[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:04.66,0:00:07.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Direct Action is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot
Dialogue: 0,0:00:07.16,0:00:09.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when describing anarchist tactics….
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.68,0:00:11.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and rightly so, since it’s one of the main
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.34,0:00:14.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ways anarchists put our values of autonomy,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.08,0:00:17.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,self-organization and mutual aid into practice.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.23,0:00:19.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So… what is it exactly?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:19.58,0:00:21.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, a simple definition would be to say that
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.98,0:00:24.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a direct action is a political action
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.12,0:00:27.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,aimed at achieving a specific goal or objective,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.02,0:00:30.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and which is carried out directly by an individual
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.42,0:00:32.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or group of people, without appealing
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.54,0:00:34.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to a higher authority for legitimacy.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.74,0:00:37.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, this broad definition covers a huge\Nrange of activities…
Dialogue: 0,0:00:37.80,0:00:40.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,everything from banner drops, to prison breaks.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.40,0:00:42.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it doesn’t necessarily tell us much
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.64,0:00:45.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about the politics of those carrying out the action itself
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.70,0:00:47.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Direct actions are tactics–
Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.56,0:00:49.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,meaning that they are a specific type of action that
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.96,0:00:53.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can be used to implement a wide variety of strategies.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.34,0:00:56.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,While you don’t have to be an anarchist in order to
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.18,0:00:58.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,carry out, or to participate in a direct action,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.32,0:01:00.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the concept itself holds a special importance
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.82,0:01:03.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for anarchists and other anti-authoritarian radicals.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.94,0:01:06.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that’s because well-timed and well-executed
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.22,0:01:09.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,direct actions can offer an escape from the endless
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.58,0:01:11.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cycle of representational politics, which
Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.80,0:01:14.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,assumes its highest form in the state.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.30,0:01:17.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The German philosopher Max Weber famously defined
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.68,0:01:19.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the state as a monopoly on the legitimate
Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.48,0:01:21.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,use of physical force.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.16,0:01:24.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In other words, state violence, whether dispensed
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.00,0:01:28.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by a politician’s pen, a judge’s gavel, or a cop’s baton,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.26,0:01:30.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is a manifestation of legitimate force, and
Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.98,0:01:32.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a harsh reminder of the state’s role
Dialogue: 0,0:01:32.82,0:01:35.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as the ultimate mediator of social conflict.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:35.36,0:01:37.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This mandate includes everything from
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.44,0:01:39.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,interpersonal disputes that end up settled in the courts,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.60,0:01:41.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or by someone calling the cops…
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.08,0:01:43.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all the way up to the broader conflicts that spring
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.22,0:01:45.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from systemic inequality and the structural
Dialogue: 0,0:01:45.44,0:01:48.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,imbalances inherent to capitalism, colonialism,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.36,0:01:51.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,white supremacy, ableism and hetero-patriarchy.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.78,0:01:53.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In its purest form, direct action does not
Dialogue: 0,0:01:53.98,0:01:57.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,aim to persuade those in power, but seeks to foster
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.46,0:01:59.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and assert the power of those
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.64,0:02:01.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,carrying out the action themselves.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:01.06,0:02:03.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When people carry out a direct action,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.08,0:02:04.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they are rejecting the state’s monopoly
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.56,0:02:07.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on decision-making, and asserting their own autonomy
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.34,0:02:09.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while providing an example for others to follow.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.88,0:02:12.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To take just one example, rather than petitioning
Dialogue: 0,0:02:12.00,0:02:15.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a politician to vote against the construction of a pipeline
Dialogue: 0,0:02:15.90,0:02:18.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or appealing to state-controlled regulatory bodies,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.70,0:02:20.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,those who favour a direct action approach
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.86,0:02:23.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,often find it more effective and empowering
Dialogue: 0,0:02:23.96,0:02:27.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to go out and block the pipeline themselves… directly.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.00,0:02:28.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Direct action can also be used to set up
Dialogue: 0,0:02:28.86,0:02:30.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,networks of mutual aid.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.34,0:02:32.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Fifty years ago, the Black Panthers were faced
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.68,0:02:35.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the reality of widespread poverty and lack of
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.02,0:02:37.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,service provision in their communities.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:37.22,0:02:39.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Rather than appealing to the government, or
