- work-to-ruleProtest through strict compliance
slowdown · picket line · sit-down strike · general strike · shop floor · syndicalism · scab · strikebreaker · collective bargaining
community organizing
Collective local civic engagement
- mutual aidCooperative community support
- bottom-upStarting from fundamentals
- neighborhoodResidential area nearby
solidarity · empowerment · volunteerism · participation · engagement · decentralized · cooperative · self-help · tenant union · assemblies
sabotage
Deliberate disruption of operations
- monkeywrenchingSabotaging environmentally harmful operations
- arsonCriminal deliberate burning
- insurgencyArmed uprising against authority
- activismboycotts, activists, activist, advocate, demonstrating
- protestdemonstration, walkout, picket, protest march, sit-in
- protestsprotest, demonstration, protest march, demonstrations, rallies
- resistanceresistance, defiance, resistance fighters, civil resistance, resist
- Indian historyancient India, Indian independence, Akbar, Mughal Empire, British Raj
- AIDS activismACT UP, red ribbon, AIDS quilt, World AIDS Day, HIV testing
direct actionlobbying
Advocating to decision-makers
voting · electoral politics · petitioning · official channels · representative democracy
direct actiondelegation
Transferring responsibility downward
representation · mediation · outsourcing · armchair activism · slacktivism
direct actioncompliance
Adhering to requirements
gradualism · incrementalism · reformism · acquiescence · obedience
action, direct, direction, directly, director, indirect, directive, redirect, directional