Black Bloc Tactics - 10 Quick Points! (2 of 3)

(2 of 3) No One is Illegal's Harsha Walia speaks about the diversity of tactics strategy and the black bloc tactic (10 Quick Points!) and experiences of the tactic in the context of 2010 Olympics resistance, Heart Attack.

So in terms of the specifics of the Heart Attack demonstration

and the black bloc in general during the Convergence,

um, i do think, you know, one of the points that people have made

is that sometimes there are tactics that undermine other tactics.

And i think what was really specific about this convergence,

which is why i would argue Feb 13th was successful,

is the fact that the black bloc has been in commuication with the entire,

organizers of the entire Convergence.

Feb 12th, as people know,

was explicitly called as an action that was inclusive.

And in Feb 12th, lets not forget, black bloc was present.

Let's not forget, black bloc members were present in the Feb 14th Memorial March;

let's not forget as i mentioned the black bloc is present at Tent City,

has been present in every action.

And for those of us who are involved in organizing,

we know this.

We know this because we're the organizers.

We know this because we're in communication,

and therefore, you know,

including the Memorial March,

because a lot of people have, um,

have strategically kind of used the Memorial March

to say that "oh, you know, people are worried about the black bloc infiltrating the Memorial March".

im an organizer of the Memorial March,

and i can say as a member of the Memorial March Committee,

we have never had isues with the black bloc being present at the Memorial March.

The only issues in fact, for those who are are gaurdians here all know,

explicitly in our Gaurdian sheet,

we explicitly mention that if there was going to be any concerns about violence

it will come from police provocateurs,

and not from our allies in the bloc

who knew and respected the protocol of the Memorial March,

including not wearing face masks.

So in terms of the thoughtfulness of the Heart Attack demonstration,

um, i want to reiterate that there was many conversations,

and many commitments made

to respect the other days of action.

The front line on February 12th, was held by indigenous Elders

with 2 contingents behind them,

one of which was the No One Is Illegal / Canada Is Illegal contingent,

and the contingent next to it, which was the black bloc.

All of this was in consultation with the 2010 Welcoming Committee.

The organizers of that demonstration knew this.

When the black bloc took the front line on February 12th,

THAT happened in consultation with the Elders,

two of whom explicitly told us that they were gonna go to the back

so the black bloc could take the front line and push through the police line.

So before we start you know, talking about what Elders want,

let's remember they explicitly asked for the black bloc to come to the front line.

Um, in terms of, in terms of Feb 13th,

and this idea that people were somehow endangered on February 13th,

February 13th was explicitly called as a diversity of tactics.

Everyone in the movement knows what a diversity of tactics means,

and when you go out on the street you know what you are engaging in.

As far as i know, like i said,

as someone who marched on February 13th,

unmasked, in solidarity with black bloc allies,

i did not feel endangered.

i cant speak for everyone else, but i can speak for myself, that i was happy to be there,

and i was happy to see the black bloc doing their thing.

um, in terms of the actual demonstration on the 13th,

there was various spokescouncils,

some of which were publicly announced,

for anyone who was interested in getting information about what the 13th would involve.

There was public meetings and public consultations

--well, consultations is not the right word--

but public spokescouncils, which shared information about what people could expect

about the 13th.

So anyone who wanted to find out that information was able to do that.

Um, there was explanation of "green zones".

There was "green zones" within the February 13th,

and again, at no point did i see the black bloc trying

to hide under the cover of other "peaceful protesters".

We were out on the streets knowing what would happen,

and thousands of people were not at risk on February 13th.

And i think thats important to reiterate,

because the people who were actually arrested on February 13th

have not denounced the black bloc, so why are other people doing that?

Um, 5th point [laughing] only half way through...

This'll go faster...

The argument that the bloc is succeptible to police provocateurs.

The entire movement is succeptible to police provocateurs.

There's probably provocateurs in this meeting,

there's informants in this meeting,

and the actual police provocateurs who were outed

were again, as Derrick mentioned, on February 12th,

um, and those were police provocateurs who were posing as journalists.

So in my opinion, the idea that the bloc should not be masked

because that will make them more succeptible to police provocateurs

um, isnt true.

And also, uh, a very clear example is what happened in Montebelo,

which is that when police provocateurs, um, presented themselves as the black bloc,

they were first outed by the black bloc.

Um, 6th point:

Whether the black bloc tactic is effective?

And i think a lot of the, um, the debate seems to focus around this idea of effectiveness,

um, and i hope my earlier points kind of build on this point,

which is the black bloc tactic cannot be judged in and of itself, right?

Like any other mass movement, as Derrick mentioned,

you know, we have to gauge them as a longterm campaign.

So if we're going to talk about the black bloc tactic,

we have to talk about the black bloc tactic as part of the anti-olympics convergence,

as part of the anti olympics movement,

and in my opinion you cant separate those things,

and as far as i know the anti-olympic movement as a whole,

including all of its parts,

has been very successful.

Um, in terms of the black bloc tactic in and of itself,

if we are to separate it out,

i would argue that it has been effective for several reasons.

Um, the 1st is that the black bloc tactic

does actually help build mass movements,

counter to kind of this idea that the black bloc movement marginalizes mass movements.

And i think that happens in several ways.

The first is, is that there is no monopoly on the mass movement.

There are a lot of people who dont engage in what is kind of the monoculture of the mass movement

in symbolic protest,

who find direct action to be very empowering,

and from that perspective the black bloc is growing,

and therefore the black bloc as part of the movement is helping the movement grow.

Um, second of all, corporate sponsors, in my experience in the past 6 years

of anti olympic organizing,

corporate sponsors have only been mentioned in mainstream media

when there has been insurrectionary attacks on them.

And a lot of these have happened in Ottawa in particular, and Montreal.

So in terms of effectiveness, the only times that ive seen Hudson's Bay Company

and Royal Bank mentioned and involved in the direct kind of, um, olympic industry,

has been when they have taken a hit.

Um, and i think thats, thats the reality.

Theres been no other times when those corporations have been held responsible

in a public way, other than when they have taken a hit.

Um, in terms of whether the black bloc tactic of smashing windows

is simply symbolic, and gains nothing,

well again back to the earlier point.

A whole lot of our protests are often symbolic,

so we can sit here and have a back and forth

about whether it's simply symbolic or effective,

but as part of a larger movement,

its certainly effective.

Um, i would also argue two other points,

which is that black bloc tactics actually help open up space for more mainstream tactics

to take place.

And thats something that i cannot emphasize enough.

i would argue that the success of the Memorial March

and the success of the Tent City

at least in part was due to Saturday Feb 13th,

and the reason for that is several-fold:

one, is that law enforcement, because they create a good protestor / bad protestor divide

have been largely absent from the Tent City,

because they know, and they wanna play up the idea

that Feb 13th is the bad proestors, and we're gonna let these other spaces go.

Um, and so i can without a doubt say

one of the successes of the Tent Village

has been the fact that Saturday Feb 13th

opened up a space for that to happen.

Um, also, yknow, the idea that we've lost credibility in mainstream media?

Um, part of, for what thats worth,

not that we ever had any to begin with,

but for what it's worth, the mainstream media

plays into the good protestor / bad protestor,

and again, part of the reason the Tent Village has gotten positive mainstream media

i their own spin, not our spin, but their own spin,

that this is a "peaceful tent village that should be defended and should be supported".

So i would argue that black bloc tactics abolutely do help build a broader movement

and absolutely do help build a space for various other tactics to take place,

and they dont exist in isolation of them.