Direct action
We will not ask permission.
Petitions, reports and open letters have been tried for years, while power over our future has only become more concentrated. We still write, vote and campaign, but we no longer wait for permission to act. Direct action is how movements force the powerful to listen when they would rather not.
01
Why we act
No right was ever handed down by those who held power. The suffragettes chained themselves to railings, civil rights activists sat where the law told them not to, and workers stopped the machines until their demands were met. Each of them was called unreasonable at the time, and each of them was right. We carry that tradition into a struggle against a new concentration of power, one that moves faster than parliaments and answers to no one.
02
Where we act
We act where power over our lives is being decided. That means the headquarters and shareholder meetings of the corporations building the most powerful systems, and the data centres consuming the water and energy of the communities around them. It also means the lobbyists who write the rules for them and the governments that look away, or worse, sign the contracts.
03
How we act
Our actions include blockades, occupations of public space, disruption of the events where the powerful meet, mass refusals and public exposure of those who profit from concentrated power. Every action is decided collectively and planned carefully, and we target the powerful, never the passers-by. We act openly, under our own names, and we take responsibility for what we do.
04
You will not act alone
No member takes part in an action without training first. We prepare together, act in groups where everyone has a clear role, and look after each other before, during and after. Members who face legal consequences for acting with the movement can count on the legal support we organise, which is one of the things our donations pay for.
05
Train with us
Every week we run a free online training open to anyone, whether or not you are a member. It is the first step before taking part in any action.
What the training covers
- Why civil disobedience works, and the history of the movements that won with it
- How an action is planned, and the roles people take within it
- Your rights when protesting and if you are arrested, and how they differ between countries
- Staying calm and safe under pressure, including when dealing with police
- Protecting your phone, your data and the people you act with
- Looking after each other after an action
Sessions run every Wednesday at 19:00 Brussels time, in English, and last 90 minutes. The link is sent by email after you register.