First came the Consumers 'Foundation in 1980, followed by such groups as the Awakening Foundation, the Taiwan Labour Front, the May 20th farmers' movement, Snails Without Shells (which worked to reduce housing costs), and the Wild Lily movement (which sought to end political restrictions on college campuses).
從民國六十九年的消費者文教基金會，其後的婦女新知、勞工團結陣線、「五二○農運」、「無殼蝸牛」運動、「野百合學運」… …，解嚴前後的台灣，開始有社運團體出現，帶動一波又一波的抗爭活動。