Lokashakti Encyclopedia - Movements

Movements and historical events where nonviolent action was used entirely or in large part
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1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

U.S. civil rights groups organized a March on Washington in 1963 - 100 years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation - in an attempt to gain federal and nationwide support for the drive against racial segregation in the American South.

1989 Chinese Student Movement

A series of pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing's Tienanmen Square and elsewhere, known widely for the awe-inspiring moment when a lone man faced down a tank. Started by students but growing to include the citizenry at large, the movement was violently put down by Chinese government forces.

Air Raid Drill Protests

A series of anti-war protests in New York City during the 1950s and early 1960s. Taking advantage of compulsory Civil Defense drills, prominent pacifists such as Dorothy Day and A.J. Muste were able to commit direct civil disobedience by simply sitting in a public park in broad daylight, drawing attention to the madness of preparing for nuclear war.

Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution

What became known as the Velvet Revolution, so called for the smoothness with which it upended the communist government of Czechoslovakia, was the first in a series of many nonviolent struggles that would leave the former Soviet Union's empire in pieces.

Egypt's 2011 Revolution

Although the heart of this ongoing movement in Egypt was Tahrir Square in Cairo, the demands, accomplishments, and influence of those involved have gone well beyond the resignation of autocratic president Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, just three weeks after demonstrations had commenced.

Estonia's Singing Revolution

Drawing upon a long-standing tradition of nationalist songs, Estonians in the late 1980s began to seek a definitive end to years of Soviet occupation. Through creative nonviolent tactics, Estonia progressively denied legitimacy to Soviet rule, eventually achieving full independence.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

A wave of protests to overthrow the restrictive communist government in the German Democratic Republic, reunify East and West Germany, and establish a shared participatory democracy. The movement culminated in the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Georgia's Rose Revolution

Nonviolent color revolution in Georgia, 2003, in which dictator Eduard Shevardnadze was overthrown in just three weeks by a popular movement led in part by future Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili.

Grape Boycott

The Grape Boycott was an international agricultural boycott organized by the United Farm Workers that occurred in the late 1960s and 1970s in California. Its goal was union recognition for some of the poorest workers in the United States.

Greensboro Sit-ins

Nonviolent demonstrations in the form of lunch counter sit-ins to protest against segregation began in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1960. The movement quickly spread to other parts of the country and came to include Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as other prominent figures.



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  • Bios   ( 23 )
    Inspirational noteworthy figures in the history of nonviolence, peace, and social justice
  • Groups   ( 24 )
    Groups and organizations that have played significant roles in nonviolent movements
  • Concepts   ( 18 )
    Important concepts related to peace and nonviolence, especially in regards to nonviolent action
  • Movements   ( 26 )
    Movements and historical events where nonviolent action was used entirely or in large part