Civil Disobedience

A Public Act

Civil disobedience refers to action that is of a public, 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 as much publicity and attention 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 civil disobedient engages in a kind of resistance within the accepted political structure, a violation of the law without loss of respect for law and the other basic political [Page 229]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. The civil disobedient wants the act to be nonviolent so as to convince the majority of his or her fellow citizens that the act is indeed conscientious and sincere and that the act is intended to address what he or she perceives as an injustice or wrong.

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