The folks over at the Crimethinc Collective have published an essay examining the recent history of militant protest in the United States and their continued relevancy to activism on "the left." The essay, titled "Demonstrating Resistance: Mass Action and Autonomous Action in the Election Year," contains a lengthy analysis of mass protest in the United States beginning with the protests against the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Seattle in November of 1999 that successfully shutdown the trade meetings and ending with the January 20, 2005 protests against President Bush's inauguration.

While the essay is primarily written by and for anarchists associated with the more militant groups involved in mass demonstrations, the discussion of tactics and protest strategy provides an important analysis for activists involved in planning demonstrations and street protests, especially with regard to recent disagreements about the direction and tactics in the antiwar movement. A number of important issues are examined--the efficacy of mass actions versus decentralized actions, the question of mass protests versus community-based actions, and the seemingly tired question of the role of property destruction and disruption in opposing global capitalism. The questions, however relevant, are largely focused on the more "destructive" aspects of anti-capitalist movements, there is little discussion of the importance of community-based organizing and work designed to build institutions that are capable of showing that a better world is possible. As such, the essay is an important look at militant tactics, but it is necessary to remember that however appropriate those tactics may be at certain times, they must be combined with serious efforts to build viable alternatives to capitalist institutions.