Top Five Factors That Define Direct Action

So many people on or in Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, websites, blogs, workshops, teach-ins, lectures, and presentations use the term direct action. Direct action is a term that has been used liberally, casually, and has been co-opted to  convey effectiveness and aids in the romanticization of a group. The following five factors defining what direct action is.

1. Direct Action is seeing instantaneously the result of the given act.

2. Direct Action is not a campaign or a strategy, but a tactic.

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3. Direct Action is deliberate, conscious, and purposeful.

4. Direct Action has an objective mission and the most evidence based tactic.

5. Direct Action is not anything that is subjective and could possibility result in multiple outcomes. 

Therefore, from the above guidelines of direct action, protesting, teach-ins, lectures, conferences, rallies, fasts, press conferences, film screenings, cube of truths, marches, workshops, social media, books, blogging,  and flyering all have subjective outcomes and do not have instantaneous results or evidence.

Such tactics as blockading, hunger-strikes, property destruction, and liberation of others is direct action.

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