Direct action and democratic politics

Militant protest is not new to British politics, but the widespread recourse to direct action, in Britain and abroad, is unprecedented. This book, the first in a new series of studies conducted under the auspices of the Acton Society Trust, is also the first comprehensive examination of contemporary protest in the British context. The contributors represent leading agencies of protest as well as those academics who have made this phenomenon their special concern. The result is a unique blend of direct experience and objective reflection.
The first part of the volume covers the theoretical and historical dimensions of protest, and is followed by a detailed consideration of specific issues (Ulster, race, the Bomb, students and community action). An analysis is then made of the reaction of the State to such protest through legislative and administrative channels. The final part shows the intermediary roles of political parties, MPs, the NCCL and the mass media. The book concludes with a critical examination of the interaction between protest and representative democracy and the implications which arise from it.
Students of contemporary politics and sociology as well as political acvists of all shades of opinion will find this book essential to an understanding of the bases of modern protest movements.