About direct-action.info

Our aims:
to challenge vicious and violent protest and its apologists
to defend the human rights of protestors and their targets

This site is edited and published by Richard D North. See www.richarddnorth.com for more on him.

Background

I have a long-standing interest in protest and its relationship with democracy. I know various "targets" of protest, and have been one. I have been intrigued by the long-term failure of the media, police and courts to grasp what is going on and to handle it vigorously.

The situation is changing, perhaps especially with the use of the Harassment Act, 1997 and with a growing understanding amongst some commentators that this issue matters. The Financial Times has covered the area much better than most.

Scope of this site

We do not much get into the issues protestors are on about - this site is about the means extremists use. Our links page will help people find sites on specific protest issues.

Partners

This site is edited and run solely by me. 

Partisanship

I admire those who obey the law and carry out legally-mandated work (such as animal experimenters and testers). I admire the targets of extremists as much as I dislike extremists. I would cheerfully invest in any firm which worked within the law, or take a contract from one. I also have an admiration for those who make our lives so agreeable (capitalists, scientists, politicians) - and it is matched by an irritation about those who merely criticise them.

This site promotes an argument which suggests that much activism is wrong-headed; some is wrong-headed and illegal; and some is both these and profoundly immoral, too. It seeks to draw distinctions between these.

It is a partisan site, but a fair-minded one - consistent with its being about fairness. Also, I seek to win this argument by reasonably appealing to reasonable people: it won't pay me to use arguments which abuse fair-mindedness.

Commitment

This site has a strong commitment to honesty and robustness. I hope to have it peer-reviewed for its delivery of fair, comprehensive and comprehensible material.

Feedback

I shall post feedback from all sides of the argument, and yours is welcome. This is especially the case if you have real-world experience, and if your language is temperate. I am unlikely to post material from people who do not give me the means of being in touch with them.