Resist!
Strategic direct action and civil disobedience such as strikes, sit-ins and occupations can expose injustice, slow down or stop harmful practices and win specific demands. Below is an archive of articles covering resistance groups in the United States and internationally. If you are inspired by a campaign, perhaps you will join or support it. If you like the tactics being used, you can adapt them for your own struggle. Check out our Resources Page for links to tools that may be helpful in your resistance.
Supporters of Youth Demand have taken part in mass co-ordinated actions that saw disruption across the West End before a mass blockade of Piccadilly Circus by 200 people and eight groups total. They are demanding a two-way arms embargo on Israel, and for the UK government to halt all new oil and gas licences granted since 2021. The action came after the group’s week of swarming across the UK – which was also highlighting our government’s complicity in multiple crises.
Youth Demand: shutting down the heart of Black Friday capitalism
At 6pm on Friday 29 November, a group of 30 people blocked traffic on the junction of Oxford Street and Orchard Street, holding Palestine flags.
Chad And Senegal To Follow The Sahel States
December 1, 2024
Xinhua, Orinoco Tribune.
Resist!
Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Chad, Decolonize, French colonialism, Senegal
Dakar — Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said on Thursday that the presence of French military bases on Senegalese territory is “not compatible” with the sovereignty his administration upholds.
“Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country, and sovereignty is not compatible with the presence of military bases in a sovereign country,” he said in an interview with the AFP news agency, addressing relations between Senegal and France, particularly regarding the French military presence and bases in the West African country.
Oxford Union Declares Israel An ‘Apartheid State Responsible For Genocide’
November 30, 2024
Middle East Eye.
Resist!
Apartheid, England, Genocide, Israel, oxford, Palestine, Palestine Solidarity, Protests, Unions, United Kingdom (UK)
The prestigious Oxford Union voted by an overwhelming majority that Israel is an "apartheid state responsible for genocide" at a fiery event in which the society's president denounced Israel's war on Gaza as a "holocaust", and a pro-Israel speaker was ejected from the debating chamber.
The exclusive debating society, founded in 1823, held an unprecedented debate on Thursday night on the motion: "This house believes Israel is an apartheid state responsible for genocide". The motion was carried with a thumping majority of 278 to 59.
The packed debate on Thursday evening, observed by Middle East Eye and largely attended by Oxford students, was often raucous and heated, with nearly every speaker interrupted several times by students raising objections.
Amazon Workers Strike From Black Friday To Cyber Monday
November 30, 2024
Michelle Del Rey, Portside.
Resist!
Amazon, Black Friday, Brazil, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom (UK), United States, Worker Rights and Jobs
Amazon workers are planning to strike from Black Friday through Cyber Monday to hold the company accountable for “labor abuses, environmental degradation and threats to democracy,” organizers say.
The “Make Amazon Pay” protest, organized by UNI Global Union and Progressive International, will take place in 20 different countries and major cities in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Japan and Brazil.
“Amazon is everywhere, but so are we. By uniting our movements across borders, we can not only force Amazon to change its ways but lay the foundations of a world that prioritizes human dignity, not Jeff Bezos’ bank balance.”
Cleveland Police Commission Pushes Through Drone Policy
November 30, 2024
Catherine Henchek, Liberation News.
Resist!
Cleveland, Drones, Ohio, Police, State Repression, Surveillance
Community members packed Cleveland’s Community Police Commission meeting on Nov. 20 to oppose a new police drone policy. The policy, spearheaded by Commissioner Piet van Lier, included sections which provide Cleveland police arguments to use drones over protests under the guise of other police operations.
After public outrage and a contentious meeting, two authorized drone uses in the policy which could target protesters were removed. However, the policy that was approved by the Commission still included concerning language, such as the following in the Operational Procedures...
Farmers And Workers In India Unite Against Neoliberal Assaults
November 30, 2024
Abdul Rahman, People's Dispatch.
Resist!
Farmers, India, Mass Action, Neoliberalism, Worker Rights and Jobs
Thousands of farmers and workers took to the streets in India on Tuesday, November 26 demanding minimum support price for their farm produce and preservation of labor rights in the country against the assaults from the pro-corporate government.
The protests were called by all a joint platform of central trade unions and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a joint platform of farmers groups formed during the 2020-21 farmers’ agitation against the three pro-corporate farms laws.
The central demands of the protesters include repeal of four labor codes introduced by the ultra right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
US Activists Call For Black Friday Boycott
November 29, 2024
Middle East Monitor.
Resist!
BDS Movement, Black Friday, Comsumerism, Israel, Palestine
Activists across the United States are urging a boycott of so-called “Black Friday” this year as a form of protest against the US government’s continued military and financial support for Israel, including a recent $680 million arms deal. According to Wafa news agency, the campaign seeks to pressure the government to end US complicity in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians.
By refraining from shopping on one of the biggest retail days of the year, activists aim to hit the profits of major corporations with political influence. The goal is to out pressure on these businesses to advocate for an immediate ceasefire and an end to arms shipments, and to push for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, particularly those suffering in the heavily impacted northern region of the enclave.
