In this video, DxE co-founder Wayne Hsiung talks about what direct action is, why it’s important, and how we will use it to change the world for animals in our lifetime. He shares that, like other systems of oppression, the root of animal exploitation is cultural, political, systemic, and moral, and the only way to solve a moral problem is to use moral force. Direct action uses nonviolent, disruptive tactics to challenge, rather than accommodate, injustice.
    It is vital to a movement’s success, and part of the reason it is vital is because of these reasons: it generates attention, it gets people talking and broadens the circle of debate, and it inspires ordinary people to speak out and take action. And when enough people (3.5% of the population, according to research by Erika Chenoweth) are engaged in sustained, nonviolent direct action, meaningful, and lasting change happens.

    In this informative follow up video, Wayne talks in depth about disruption and sets out reasons that disruptive tactics have been key to every effective movement for social justice. These tactics often include demonstrations inside or outside restaurants, grocery stores, animal labs, zoos, or anywhere else that promotes speciesist violence or normalizes animal exploitation. This talk will show how disruption provoked attention, reshapes norms, and ultimately helps us build a stronger movement for animals.