[lbo-talk] black bloc theory: derived from Weathermen

[Max Sawicky]

Awful as the Weathermen were, I'm not sure this is fair to them.
They were willing to demonstrate the brutality of the state by
presenting themselves as targets, not directing the cops to
jump ugly with others who had not signed up for such
enlightenment.  You could say that blowing shit up was
a means of provoking state repression of others, but that
is a bit more indirect than the disgusting, criminal behavior --
I wouldn't glorify them with the name 'tactics' -- layed out
in the passage quoted below.

This passage says it all about BB tactics.

Picking up on another thread, I'm tickled to see people note how
easy it was to spot cops dressed in BB regalia. The problem is that
when police dress up in black and bust windows, fuck shit up and
run away, it is impossible to distinguish them from BB.

On Fri, Nov 11, 2011 at 2:11 PM, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:


>
> http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/black-bloc-inspired-by-weathermen/
>
> >From The Black Bloc Papers
>
> An Anthology of Primary Texts
> >From The North American Anarchist Black Bloc
> 1988-2005
> The Battle of Seattle Through The Anti-War Movement
> Edited and compiled by David Van Deusen and Xaviar Massot of The Green
> Mountain Anarchist Collective
>
> The Black Bloc can trace its historical roots all the way back to when-
> and wherever people comprising an oppressed class or group militantly rose
> up against their oppressors. Elements of the particular tactics of the Bloc
> were previously utilized by the Weather faction of Students for a
> Democratic Society (the SDS) in North America during the “Days of Rage” in
> 1969.
>
> Another function of the Black Bloc is to push the protest at hand towards
> a more militant and socially comprehensive direction. Largely this was
> achieved by the Bloc positioning itself at the forefront of the
> demonstration and subsequently forcing an escalation between the State
> forces and the protesters. Simply by resisting arrest, refusing to remain
> on sanctioned parade routes, challenging police barricades and by actively
> directing its anger at corporate targets, the Bloc ensured that such an
> escalation would ensue.
>
> The purpose of such escalation in part lies in the belief that such
> conflict necessarily results in the unmasking of the brutal nature of the
> State. The subsequent brutality of the opposing police/military force is
> revealed. The idea is that by showing the larger population the violent
> means by which the status quo is maintained, a significant number of people
> will become further radicalized by this physical and visual demonstration
> of the nature of the State.
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