- Sep 16, 2012
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BULLSHIT
Antifa is just BLACK BLOC rebranded.
Black Bloc
Definition, Synonyms, Translations of Black Bloc by The Free Dictionary
www.thefreedictionary.com
What are 'black bloc' anarchists?
What are 'black bloc' anarchists?
The controversial protest tactic has a checkered history.
bigthink.com
". . .The origin of the black bloc
Despite being straightforward, the black bloc is a relatively new phenomenon. It was first deployed in West Germany in the 1970s and '80s prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall. West Germany had been hit with an economic recession, preventing many young people from finding jobs. One viable method to find housing was to squat in the abandoned buildings of the inner city — due to the recession and increasing movement to the suburbs, large swathes of West German inner cities were abandoned. In these squatter communities, radical, grassroots movements sprung up that criticized the West German government's policies, the use of nuclear power, and a mish-mash of other social and political issues.
Because they were squatting illegally and had developed some radical ideas, these anarchists clashed with police in a series of increasingly violent conflicts. Daniel Dylan Young, who writes for the anarchist site A-Infos, explains how the black bloc tactic evolved as a result. Note that Young refers to the anarchist squatters as "autonomen" in reference to their pursuit of autonomy from individuals and the state.
The tactic spread throughout Europe as the years went on. When Ronald Reagan visited West Germany in 1987 to deliver his "tear down this wall" speech, he was met by tens of thousands of protesters, about 2,000 of which were assembled in a black bloc. The reason for their uniform was made clear as they smashed store windows, flung bottles, fought police, and lit cars on fire.. .. "In response to violent state oppression radical activists developed the tactic of the Black Bloc: they went to protests and marches wearing black motorcycle helmets and ski masks and dressing in uniform black clothing (or, for the most prepared, wearing padding and steel-toed boots and bringing their own shields and truncheons). In Black Bloc, autonomen and other radicals could more effectively fend off police attacks, without being singled out as individuals for arrest and harassment later on. And, as everyone quickly figured out, having a massive group of people all dressed the same with their faces covered not only helps in defending against the police, but also makes it easier for saboteurs to take the offensive against storefronts, banks and any other material symbols and power centers of capitalism and the state. Masking up as a Black Bloc encouraged popular participation in public property destruction and violence against the state and capitalism. In this way the Black Bloc is a form of militance that mitigates the problematic dichotomy between popularly executed non-violent civil disobedience and elite, secretive guerilla terrorism and sabotage.