genoa

I was in Corso Torino in the morning of 20.I started the manifestation with Pink people,with pacific intention,but also with the intention to testify as a reporter.
So I was there,and suddenly this "black bloc" arrives,maybe they were 1000,I was really afraid of them and I help civil people of Genoa,who were really in panic,not to be afraid and to go home.The reaction of cops has been really light:only few lacrymogens,and they let them to destroy everything and to go down to Corso Torino direction in the opposit of cops,burning everything... I saw that from the house of a woman of Genoa who helps me,making me enter in her house in Corso Torino.
At the same moment I've known one of this "black" has beaten one of pacific manifester.
Personally I want to change the world without violence,I disapprove what happen in Genoa,but I also disapprove the reaction of cops and the government,who make that strange people make everything they wanted. I also want to say that many people saw what I saw,especially people from Genoa,living in Corso Torino.I don't want to adfirm the "blacks" were cops,but they really destroy our pacific way of manifest.Now reflect,and TESTIFY.

I wasn't in Genoa, but I was in Seattle, and in Seattle, there were a couple reported incidents of anarchists in the block block fighting with a "pacifist". In the two cases I saw, the black block was vandalizing some coporate property and a "pacifist" tried to physically restrain one of them and hand them over to the police. When this happened, other black blockers used force to free their friend, but only enough force to free him. In other situations, the "pacifist" was actually a plainclothes police officer and not a misguided pacifist at all.

All of this is an attempt by police to divide us by making us trust each other less. It is important for us to be careful how we react to all of this. If we start believing that all black blockers are provocateurs or that all pacifists are really just liberal authoritarians, we're playing into their hands.

I should also point out that the violence of the police is not directly related to any violence or vandalism from protestors. In Seattle, a couple hours before there was any black block vandalism or violence, the police were beating, gassing, and shooting rubber bullets at pacifists that were sitting down in front of the building where the WTO was about to meet. The police violence was in direct response to the effectiveness of the action, and the police being unprepared to stop the action with less force.

What made us successful in Seattle was that pacifists and non-pacifists, envrionmentalists and union members, anarchists and non-anarchists joined together to act against our common enemy. It is for this reason that governments are trying to defeat us by turning us against each other. If the black block is marginalized, then next the non-violent direct action proponents will be marginalized. After that, the remaining pro-establishment, liberal leaders can be bought off and we'll have 30 more years of the status-quo.

I think we need to acept the fact that we will only achieve our aims for a better socirty free of greed if we embrace a diversity of tactics. Just one tactic will not do. Black Bloc are with us, just in a way that not all are willing to embrace as a means for themselves. Fine. I am not willing to spend my time in an office talking about changing legislation with white guys in suits. but some are doing this, and at times, it advances us. we do not want a homogeneous movement, so we need to stop villifying each other. I was not in Genoa this weekend but some of my companeros were, and even among this small group, I am sure their are a diversity of tactics and positions on what will move us forward. Yes, we need to reflect and be critical about what is working and what is holding us back, but let us not forget the contributions that the Black Bloc have made, even if some of the media spin has been inflamatory, even if smashing materialism and capitalism makes some among the "anti-globo' movement uncomfortable.

Onward!

I guarantee that if you saw so-called members of the Black Bloc beating other protestors, these people were Police
infiltrators NOT true Black Bloc people.

The media and governmental demonization of the Black Bloc and Anarchists is a tactic to divide and conquer the anti-globalization movement.

DON'T FALL for this tactic, by criticizing Anarchists or Black Bloc people for smashing windows, banks, etc...

All the targets selected by the Black Bloc (the true Black Bloc--not the Police in disguise) are specifically chosen symbols of capitalism.

Indeed, diversity of tactics is what we need in order to stay unified as a movement. But "diversity of tactics" is not synonymous to "anything goes". Violence within an action of nonviolent civil disobedience violates that consensus. If people from the black block want the solidarity of the rest of the movement, they must stop destroying everybody else's actions. I believe that it is only a small part of the black block that is involved in destroying small businesses and property of working class people and that start a riot when most participants of a manifestation don't want one. But as long as the rest of the black block stays in solidarity with those who use violence - often not even aimed at particular targets - in order proof themselves their manlyhood, nonviolent part of the movement will divide themselves from militant parts. Remember that violence is always the dominant tactic - those who use it should be aware of the fact that it can destroy more subtle tactics.

There has to be a way to protect the Black Bloc from
infiltration. As we have seen it is just too easy for rogue
fascists to dress in black to wage a divide-and-rule war
on our great and good movement. But it may be too late. The fascists were very effective in creating divisiveness at the weekend. But ironically this may actually have
worked for us. It remains to be seen how many people are
actually missing, the extent of their injuries and the prison sentences meted out.

If Black Bloc is a tactic then there is another tactic they could adopt which has been sadly neglected thus far. A call for the release of 'political' prisoners as a campaign initiated and waged just by the Black Bloc encouraging
other groups to respond to and join your call. Unity.

Hitzewelle writes:
'But "diversity of tactics" is not synonymous to "anything goes".'

Black Bloc have always had very clear aims and have never killed anyone. The Bloc isn't 'anything goes' it is a quite rational counter tactic to the state, but you need to actually talk to a Bloc member to know that (TV won't tell you).

'Violence within an action of nonviolent civil disobedience violates that consensus.'

But that's the thing isn't it. Non-violence people don't own the movement and there has never been consensus to be totally non-violentl. You set yourself up for misery by continually acting as if this isn't the case.

'If people from the black block want the solidarity of the rest of the movement, they must stop destroying everybody else's actions.'

Who's destroying who's action?! We don't tell non-violent people they can't be non-violent, yet the Bloc get bleeted at all the time by the self appointed leaders of the movement to fall into line behind them.

If you want your action to not be 'ruined' then co-operate with the street fighting factions so that different regions can be pegged out for different activity, like in Prague. That way you can do your thing and we can do ours.

Stop blaming others for your own inability to adapt to the fact that you don't own the movement.