@hardymerriman
Independent consultant focused on nonviolent civil resistance, human rights, democracy, and countering political violence. Formerly led the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC). Contact via my website: hardymerriman.com
I was interviewed for the Danish podcast Lansomme samtaler ("Slow talk") about civil resistance, democracy, the United States, and foreign policy. Interview starts at 4:00. www.information.dk/2026/02/hard...
I was interviewed for the Danish podcast Lansomme samtaler ("Slow talk") about civil resistance, democracy, the United States, and foreign policy. Interview starts at 4:00. www.information.dk/2026/02/hard...
My team at the Crowd Counting Consortium (@djpressman.bsky.social, Soha Hammam, & Chris Shay) has shared a big data update, covering all recorded US protests through Jan 2026. Some key takeaways 🧵:
"in US history, democratic progress has been achieved when thousands or millions of people across the country have organized together, exercised their rights of free speech and assembly, participated in elections, and ensured that abusive powerholders are held accountable." Hardy Merriman
Summary of 5 principles to make political violence backfire - reveal, redeem, reframe, redirect, resist.
The 123-page doc by @hardymerriman.bsky.social goes deep on this framework with examples and practical advice for assigning roles, designing campaigns, and doing the work with your own local community. Highly recommend.
Overview of how political violence perpetrators minimize backfire
Does this sound familiar to you?
Cover page of the HOPE guide - "Harnessing our power to end political violence"
If you want to go deep on the theory and strategy, this resource on how to make political violence backfire is informative and practical. static1.squarespace.com/static/666b7...
BREAKING: Democrats and Republicans in Congress just voted to pass the Protect America’s Workforce Act to restore federal workers’ union rights – the first time the House has voted to overturn a Trump executive order in this term. https://bit.ly/4oNyBQc
Great to talk with Lisa Graves (@thelisagraves.bsky.social) at Legal AF (@legalafmtn.bsky.social) and MeidasTouch Network about No Kings, the Supreme Court, and our collective power to resist authoritarianism.
Two part interview.
Part 1
youtu.be/mc7c49sLhOs?...
Recently interviewed about No Kings and other tactics to counter authoritarians and uphold democracy, with Scott Harris of WPKN for his show Counterpoint, and syndicated at @btlradionews.bsky.social
share.transistor.fm/s/847588d3
New: In a backsliding democracy, ‘public mobilization is the guardrail’
open.substack.com/pub/diplomat...
Excellent from The New Yorker Radio hour. Fascinating to hear
Hardy Merriman, an expert on civil resistance, talking about protests, boycotts, strikes, and nonviolent approaches—as being effective in the fight against democratic backsliding. #democracy #thenewyorker
pca.st/episode/5b51...
See @hardymerriman.bsky.social's Q&A with Scot Nakagawa to learn more about backfire principals and nonviolent strategies of resistance: politicalresearch.org/2024/11/21/q....
“You don’t necessarily need people doing things that are high-risk. You just need large numbers of people doing them,” says Hardy Merriman in an episode of @newyorker.com’s ‘The Political Scene’ discussing strategies of resistance in a backsliding democracy. Tune in now!
Please listen. Super smart, inspiring and practical. And it doesn't rely on the Democratic Party... @janemayer.bsky.social @eosnos.bsky.social @sbg1.bsky.social @hardymerriman.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
People keep asking “What can we do?” Our podcast guest, Hardy Merriman, studies resistance movements and has many suggestions.
“In a backsliding democracy,…it is really public mobilization that is the guardrail.” It also has the capacity to impose costs, not just on the administration, but on the enablers
The successful public backlash against silencing Jimmy Kimmel contains some big lessons on what works in the face of autocracy, as expert Hardy Merriman explains in this fascinating episode with my co-hosts @janemayer.bsky.social @sbg1.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/t... great ep on NewYorker’s Political Scene with @hardymerriman.bsky.social discussing civil resistance and acts of non-cooperation (and why they might work better than we perceive right now)
I interviewed with the New Yorker on the power of civil resistance to counter authoritarianism. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/j...
Democrats AND Republicans support the right to join a union. Even when Washington is this divided, we can all come together to restore federal workers’ bargaining rights.
Tell your representative to sign the discharge petition to get this bill to a vote! act.aflcio.org/call_campaig...
Yes, still relevant indeed. And free online for those who want a copy. www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...
Democracy depends in part on people who refuse to comply with unlawful (and/or unethical) orders.
Must-read: chilling @nytimes.com reporting corroborating and expanding on @tibetaction.bsky.social documentation of widespread, systematic abuses of #Tibetan children. The damage is intentional—and generational. Indep into investigation crucial - #UN #OHCHR #HRC! www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
"This country has a history of using political violence to keep entire populations in fear: It’s part of the glue that held together the Jim Crow South. It’s been targeted at groups such as LGBTQ people. It’s been targeted at workers and laborers who seek fair wages and safe working conditions. And it’s used against those who show solidarity with those groups. Unless we stop it, I fear it will continue to get worse." Hardy Merriman Q&A: Harnessing Our Power to End Political Violence The Public Eye Fall 2024 Image of United Farm Workers on a march from the Mexican Border to Sacramento (Credit: John Malmin, Los Angeles Times/Wikiemedia.com)
As political violence escalates in the U.S., PRA sits down with @hardymerriman.bsky.social and @22ci.bsky.social’s Scot Nakagawa to discuss the impact of political violence and how we can make it backfire against its perpetrators. Learn more at politicalresearch.org/2024/11/21/q....
How can the judiciary resist democratic backsliding?
Learn from the recent example of Poland, where judges engaged in a range of tactics--including sometimes acts of public protest--to uphold democracy.
Join our webinar. Register at the link below.
How can the judiciary resist democratic backsliding?
Learn from the recent example of Poland, where judges engaged in a range of tactics--including sometimes acts of public protest--to uphold democracy.
Join our webinar. Register at the link below.
Organized communities can play a powerful role in making political violence backfire against perpetrators. Check out my recent podcast with Nonviolent Action Lab at Harvard University: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
A powerful autocratic wave is sweeping the globe.
What will it take to foster a new democratic wave? And how can democratic countries support nonviolent civil resistance movements?
Join us at PRIO next Monday, 13:00, for this seminar.
Sign up here: prio.org/events/9068
