A lot of commentaries on this movement treat it as a new phenomenon, but direct action has been an important factor in our political history. The Chartists, trade unionists and suffragettes all achieved significant gains in civil rights through direct action, much of it militant. The motivation behind people's involvement in direct action can vary, but it generally revolves around a perception of injustice and frustration with a political system that is seen as either obstructive or part of the problem. Excellent research, terrible analysis,' is one comment. The bigger organisations' tendency to ask for money so they can get on with campaigning, rather than encouraging mass participation, is also derided.
Variety acts The work in which direct action groups are involved is surprisingly varied.
Reclaim the Streets might be known for its street parties and huge carnival-like protests, but it also produces spoof newspapers to disseminate its ideas. The Biotic Baking Brigade has put pies of varying flavours in the faces of targets such as Bill Gates, former head of the World Trade Organisation Renato Ruggiero, and Ann Widdecombe. Often, groups are so informal that they do not even have names. People have occupied Shell offices in solidarity with the Ogoni people of Nigeria, trashed fields of GM crops, and hung banners from Nestle offices, working in 'affinity groups', built on mutual trust between a handful of people. Many volunteer co-ordinators would be shocked if they saw how these groups work internally.