RESISTING MILITARISM

Militarism shapes everyday political life in the UK: from recruitment in schools and research in universities, to the global reach of British military power and the arms trade that sustains wars, occupation, and repression - including Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen and the state of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Palestine.

In this event, Chris Rossdale will be in conversation, drawing on their book Resisting Militarism to explore how militarism operates, how it is normalised, and how it has been challenged by activists in the UK. The discussion will reflect on the long history of anti-militarist direct action, tracing how activists have confronted arms companies, military institutions, and arms fairs — from blockades, occupations and creative disruption, to everyday acts of refusal and solidarity. Rather than treating these actions as just protest tactics, the conversation will ask what they do: how they interrupt militarism, how they open up new political possibilities, and where their limits lie. It will also reflect on some of the strategic, tactical, and legal challenges activists face today, including policing, criminalisation, internal debates over tactics, and the pressures of sustaining movements over time.

Discounted copies of Chris’s book RESISTING MILITARISM - Direct Action and the Politics of Subversion (Edinburgh University Press, 2019) will be on sale, supported by Aye Aye Books.

Chris Rossdale is a writer and researcher based at the University of Bristol, whose work focuses on the arms trade, militarism, and rebellious politics. They have worked closely with anti-militarist campaigns in the UK.

Chris will be in conversation with Rastko Novaković - filmmaker, writer and programmer, and founder of Inclinations Film/Book Club.

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