Everything Direct Action under one roof
Ruckus offers a broad variety of skills and support. Take a look at our virtual and in-person offerings below.
Build Your Toolkit
The Ruckus Society offers a large palette of training and support for all aspects of strategic direct action. We work with frontline groups to develop training plans accounting for their skills, needs, and goals, with an aim to build both short- and long-term capacity for direct actions within their communities. Each training plan is built on a foundation of collaboration and respect for the work, expertise, and struggles of our partners.
The Ruckus Society pedagogy is rooted in radical accessibility and interactive, trauma-informed skill-building. We strive to create training environments that embody our values of anti-racism, disability justice, and trans-inclusive intersectional feminism. Our trainings are fun, interactive, and focused on building relationships as we build a better world together.
A whole hardware store’s worth of tools for action.
We offer training in a variety of direct action tactics. Here are a few of our offerings.
Direct Action Planning
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An engaging, practical introduction to the history, uses, and strategies of direct action. If you haven't organized action before, are trying to level up your action, or are just looking bring your crew all on the same page, this is an excellent place to start.
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An interactive deep dive into the finer points of devising useful Direct Actions. This workshop can include strategy, DA roles, choosing targets and locations, campaign timelines, threat assessment and so much more. Agenda can be tailored to your group's needs.
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Are you preparing for a specific action and want support mapping the training plan, deployment process, participant roles, or other vital logistics? Look no further!
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Research early and research often! Preparing for effective action requires lots of skill and time, both on secure internet connections and in the physical world. Learn how to get your research done well and have fun while you're at it!
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A combination of Know Your Rights training and a deep-dive timeline of the legal entanglements that can occur when engaging in principled Direct Action. This can also include facilitated discussion with your group about risk taking/mitigation.
Direct Action Support Skills
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Even the simplest actions involve risk. Action medics are there to help, from distributing water and supporting mental health to major bleeds and injuries from authorities in situations where higher care may be made unavailable to protestors. Stay ready with competent action medics.
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Direct Actions can be very complex organisms - make sure yours has nervous system that's up to the task! Action Comms can include radio usage, digital and operational security, physical symbols and systems, rapid group decision-making, and more!
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Direct Actions are environments ripe with opportunities for authorities to abuse their power. Legal observers are often present at actions to be third party observers of interactions between authorities and protestors and require special training for their work to be useful, especially if Law Enforcement interactions result in legal entanglements.
Media & Messaging
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Effective, useful action requires top notch messaging. From the planning stages of a project through the banners and social media posts all the way through to the win, there are hard skills that help pave the way to success.
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If you are planning action that will get media attention while it's happening, you will want well-trained, capable spokespeople to talk to the reporters. Skilled spokespeople can amplify and clarify the message while limiting legal ramifications and maximizing reach.
Blockades
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The basics of everything Blockade: core concepts, different tactics and when to use them, the mindset of blockading, how to deploy, and more. Interactive workshop!
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Deeper dive into art/accessory production, planning and strategy, and advanced techniques. Take this to dive deeper or to prep for a specific action.
Direct Action Climbing
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Industrial climbing for direct action requires study, skill, and practice. We're here to help with this introduction-level course to the core concepts and skills of climbing for action.
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Climbed a little and want to do more? Looking at adding hauling, large banners, or other advanced elements to your plan? Intending to plan and deploy your first climb action and want support? Take this course.
Arts in Action
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An introductory taste or an interactive, deep dive into effective, tactical, theatrical interventions in public. This goes so much further than flash mobs - check it out!
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Visual elements of an action can make or break its effectiveness. Arts are an integral part of every action and are integrated with tactical elements from day 1. This course can be introductory or deep, broad or acute, as needed for your crew and your plans. Skills offered in almost any medium.
Pick a fight. Break the rules. Build the new.
Train up with Ruckus in the foundational skills of strategic direct action: direct action strategy, design, and planning, care and interpersonal support skills, blockades, climbing, media, messaging, security, arts in action, and so much more!
Upcoming Trainings
Take a look at our upcoming virtual and in-person offerings.