Civil Disobedience

A Public Act

Civil disobedience refers to action that is of a public and political nature. In that regard, acts of disobedience to family and school do not qualify as acts of civil disobedience. Rather, in engaging in openly announced defiance of particular laws or customs, the activist is interested in demonstrating that he or she is withholding allegiance from the state until its alleged abuses are corrected. In addition, civil disobedience is often engaged in with prior notice as well as openly, since the protestor wants to attract as much publicity as possible so as to draw attention to the injustice or wrong that is the subject of the protestor's acts.

A Nonviolent Act

Civil disobedience contrasts with acts of warfare against the state, such as assassination, sabotage, terrorism, riot, insurrection, and revolution. The person engaging in civil disobedience practices a kind of resistance within the accepted political structure, a violation of the law without loss of respect for law and other basic political institutions. Civil disobedience tends to be nonviolent for the simple reason that injury to others, harm to property, and other violent acts are likely to be self-defeating. Violent acts can obscure the protestor's message and distract public attention from what is important. Civil disobedients want their acts to be nonviolent so that they can convince the majority of their fellow citizens that those acts are indeed conscientious and sincere and that the acts are intended to address a perceived injustice or wrong.

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