Topic

Tactics

Tactics are the exciting part of any campaign – the actions that involve people, put pressure on powerholders, and make a splash in the media. This topic includes activities to choose your tactics from a wealth of options, case studies that showcase different tactics, and the nitty gritty of organising particular actions.

Australian Rainforest Action Groups boycott Malaysian rainforest timber, 1988-1994

Australian Rainforest Action Groups blockaded ships bringing rainforest timbers logged in Sarawak, Malaysia.

International groups boycott Nestle products to end indiscriminate advertising, 1977-1984

Nestle artificial baby milks infant formula marketing Third World International Baby Food Action Network.

Hazara asylum seekers hunger strike on Nauru, 2003-2004

Hazara refugee asylum seekers engaged in hunger strikes to protest their continuing detention by Australia on Nauru.

Photograph of a billboard advertising Winfield cigarettes. The billboard advertising reads 'Anyhow... Winfield 25s'. Graffiti has been inserted so it reads 'Anyhow buga up a Winfield 25'.

Billboard Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions (BUGA UP) campaigns against tobacco advertising, Australia, 1978-1994

Civil disobedience actions reversed tobacco advertising messages to show the negative health effects of cigarettes.

Dilemma Actions: the power of putting your opponent in a bind

A study of 44 dilemma actions over the last 90 years examines the many benefits of creative protests for social movements.

protestors with a banner that says Thanks but no tanks

Thanks But No Tanks: Learnings from Disrupt Land Forces [Brisbane: 2021]

Actions and learnings from Australia’s Disrupt Land Forces Campaign at the Brisbane’s 2021 Land Forces weapons expo.

Greenpeace and Sea Shepherds force Japanese seafood company Nissui to sell stakes in whale hunting ships 2005-2006

Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd initiated a consumer boycott against Sealord Tuna to end whaling by its parent company, Nissui.

Black and white photograph of a sign that reads: 'GURINDJI Mining Lease and Cattle Station'.

Indigenous Gurindji win Land Rights in Australia (Wave Hill Walk Off) 1966-1975

The Gurindji of Wave Hill Station (Northern Territory) protested by a walkout against low wages, leading to the land rights movement.

Greenpeace pressures Coca-Cola to phase out HFC refrigeration for Olympic Games in Australia 2000-2004

Greenpeace International agitated for Coca Cola to desist from HFC refrigerants prior to the Sydney Summer Olympics in 2000.

Black and white photograph of a large crowd of protestors. Banners include 'Vietnam Moratorium Campaign' and 'Stop the Country to Stop the War'.

Vietnam Moratorium Campaign: Australian citizens force end to participation in Vietnam War

Australian civil society groups resisted military participation in the war in Vietnam through organised and nonviolent action, from the late 1960s to the early 1970s.

Photograph of the S11 protest in melbourne. Signs with black oil drums saying toxic waste

S11: Australians Blockade World Economic Forum

The S11 Alliance protested againsts the World Economic Forum in Melbourne in September 2000. Their blockades were met by police violence.

Protest poster - Aboriginal Australians in protest holding a sign that says No mining on sacred land. The wording on the poster says We, The People of Noonkanbah call for support.

Noonkanbah 1979: When Unionists Stood up for Aboriginal Rights

The Noonkanbah dispute was an important chapter in both the struggle for Australian Aboriginal rights and union solidarity in the 1970s-80s.

Picture of a women's face yelling and the word 'ENOUGH!' in red on a black background. Below the image text reads 'Did You March 4 Justice? Ideas for Your Next Steps from the Commons Library.

Did You March 4 Justice? Ideas for Your Next Steps

Ideas for next steps after the Women’s March 4 Justice – including action, skills development, videos, books and podcasts.

The Australian Movement against Uranium Mining: Its Rationale and Evolution

Historical overview of the Australian movement against uranium mining, focussed on two major campaigns: Roxby and Jabiluka.

looking up the trunks and canopy of big Jarrah trees

The WA Forest Conflict: The Construction of the Political Effectiveness of Advocacy Organisations

Tactics and strategy of nonprofit organisations involved in advocacy regarding forestry in the 1990s-2000s in Western Australia.

three images on front cover of report Civil resistance tactics in the 21st century. First photo of man on bike on road with writing Black Lives Matter in Washington, USA. 2nd photo of protestor with mask covering mouth holding one hand over his eye. 3rd photo is of a mass protest in Belarus with people waving red and white flags.

Civil Resistance Tactics in the 21st Century: Report and Webinar

An update of Gene Sharp’s 198 methods of nonviolent action, detailing inspiring and powerful civil resistance tactics.

Whistleblowing: A Practical Guide

Whistleblowing: A Practical Guide tells how to assess your options, prepare for action, use low-profile operations, negotiate official channels, leak, build support and survive the experience.

Female protestor speaking into a megaphone

Resisting repression: Resources for defending Australian freedoms

Resources about resisting repression, defending civil liberties, promoting alternatives to repression and fostering nonviolent methods of social defence and social change.

policeman in riot gear grabbing the neck of an older man

Backfire Manual: Tactics Against Injustice

A practical handbook and model for activists to be more effective when facing injustice and powerful, dangerous opponents.

Protesters against the Dakota Access Pipeline and Keystone XL Pipeline hold a sit-in in the street next to the San Francisco Federal Building. The sign at the front says 'People over pipelines'.

How defeating Keystone XL built a bolder, savvier climate movement

From frontline battles to large national mobilizations, tar sands resistance developed new tactics & organizing strategies for the larger climate struggles ahead.