direct action

Definitions

1. A form of political activism in which participants act directly, ignoring established political procedures. It may take the form of strikes, workplace occupations, sabotage, sit-ins, squatting, revolutionary/guerrilla warfare, demonstrations, vandalism or graffiti.
   uncountable, usually
2. Small-scale raids, ambushes, sabotage, etc. carried out by the military.
   uncountable, usually

Equivalents

Examples

“Or there are those who believe⟳ that in general the wisest way for people to get⟳ what they want⟳ is by the indirect method of voting into power some one who will make⟳ what they want⟳ legal; yet who all the same will occasionally under exceptional conditions advise⟳ a strike⟳; and a strike⟳, as I have⟳ said, is direct⟳ action.”

“It should be easy enough to see⟳ why anarchists have⟳ always been drawn to direct⟳ action.”

CEFR level