A 'black bloc' is a tactic used in demonstrations for years. Each participant of a black bloc wears somewhat of a uniform. The idea of wearing this uniform is that if every single person in the Bloc looks relatively alike it is hard for the police to determine which individual did what, the clothing is used to avoid being identified. The tactic was developed in the 1980s in Europe.The mainstream media know this, or should, yet they consistantly refer to the black bloc as a group instead of a tactic, it's annoying. It's also eye opening in that if they can't or won't understand this distinction how many others are they misrepresenting, either on purpose or out of ignorance, about everything on every issue.
During the Vancouver Olympics a small black bloc group broke a few windows and totally wiped out the budding community support for other issues like homelessness, social housing and the Olympic's enviromental footprint. Same was true in Toronto yesterday, the flaming police car led the news worldwide and the 10,000 other demonstrators and their just causes were unmentioned. If it bleeds it leads, and black bloc tactics are designed to produce visable results.
In my opinion, the black bloc needs a focus beyond mindless window smashing and a means beyond using the laudable efforts of others as a cover. When the world's leaders came to Vancouver at UBC in the early 90's the kids sat in the roads, their purpose was to stop traffic and garner media attention. It worked, the Sgt. Pepper video of the RCMP spraying the seated kids framed their message perfectly. The black bloc needs direction, and though the burning police cars was a nice TV touch, their message of resistance is obliterated by using events like a peaceful labour march to disguise themselves. It's the same type tactic as mounting military weapons on top of a hospital, nothing good comes of it. Resistance is mandatory, both collectively and individually. The little bit of property damage yesterday was miniscule compared to what the corporate empire generates every second, but the cause of raising of the anti-capitialist banner isn't advanced by dividing it's adherents.
There were no serious injuries yesterday thanks mostly, from what i saw, to the level headed response of the police. In videos i watched the police never stepped out of line, even the times i saw them provoked. The policemen and women are working class people doing a tough job, often i critize their swagger, today i applaud their restraint. 'Workers of the World Unite' the corporate frankensteins are devouring the future of the cops kids too, i don't understand why the cops aren't marching too.
