'riots brought the poll tax down.'

While the Poll Tax demo's had the effect of bringing about the people's will in that instance, 'direct action' certainly doesn't automatically have to include riots.

Many members of this forum will be familiar with peaceful forms of direct action from their days on CND marches and Greenham Common and so-on, not to mention action taken through strikes of course.

And for all the mumblings, taking action to demonstrate against the potentially hugely damaging and irreversible policies of a minority coalition, doesn't have to imply "revolution" either.