Languages of the Unheard

Book excerpt: What we must see, Martin Luther King once insisted, is that a riot is the language of the unheard. In this new era of global protest and popular revolt, Languages of the Unheard draws on King's insight to address a timely and controversial topic: the ethics and politics of militant resistance. Using vivid examples from the history of militancy including—armed actions by Weatherman and the Red Brigades, the LA Riots, the Zapatista uprising, the Mohawk land defence at Kanesatake, the Black Blocs at summit protests, the occupations of Tahrir Square and Zuccotti Park, the Indigenous occupation of Alcatraz, the Quebec Student Strike, and many more—this book will be of interest to democratic theorists and moral philosophers, and practically useful for protest militants attempting to grapple with the moral ambiguities and political dilemmas unique to their distinctive position.