Look at the history of Ghandi’s movement, of MLK’s. Both set their peaceful movements up in opposition to the more direct-action and/or violence-embracing rebels (e.g. Malcom X)
King specifically endorsed “direct action” using those exact words, for instance in his letter from Birmingham jail, which is often read in schools when discussing the political activism of that era. King’s notion of “nonviolent direct action” included protest marches obstructing public streets, sit-ins obstructing private businesses, and other illegal public demonstrations.
You may well ask, “Why direct action, why sit-ins, marches, and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?” You are exactly right in your call for negotiation. Indeed, this is the purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has consistently refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored.
Good point, I should use a different term to distinguish “destructive/violent direct action” from “non-violent obstructive/inconvenient direct action”.
King specifically endorsed “direct action” using those exact words, for instance in his letter from Birmingham jail, which is often read in schools when discussing the political activism of that era. King’s notion of “nonviolent direct action” included protest marches obstructing public streets, sit-ins obstructing private businesses, and other illegal public demonstrations.
Good point, I should use a different term to distinguish “destructive/violent direct action” from “non-violent obstructive/inconvenient direct action”.