Information AboutBlack Bloc |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BLACK BLOC | |
| anarchism | |
| protest tactics | |
| anarcho-punk | |
| diy culture | |
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__NOTOC__ A black bloc is an Affinity Group , or cluster of affinity groups,ACME Collective, ''A communique from one section of the black bloc of N30 in Seattle''. that comes together during some sort of Protest , Demonstration , or other event involving Class Struggle , Anti-capitalism , or Anti-globalization . Black clothing and masks are used to make the bloc appear to be one large mass, promote solidarity, create a clear revolutionary presence, and also to avoid being identified by authorities. , 2003 anti-war demonstration in Washington, D.C.]] , near the World Bank .]] There is a perception, especially among the mainstream news media, that the "Black Bloc" is an international organization of some kind.CNN referred to "some 2,000 militants known as the 'black block [http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/06/03/g8.protest.reut/ "G8 protest organizers condemn violence" . CNN. June 3, 2007. However, it is actually nothing more than a tactic used by a subset of demonstrators.K, 2001, "being black block" in ''On Fire: the battle of Genoa and the anti-capitalist movement'', p. 31, One Off Press. There may be several black blocs within a particular Protest , with different aims and tactics. As an ad hoc group, they share no universally common set of principles or beliefs; however, black blocs that have formed in the past have been made up largely of Anarchists or Autonomists , but can include many other anti-capitalist groups. Like all Affinity Groups , they are based on common trust between those involved, and usually share a common goal such as blocking delegates from entering a trade meeting, and a mutual understanding of shared tactics. Because the black bloc tactic involves anonymity, black bloc practitioners are often suspected of being government provocateurs. In August 2007, Quebec police admitted that "their officers disguised themselves as demonstrators." 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 .ACME Collective, ''A communique from one section of the black bloc of N30 in Seattle''. The tradition of black blocking grew out of the Autonome n movements in Germany in the 1980s ; Autonomen wore black during militant action in the process of Squat defenses, and during solidarity-demonstrations for the Red Army Faction . One explanation for the Autonomen's clothing choice is that black was the color of the leather jackets that Squat ters wore for warmth and to deflect blows from police batons, whereas ski masks were practical ways to filter out Tear Gas and to protect one's identity. They were dubbed by the German media as ''der schwarze Block''. The tradition was first seen in the United States Of America during protests against the Gulf War in Iraq in February 1991 where it was initiated by Love And Rage , a North American revolutionary anarchist organization. Black as a color has historically been associated with Anarchism , dating back to the Black Flag s which accompanied bread riots at the time leading up to the Paris Commune . Typical actions of a black bloc are marching in a bloc, being a visible manifestation of anarchist and anti-capitalist politics, taking to the streets without a permit, distracting police, misleading police about protester motions, 'unarresting' people already arrested by police, administering first aid to persons affected by tear gas in areas where protesters are barred from entering, building barricades, attacking/disarming police, and unmasking police who pose as black blocers. Some members of the black bloc also engage in s, gasoline stations, and video-surveillance cameras. The reasons for engaging in property destruction often include reasons other than symbolic protest. Groups such as the WOMBLES and Wild Greens advocate participating in black bloc activity, and have similar agendas. Groups that have engaged in similar forms of action include Radical Anti-Capitalist Blocs , Anti-Racist Action , and Anti-Fascist Action . During the 2003 G8 summit in Evian , militant demonstrators rejected the name "Black Bloc" and chose instead to be called the "Anthracite Bloc" or the "Charcoal Bloc." After the protests of global summits that occurred across Europe during the summer of 2001 , European courts have started to prosecute activists on Mafia , Gang , Conspiracy , Racketeering , and Terrorism charges for alleged black bloc activity. This was the case with the Publixtheatre Caravan , a group of 25 artists imprisoned for a month after the G8 summit in Genoa . The European Union is conducting Europe-wide investigations of black bloc activity in terms of an international conspiracy. The heavy sentences given to demonstrators arrested during and after the European Union summit in Gothenburg 2001 (see also '' Terrorister ''), as well as the terrorism charges levied against those arrested during and after the G8 summit in Genoa , 2001 , and the European Union summit near Thessaloniki , Greece , 2003 , reflect this view. SEE ALSO REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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