2023 is going to be B.A.D.A.S.S.

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Get ready for the first-ever Bay Area Direct Action Skill Share! Starting March 25th, a cross-movement cohort of one hundred activists will unite in Oakland for 5 days of intensive direct action training. And then, for the rest of the year and into the future, we’re going to put those skills into action. 

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Direct Action Everywhere is honored to be part of the organizing team for this inaugural event. For the past few months, I have been working with my DxE co-organizer Susana Chavez on this project, alongside organizers with Oil & Gas Action Network, Sunrise California, and others, to put on this truly coalitional event with the goal of strengthening the use of direct action in our movements through building connections and people power.

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I probably have some of the most experience with direct action within the DxE network, and even I am looking forward to learning so much at BADASS. After a one-day general nonviolent direct action training for everyone, participants will split into tracks depending on their interest. There will be tracks focused on

• Technical blockade skills and equipment: everything from sleeping dragons to tensegrity beacons
• Climbing: imagine dropping a massive banner from a crane 
• Action planning: developing action strategy, including legal and media strategy
• Art, music, and movement: murals, props, choreography, and more
• Technical skills: learning how to use all sorts of gadgets such as drones, radios, and audio equipment
• Action support roles: everything you need to make an action great, including jail support, police liaison, and first aid
• Basic civil disobedience: arrest prep, sit-ins, disruptions, and more
• Specialized & targeted direct actions: kayaking, valve turning, and farm investigations

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If reading this excites you, and you want to be one of those one hundred participants, apply today! No experience is necessary, but we are prioritizing people who are likely to put these skills to use in the near future to help bring about the systemic change we so desperately need. Applications are open until March 1st, but acceptances will start being sent out on February 3rd. 

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You can find out way more about BADASS at directactiontraining.org. See you there!