Non-Violent Direct Action //Civil Disobedience

Updated August 2019

What is NVDA and why do we do it?

Stopping, slowing or interfering with business as usual by using non-violent, direct action (NVDA) is a powerful and historically effective tactic in movements for change. Combined with a broader campaign, strategic illegal actions such as blockading and “locking on” have been a crucial element in many successful campaigns in so-called australia and across the world. Some examples within the environmental space include the iconic campaigns to stop the damming of the Franklin River in Tasmania, the battle to stop uranium mining at Jabiluka in Kakadu National Park, and the Bentley Blockade against unconventional gas exploration in NSW’s  Northern Rivers. 

NVDA is a tactical part of campaigns that works in a number of ways– it can generate public awareness, help to remove the ‘social licence’ of a company to operate and place pressure on governments to stop projects by cancelling licences and changing laws. 

REMEMBER

Interactions with the law and police can be and feel really different to different people. For example, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and members of the LGBTQIAP+ community in Australia (and especially in Queensland) have a long and terrible history of police mistreatment. With this in mind, be wary of how the people around you may be impacted by actions in different ways and always aim to de-escalate conflict.