The black bloc at the NO TO NATO march

 I took these photos on the march.  I found the black bloc to be scary - much more so than the police I ran into.  It was 90+ degrees and sunny, and they were wearing hoodies and face scarves.  I found that I could talk and joke with the police, but not with the black bloc.  Before the march, they had handed out black face scarves and vinegar and ear plugs, like they were totally anticipating clashes with the police.  So the police were walking in single file along side the march - on both sides - to stop the black bloc from breaking off and going down a side street, apparently.  I think that was a smart strategy, since the black bloc has a reputation for busting up windows and spray painting things and generally being destructive.

 Well, aren't they tough looking?  Anyway, I found myself getting caught between the black bloc and the police time and time again.  I tried to get rid of them, but I guess I walked too slow.  These so-called tough guys would turn away when I tried to take a picture. 

 Yeah, they have on scarves and hoodies when it is sweltering hot.  No very smart at all.  Since I was between the black bloc and the police, and THE BLACK BLOC WAS GIVING ME THE CREEPS, I decided to drop out.  No problem crossing the police lines to get out.  I sat down and watched the rest of the march go by.

I have ZERO respect for the black bloc after this march.  I came to a march that was billed as "family friendly" and "non-violent" and instead felt I was a "human shield" for whatever tactics this group of idiots decided to pursue.  And I heard later in the day, that the police told people to go west after the final rally was over, and the black bloc decided to go east against a huge group of riot police - with MANY UNKNOWING PEOPLE CAUGHT BETWEEN THE BLACK BLOC AND THE POLICE.  These black bloc folks reminds me of the Westboro Baptist Church protesters - they go to other people's events with their own tactics and goals and do not give a shit if they are welcome to do that or not.  They just do it.  In the case of the black bloc, they were using the people who came to the NO TO NATO march as human shields.  At least, that is what I felt like.  And frankly, the claim of the Occupy movement to respect a 'diversity of tactics' STOPS COMPLETELY when I am being put into a situation that I did not consent to ahead of time, particularly a situation that might result in violence.

I have no respect for the black bloc and their immature and selfish tactics.  They are oblivious to the protesters around them, and then have the nerve to complain when those protesters they used complain about them.  I really don't know what their overall strategy is, unless it is to rumble with the police and destroy property.

Here is what I posted on Firedoglake about the black bloc:


My experiences with the black bloc on May 20th were not positive at all. I found myself getting stuck, again and again, between the black bloc and the police. The CPD was walking single file on both sides of the march in the area of the black bloc. The CPD would talk and smile at me, and I teased them about forgetting their signs. I could not get anyone from the black bloc to do that, not even once. I guess they only have “solidarity” with other people dressed like they were…. black clothes, hoodies with the hood pulled up, and face scarves. And it was sunny and over 90 degrees on that march.

So, I dropped out of the march. I did not want to be a “human shield” for whatever they were planning. I felt totally disrespected to be put in this position. And in the future, if publicity and permits for the DNC does not state “no black bloc clothing or tactics will be allowed” for planned rallies and marches, I will stay home. (and I am only a couple of hours from Charlotte). I will not put myself in a position of being a “human shield” for some people who have not consulted with me ahead of time.

So, these black bloc tactics are not bring more people into the streets, at least not for me. And I don’t think people with young children, disabilities, or the elderly will want to be around when the black bloc is doing their thing. I have a friend here in Asheville who is in a scooter – she does not want to be around them. And families of police officers are not going to join a group with FUCK THE POLICE signs.
The march on the 20th was billed as “family friendly” and “non-violent” and it seemed to me that the black bloc at that march did not care one whit if that was the stated objective. They reminded me of the Westboro Baptist Church protesters – instead of holding their own event, they crashed someone else’s event and used it for their own purpose. On May 20th, the media went with the scuffle between the black bloc and the police instead of the veterans throwing back their medals. The black bloc did not care (as far as I could tell) that this was an anti-NATO and anti-war event and they turned it into something else.

And this, in my opinion, is total bullshit: “Any debates or criticisms will stay internal to the movement, avoiding any public or media denunciations of fellow activists and events.”

I believe in freedom of speech, not shutting it down. And I believe in whistle blowers. I believe in honesty and openness. If I see or hear something I do not agree with, I will debate or criticize who I want in the way I want. And I give others that right also. This telling people that they cannot criticize outside the movement strikes me as very dysfunctional. And it seems they are following exactly in the footsteps of how our current government functions. It is sick.

“The signs read red and black instead of “Reinstate Glass Steagall,” yes, but the critique of the broken capitalist system is there, whether or not it is explicitly stated. And why must it be?”

Answer: So that other people know what you are about, as opposed to just seeing a group of young people running around dressed in black with hoods and scarves on. So that other people know what you stand for, and what you want. I think of it as “communication”. I certainly could not tell that the black bloc on May 20th march was anti-war at all. Actually, they looked like they wanted a conflict to me, with their dress, lack of friendliness, lack of respect for other people, and having gas masks and vinegar. And in a video I saw of the end of the final rally, both the police and the black bloc were acting violently.
I do not see how we can get to a peaceful work by using violent tactics and showing disrespect. And having FUCK THE POLICE rallies or signs is certainly disrespectful.

“The powers that be consider a large group of people marching in the streets without their written permission to be a “riot” regardless of the behavior of those people.”

And if they are smashing up windows and burning up vehicles, they ARE A RIOT, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. And frankly, that is what the police are afraid of – and also those type of actions allow the black bloc to be infiltrated.

I have been to many protests and marches over the years, and I have seen several events where there were mass arrests. A protest for Bradley Manning in VA a couple of years back resulted in people sitting in the street in an act of civil disobedience. They were arrested. I was watching – and I did not feel in any danger from the police getting violent, and frankly, the people doing civil disobedience were safer because there were so many of us watching. And shortly after that rally, Manning was moved to a different facility and better conditions.

In short, I want to see respect and safety given high priority at all marches, rallies, events. I want us to challenge the system in a way that invites all people to join in, and where all can join safely. I do not want to see property damage or signs like FUCK THE POLICE at all. I want to see a new world created, not more of the same with different faces in power. And I believe the black bloc tactics will create more of the same.