Direct Action and Democracy

Across the globe, many polities are currently marked by the eruption of ‘direct action’ campaigns. Movements for environmental protection, peace, and equality have driven a surge in marches, demonstrations, disruptions, and boycotts responding to the failures of political authorities.

Political elites sometimes tolerate these campaigns and selectively incorporate their demands. Increasingly, however, they seek to restrict the scope for ‘direct action’, and to portray ‘direct action’ as a threat to legitimate order, and as a violent assertion of minority interests.

In this lecture, Professor Sean Scalmer explores the long history of debates over direct action and democracy, from the 1890s to today. He shows that tensions between protest and authority aren't new, and that the meanings of both concepts have continually evolved. A historical perspective highlights a key insight: restricting protest undermines democratic vitality and its capacity for renewal.

Bookings are essential.