Resist Peacefully

Photo Credit: Psychologic Anarchist 

 Resist Peacefully

Written By: Puck Arks of TFD

Nonviolent resistance has been changing the world for at least a century since Gandhi began challenging British racism in South Africa. Nonviolent resistance can leverage immense economic and political pressure because a regime relies on its citizens for labor and expertise. Targeted noncooperation can be devastating to those in charge. 

Contrary to conventional wisdom, no social, economic, or political structures have systematically prevented nonviolent campaigns from emerging or succeeding. From strikes and protests to sit-ins and boycotts, civil resistance remains the best strategy for social and political change in the face of oppression. Movements that opt for violence often unleash terrible destruction and bloodshed, in both the short and the long term, usually without realizing the goals they set out to achieve.

Even when authoritarian governments respond to resistance movements with violence, nonviolent resistance still produces superior results to armed struggle. Nearly half of nonviolent movements succeeded in the face of government violence, compared to only 20% of the violent movements. Violence by protesters can undermine public support and give regime leaders an excuse for mass repression. 

In many countries it is regimes that are discredited by violence instead of the demonstrators. 

Many nonviolent campaigns have succeeded against some of the bloodiest regimes on Earth, at the height of their power. In fact, a vast majority of the major nonviolent campaigns in the 20th century were facing down various imperial regimes hell bent on staying in power at all costs. While nonviolent resistance doesn’t guarantee democracy, the nature of those resisting does give us a good idea of what a country will be like after the new regime takes shape. 

Lastly, few people want to live in a country where power is seized and maintained by force alone that often turns into what they were rebelling against.