We believe nonviolence is strategic. The state and major corporations have a monopoly on violence; they have far greater means to inflict harm than we do. We do not believe we can win against major corporations if we engage them on the field of violence.

Violence would undermine our chances of success, whether through triggering police repression, turning away engaged activists, or repelling the public. US social movement history is replete with instances of police and FBI infiltrators who encourage activists to engage in physical violence against their opponents.

We are aware that our nonviolent actions may provoke violence from others, whether from the police or from members of the public who disagree with our aims or tactics. We are committed to maintaining nonviolent discipline even when met with violence from others. The violence we face juxtaposed with our continued nonviolence will underscore the moral integrity of our cause compared to that of our opponents.

Action Agreements

In all of our protest actions, we follow these 9 action agreements. We encourage all Stop the Money Pipeline partners to do the same:

• We will respect workers and customers
• We will not talk to the police
• We will maintain nonviolent discipline at all times and use no physical violence towards any person
• We will carry no weapons
• We will bring no alcohol to the action
• We will bring no drugs to the action, unless we need them for our physical or mental well-being
• We will not destroy property
• We will prioritize safety in our actions
• We will plan our actions with an understanding that some community members risk more than others by participating