When conventional protest appears powerless, what makes people turn to direct action against organisations? How should leaders respond when anger becomes disruption, criminal damage or violence? And could anxiety about artificial intelligence create the next flashpoint for public protest?

In this episode of What Just Happened?, Kate Hartley and Tamara Littleton are joined by crisis communications expert Rod Cartwright to examine why direct action is rising up risk registers and what organisations can do about it.

The discussion traces direct action from the Luddites, suffragettes and civil rights movement to Occupy, Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil and Palestine Action. It explores how moral mandates and ‘in-group leniency’ shape perceptions of acceptable protest, and why companies can become targets through financing, investments or supply chains even when they are not directly involved in a contentious industry.

The conversation offers practical, timely guidance for organisations facing boycotts or disruptive protests: understand the wider risk environment, stress-test security and communications plans, protect employees, respond firmly to illegality, and show empathy for the concerns driving the action. It also considers whether organisations should speak out on divisive issues – and why any position must be grounded in business, strategy and brand reality.

A full transcript of today’s show is available to read here.