Political resistance means opposing a system of rule people deem unjust with the aim of changing it, overthrowing it or preserving certain values, societal structures etc. the system of rule is oppressing.
There are many examples of resistance against injustice and oppression throughout history:
- The fight against slavery has a very long history. Already in ancient Rome there were slave revolts (the most famous took place in 74-71 BC under Spartacus), also in North and South America there was resistance against slavery, especially known is the slave revolt in Haiti in 1791.
- Very well-known is the non-violent resistance of Mahatma Gandhi, who rebelled against British colonial rule in India.
- The struggle of the African-American civil rights movement in the USA, which fought for the rights of Black Americans in the 1950s and 1960s, is also frequently mentioned.
- The struggle for women's suffrage has been waged in many countries around the world, most famously by the Sufragettes who fought for their rights in England.
- The resistance to National Socialism and fascism was broad and organised by many different individuals, groups and organisations across many countries.
Resistance movements still exist today, some of them active locally or regionally, others even worldwide. Examples:
- Currently there is a large nationwide resistance movement in Iran. People are fighting against the oppression of women and, in general, against the strict rules controlled and sometimes violently enforced by the morality police (Guidance Patrol).
- In many countries around the world, there are resistance movements fighting for independence or secession or autonomy of certain areas.
- The worldwide climate protests are partly organised in global movements, e.g. Fridays for Future or Last Generation, partly also regionally or nationally.
- The indigenous Mapuche in southern Chile are engaged in non-violent resistance against the state of Chile and are reclaiming their territories. A small part of the Mapuche are fighting for the restitution of their territories by force of arms.
- The Movement of Landless Farm Workers in Brazil (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra) is resisting non-violently against large-scale capitalist land ownership – partly by occupying land in order to claim territories for themselves. Inequality in land ownership is extreme in South America: on average, 1% of the wealthiest landowners own over 50% of agricultural land.
In every country and at every time, there are countless examples of resistance movements. Many of these movements have been very successful, resisting oppression and achieving improvements for the people concerned.