Emergency Summit Regarding Antarctic Meltdown
November 29, 2024
Robert Hunziker, Counter Punch.
Resist!
Antarctica, Australia, climate crisis, Sea level rise
Hundreds of scientists gathered in Australia for an “emergency summit” within the auspices of the inaugural Australian Antarctic Research Conference d/d November 2024. This gathering of 450 mostly “early-career” polar scientists flexed scientific muscles to alert the world to the what’s happening to our planet, taking off the gloves and coming out swinging. They claim we’re got a bigger problem than generally realized: “Efforts to slow down climate change through coordinated global action are paramount to protect the future of Australia, Antarctica, and our planet,” Ibid.
Palestine Action Shut UAV Engines For Second Time This Week
November 28, 2024
The Canary.
Resist!
Direct Action, Elbit, Israel, Palestine, Palestine Action, Palestine Solidarity, weapons
Palestine Action were back in Staffordshire on Wednesday 27 November – blockading Elbit-supplying UAV Engines factory for the second time in a matter of days; disrupting Israel’s weapons supply chain in the process. Following on from Palestine Action’s blockade of UAV Engines on Monday 25 November, when activists locked on inside vehicles, blocking both gates to the site, others returned today, to once again disrupt the weapons factory. UAV manufactures engines for the killer drones of Elbit Systems, Israel’s biggest weapons manufacturer.
Iraqi Abu Ghraib Torture Victims Win $42 Million In Lawsuit
November 28, 2024
John Kiriakou, Scheer Post.
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Abu Ghraib, CACI, CIA, Iraq, Legal System, Torture, Victory
Three Iraqi survivors of U.S. torture won a major victory in early November when a jury in the federal district court for the Eastern District of Virginia awarded each of them $3 million in compensatory damages and $11 million in punitive damages to be paid by American defense contractor CACI, which was responsible for the cruel and inhumane treatment that they endured in Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison more than two decades ago.
The judgment is notable for several reasons. First, it is the first time that a U.S. defense contractor has ever been successfully sued for managing a torture program.
Thousands Of PTI Supporters Demand Imran Khan’s Immediate Release
Thousands of members and supporters of Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) reached Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday, November 26, facing heavy repression by security forces including tear gas and live fire. Reportedly four people have been killed. Protesters are demanding the release of their leader, former Prime Minister Imran Khan and have also called for the restoration of the party’s allegedly stolen mandate in this year’s national elections.
PTI and Khan supporters started marching to Islamabad from all corners of the country on Sunday, aiming to reach D-Chowk near the country’s Parliament.
Why I Confronted Nancy Mace
November 26, 2024
Evan Greer, Touch Grass.
Resist!
Anti-fascism, Big Tech, Nancy Mace, Transgender Rights, Washington DC
On Thursday of last week, I was tossed out of a tech conference in Washington, DC because I stood up and spoke out against a vile bigot––and sitting member of Congress––who had been invited to speak. I would do it again.
I want to be clear that the goal of my protest wasn’t to convince haters to stop spreading hate. It was to spark a conversation among tech policy advocates and philanthropists about what our strategy is going into the next four years.
Will we cozy up to bigots, authoritarians, and wannabe fascists who have goals that are incompatible with basic human rights, just because they pretend to be “against Big Tech”?
European Movements Demand An End To US Blockade On Cuba
November 26, 2024
Ana Vračar, People's Dispatch.
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Cuba, Cuban Revolution, Cuban solidarity, Economic Blockade, Europe, International Peoples’ Assembly
As Cuba continues to face the challenges of a US-imposed blockade and widespread disinformation campaigns, over 300 representatives of social movements, trade unions, and political organizations gathered in Paris during the weekend of November 22-24 for the 19th European Continental Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba. The delegates focused on strengthening ties between the Caribbean island and European countries, addressing the economic consequences of the blockade and everyday realities of life under these pressures.
Protesters Vow To Shut Down The Xcel Monticello Nuclear Reactor
Minneapolis, MN – On Wednesday November 21, 50 members of the newly formed Coalition for a Nuclear-free Mississippi River and their supporters rallied in front of Xcel Energy headquarters on Nicollet Mall in the heart of downtown. They demanded the energy company keep to its 2030 shutdown date for the Monticello Nuclear Reactor, because of the serious threats posed to public health, the Mississippi River, and drinking water for millions.
As rush hour traffic passed by, motorists and pedestrians saw protesters holding signs reading, “Don’t nuke our river.” Chants like “Xcel let’s be clear, Monticello Reactor’s not wanted here” were loudly amplified by the surrounding buildings.
Workers On The Picket Line
November 26, 2024
Marie Kelly, Workers World.
Resist!
California, Michigan, Strikes, Unions, Worker Rights and Jobs
Union workers at CVS stores in California asserted their rights by holding a three-day Unfair Labor Practice strike at seven CVS store locations in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The workers are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers union. Not one CVS union member crossed the picket line, which represents 7,000 CVS workers in southern California.
The strike came after UFCW filed ULP charges against CVS with the National Labor Relations Board, citing unlawful surveillance of workers, retaliation against union supporters and prohibiting workers from engaging in union activity.