Black Bloc

[Tower of Bebel]

So, I don't know much about black bloc.

Wiki has some basic info.


There is a perception, especially among the mainstream news media, that the "Black Bloc" is an international organization of some kind.[2] However, it is actually nothing more than a tactic used by a subset of demonstrators.[3] There may be several black blocs within a particular protest, with different aims and tactics.[3] As an ad hoc group, they share no universally common set of principles or beliefs;[3]


Black blocs are differentiated from other anti-capitalist groups by their routine use of vandalism and property destruction to bring attention to their opposition to multi-national corporations and the support perceived to be enjoyed by these companies from Western governments. An example of this activity is the destruction of storefronts of GAP, Starbucks, Old Navy, and other retail locations in downtown Seattle during the 1999 anti-WTO demonstrations.[4]

What's the purpose of this affinity group? I don't know if Wiki has a good discription of BB, but I don't find any answer to my question.

And how does it work? There is no international organisation behinds this, so how does BB create itself during a demo?

[spartan]

i think it is like a sort of tactic amongst protesters (who are either of the same ideology or agree in certain issues during a protest) to make themselves appear larger then they are and to give the false impression of unity. i dont think they are a single organized shadow group just a collection of like minded individuals who come together during protests. i do like the vandalism and graffiting part. it is a great substitute for terrorism and the graffiti is artistic.

[RedStaredRevolution]

usually the way it is formed is that a good number leftists usually decide on a meeting place and then others may notice it and join, which is how it would be bigger, as the protest goes along. its basically just a protest tactic that is esp. useful when engaging the police because it works towards intimidation towards and the cops and a sense of unity amoung the protesters

[Comrade Rage]

Aren't black blocs necessarily anarchist?

[Red October]

Originally posted by COMRADE [email protected] 05, 2007 09:17 pm
Aren't black blocs necessarily anarchist?
No, the last one I was in had an RCP group in it, though it is usually mostly anarchists. It's basically just a protest tactic designed to reinforce solidarity and group strength, and they are very confrontational towards the police. A lot of right wing groups and media people think the Black Bloc is some sort of international terrorist conspiracy, when it's really just a bunch of protesters sharing a common tactic.

[Kropotkin Has a Posse]

A lot of right wing groups and media people think the Black Bloc is some sort of international terrorist conspiracy, when it's really just a bunch of protesters sharing a common tactic.
They just can't really comprehend anything outside their narrow box, so I can imagine them thinking that. Just like they always, historically, have tried to pinpoint "leaders" for various revolutionary movements when often they were largely anarchistic.

Anyways, I think the positive aspect of a blac block is that the people within are a little more prepared to work together and help each other out when things turn troublesome- they know thye can count on one another.

[Asstrumpet]

The Black Bloc is an originally Anarchist, though nowadays generally Revolutionary, protestor's tactic that bands together the militant Leftists at a protest. It isn't an organization.

Say there is an Anti-War in Iraq protest tommorow. Most likely there will be Lefties there, but also Anti-War in Iraq Right-Wingers. Therefore, the Lefties will need to unite.

The Black Bloc is usually the group to start a riot, whether by accident or otherwise remains to be seen.

[Kropotkin Has a Posse]

I don't know if you heard about the recent Montobello incident where Quebec police disguised themselves as black bloc-ers and tried to provoke violence. The lawmen want a fight the most, I think, because they have all the weapons.

[Tower of Bebel]

In the media black bloc is seen as a bunch of young radical vandals who are only there to either break windows or provoce riots.

So when black bloc protesters break windows. Do they target particular buidlings or is it just random? Is it a symbolic struggle (as -for example- mc murder has enough profit to buy another window for each one that broken by protesters. smashing windows doesn't kill capitalism), or is it uncontrolled vandalism either by some loners or by the whole bloc.

[apathy maybe]

The Black Bloc is a tactic, nothing more or less. Black Blocs are commonly comprised of anarchists and autonomists (automen), but will also include anyone else of any ideological description who wants to join.

As well as promoting solidarity and all that, the main point is anonymity. In a bloc, it is hard to tell one person from another.

This makes it easier for people who want to participate in direct action (such as violence against the police, or property damage) to get away with it, reduces the effectiveness of snatch squads and so on.

Not every member of a Black Bloc will do these things, but by being there, they help others.

The Arterial Bloc (do a quick search on RevLeft and the Internet) had the same idea, but with white overalls instead (which have been used before, including in Italy). Ignoring the obvious bias and crap, this article, http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,2...635-661,00.html (http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20785635-661,00.html) explains some of the tactics.
Europe's Black Bloc protesters dress in black and also hide their faces to avoid identification.

Black Bloc originated in Germany in the 1980s, but is a movement of diverse groups based on tactics rather than a specific organisation.

[chimx]

RAAN has a good article on the Black Bloc experiment. It's a very quick read: Crisis of the Crisis Makers (http://redanarchist.org/texts/praxis/1/crisis.html).

[AmbitiousHedonism]

Originally posted by [email protected] 07, 2007 09:18 am
So when black bloc protesters break windows. Do they target particular buidlings or is it just random? Is it a symbolic struggle (as -for example- mc murder has enough profit to buy another window for each one that broken by protesters. smashing windows doesn't kill capitalism), or is it uncontrolled vandalism either by some loners or by the whole bloc.
Desire & strategy differ per affinity group. Some folks think everything should be targeted towards specific entities because of one thing or another (nike's sweatshops for example). Others argue that the entire economy is a target and anything on the street is fair game.

[An archist]

Originally posted by [email protected] 07, 2007 09:18 am
In the media black bloc is seen as a bunch of young radical vandals who are only there to either break windows or provoce riots.

So when black bloc protesters break windows. Do they target particular buidlings or is it just random? Is it a symbolic struggle (as -for example- mc murder has enough profit to buy another window for each one that broken by protesters. smashing windows doesn't kill capitalism), or is it uncontrolled vandalism either by some loners or by the whole bloc.
Usually black blocs focus on symbols of the state and capitalism: banks, mcdonalds, cops. (If you see someone smashing windows of regular homes, it's either a stupid punk or a cop.) So yeah, it's a pretty symbolic struggle.