Dialogue: 0,0:02:39.44,0:02:41.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to the conscience of White America,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.02,0:02:43.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Panthers set to work organizing
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.10,0:02:45.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,their own health clinics and breakfast programs
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.18,0:02:46.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for hungry school children.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.64,0:02:49.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These programs were part of a broader strategy
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.30,0:02:51.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of building community power, and were identified by
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.26,0:02:54.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,FBI Director J Edgar Hoover as a primary
Dialogue: 0,0:02:54.36,0:02:56.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,threat to national security – by which he meant
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.72,0:02:59.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a threat to the legitimacy of the state, and
Dialogue: 0,0:02:59.04,0:03:02.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the white supremacist power structure that upholds it.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.30,0:03:04.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because they transgress the official channels of
Dialogue: 0,0:03:04.22,0:03:06.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,politics, and often the law itself,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:06.10,0:03:08.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,direct action campaigns are inevitably met
Dialogue: 0,0:03:08.28,0:03:10.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with a whole toolbox of tactics aimed at bringing
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.52,0:03:12.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,conflicts back under state control.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:12.72,0:03:14.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These can range from state and corporate-funded
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.92,0:03:17.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,non-profits infiltrating and co-opting grassroots
Dialogue: 0,0:03:17.38,0:03:19.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,movements in order to force a change in tactics
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.66,0:03:21.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or leadership, all the way up to extreme repression,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:21.70,0:03:25.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,such as mass incarceration and targeted assasinations
Dialogue: 0,0:03:25.64,0:03:28.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,carried out by state and paramilitary forces.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.52,0:03:31.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Although as a concept, direct action has probably
Dialogue: 0,0:03:31.32,0:03:33.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,existed for as long as there have been hierarchies
Dialogue: 0,0:03:33.40,0:03:35.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to rebel against, the term itself dates back
Dialogue: 0,0:03:35.46,0:03:37.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to the early workers movement, where it was
Dialogue: 0,0:03:37.60,0:03:39.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,used to describe militant practices such as
Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.82,0:03:43.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,industrial sabotage and wildcat strikes.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.06,0:03:45.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,By physically blocking production, and collectively
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.42,0:03:47.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,defending themselves from repression,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.74,0:03:49.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,workers were able to force concessions
Dialogue: 0,0:03:49.66,0:03:50.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from their capitalist masters.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.98,0:03:53.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The widespread use of these tactics eventually led to
Dialogue: 0,0:03:53.66,0:03:56.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the legalization of trade unions and a whole host of
Dialogue: 0,0:03:56.52,0:04:00.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,concessions aimed at bringing the more radical
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.28,0:04:01.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,sections of the workers movement
Dialogue: 0,0:04:01.28,0:04:02.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,back under state control.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:02.29,0:04:04.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One of the most significant heydays of direct action
Dialogue: 0,0:04:04.76,0:04:08.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in modern history took place in 1970s Italy.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:08.25,0:04:10.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Faced with a housing crisis provoked
Dialogue: 0,0:04:10.28,0:04:12.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by capitalist restructuring of the economy,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:12.26,0:04:14.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,thousands of migrants from the country’s south
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.48,0:04:16.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,squatted apartment blocks, and physically defended
Dialogue: 0,0:04:16.82,0:04:18.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,families from eviction.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.10,0:04:20.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When the government attempted to hike transit fares
Dialogue: 0,0:04:20.14,0:04:22.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and energy costs, tens of thousands of people refused
Dialogue: 0,0:04:22.82,0:04:25.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to pay the increased rates, in collective actions
Dialogue: 0,0:04:25.64,0:04:27.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,known as auto-reductions.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.22,0:04:30.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Italy was, at that time, a deeply religious, conservative
Dialogue: 0,0:04:30.38,0:04:33.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and rigidly patriarchal country, in which both abortion
Dialogue: 0,0:04:33.42,0:04:34.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and divorce were illegal.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:34.74,0:04:37.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Within this context, a fearless women's liberation
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.82,0:04:40.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,movement organized an underground network of clinics,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:40.14,0:04:42.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with doctors and nurses providing hundreds of
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.88,0:04:45.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,volunteers, with necessary skills
Dialogue: 0,0:04:45.82,0:04:46.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to perform clean and safe abortions.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:46.80,0:04:49.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This direct action approach to reproductive health was
Dialogue: 0,0:04:49.86,0:04:52.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,complimented by massive and regular demonstrations
Dialogue: 0,0:04:52.22,0:04:54.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,calling for the legalization of abortion,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:54.34,0:04:55.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which were ultimately successful.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:55.80,0:04:57.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In our current age of increasing polarization,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:57.86,0:05:01.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,uncertainty and insecurity, direct action offers a way for
Dialogue: 0,0:05:01.02,0:05:03.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,our movements to build and assert our collective power,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:03.52,0:05:05.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,both to defend our communities,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:05.40,0:05:07.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and to fight for the world we want to live in.