Library.Anarhija.Net 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 The Green Mountain Anarchist Collective, Xavier Massot, David Van Deusen The Green Mountain Anarchist Collective, Xavier Massot, David Van Deusen 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 http://www.infoshop.org/amp/bgp/BlackBlockPapers2.pdf Edited and compiled by David Van Deusen & Xavier Massot of The Green Mountain Anarchist Collective lib.anarhija.net 2 • Jared (ARA) for doing most of the layout on the first print edition • Jerry (ARA) for helping with some technical questions on lay- out for the first print edition Contents • Fat Dog, Bridget, Ted, and Johnny Midnight • U.S. Condemned (for being the greatest punk band ever! Author’s Note to The Second Edition of The Black Bloc Papers 21 • Our Comrades throughout the Green Mountains and The Vision of Anarchy We Fight For is One of Direct Par- ticipatory Democracy, Equality, and Dignity 24 • all those who continue to struggle for the working class rev- olution. About The Authors 26 David Van Deusen ...................... 26 Xavier Massot ........................ 26 Extra material and updates 27 Forward 28 Introduction Bad Attitudes and Dirty Money by Xavier Massot of The Green Mountain Anarchist Collective** 30 Chapter I The Emergence of The Black Bloc and The Movement Towards Anarchism 39 Section I. The Emergence of The Black Bloc: History, Tac- tics and General Constituency . 41 Social Composition Of The North American Black Bloc ...................... 48 Section II. The New Capitalism And Its System Of Radical Commodification And Consumerism . 51 Section III. Counterculture as Social Revolution . 63 550 3 Chapter II through and Satan—for giving me the chickenpox the morning after Early Clashes my first communion. North America, 1988-1999 75 There are certainly some M.I.A’s in this list, but hey, whatcan Genesis ............................ 75 you do? North America ........................ 76 David thanks: Chapter III • all those who have taken action within the Black Bloc. The Battle of Seattle/N30: The Anti-WTO Protests November-December, 1999 82 • the Earth Liberation Front Overview ........................... 82 • The Northeastern Federation of Anarchist-Communists Peasant Revolt! N30 Black Bloc Communique by ACME Collective (A communique from one section of the • Federation of Revolutionary Anarchist Collectives/Great Black Bloc: N30 in Seattle) . 86 Lakes Region (Great Lakes, North America) THE PEACE POLICE . 87 RESPONSE TO THE BLACK BLOC . 88 • Anti-Rascist Action TEN MYTHS ABOUT THE BLACK BLOC . 88 • The Industrial Workers of The World MOTIVATIONS OF THE BLACK BLOC . 91 ON THE VIOLENCE OF PROPERTY . 92 • Food Not Bombs Black Block Participant Interview by Steve Of Active Transformation . 93 • The Independent Media Center (IMC) (website; www.indymedia.org) Chapter IV A16: DC and The IMF/WB • The Barricada Collective April 2000 100 • all those who were and are part of The Green Mountain An- Overview . 100 archist Collective A16 REVOLUTIONARY ANTI-CAPITALIST BLOC STATEMENT [The Call] . 103 • the CCC Endorsing the Call for a Revolutionary Anti-Capitalist Bloc 107 April 17, 2000, Washington, DC . 109 • Make A. for editing the first draft Another A16 Report From The Revolutionary Anti- • Lady (ARA) for editing parts Capitalist Bloc . 112 BLACK BLOC the new MINUTE MEN, by gunga din, • Circuit (ARA) for collecting the photos for the first print edi- April ‘00 . 114 tion 4 549 Don’t forget the Minute Women! by Shawn April 21, 2000 . 115 Chapter V Acknowledgement May Day, May 2000 116 ANARCHISTS AND MAYDAY: A note from those who put A STATEMENT FROM THE BLACK BLOC (NEW YORK CITY) . 118 this book together NEW YORK CITY MAYDAY-NEW YORK CITY BLACK BLOC Writing this book was a bizarre process. Here is a list of hats-offs by gunga din May 2000 . 120 to those people and things which helped in bringing my portion to Chapter VI fruition, both directly and indirectly. The Windsor/Detroit Action AgainstThe Windsor/De- —X troit Action Against Mama y Papa—because you always have to thank those people The OAS/FTAA, June 2000 123 Rock-N-Roll music—for making life better Call for an Anti-Capitalist Revolutionary Bloc at the OAS/ The Cocked family—for drinking more than anyone FTAA Action in Windsor, Ontario . 125 Ever Bean town and the Mass-holes—for inspiration The Twitch—for twitching Chapter VII BS—for Buber, Heidegger, and the whirling dervishes jon-for being R2K: Philadelphia and The RNC older July-August, 2000 128 MP—for jumping on tables Black Bloc Press Release / Statement from R2K Black Bloc 130 German girl—for the niceness lil’orphan annie-for false affirmations Communique #1 Fat Dog and co.—for making puppies and going to jail SMZ-for the From a Wanted Black Bloc Anarchist . 132 memories Lady—for being a trooper Chapter VIII BoB—for truth, justice, and beauty Hellen-for no dancing the D2K: LA and The DNC Guv’nor-for doing his job August 2000 135 C+C—for coordinating in a central location Risteard-for that Oi Pol- Black Bloc’s view of last night’s police riot loi record by Left Out . 137 Idget—for talkin kind of dumb sometimes Jim Beam—for seeing us 548 5 Letter from Four Persons who were in the D2K cil communists, libertarian municipalists and non-hyphenated an- Black Bloc archists!) by Antibody, Spazz, Sketch and Entropy . 139 We call on you to really try to get other anarchists to come out, especially those who usually don’t get out to demos often, those Chapter IX who haven’t been to one in a while or those who have never been 03: Boston and The Debate to one! October 2000 141 We call on anarchists from the northeast, mid-Atlantic, southeast, Black Block Perspective on Boston O3 mid-west, eastern Canada, (even overseas!) to attend. We call on by Nicolas of The Barricada Collective anarchists at the San Francisco march, and other west coast cities, October 4, 2000 . 142 to hold Black Blocs there too. The Black Bloc and Movement Solidarity<em>by BB, Oc- Come out on April 24th! Free Mumia! tober 2000 . 146 Any other/better ideas? You don’t like it? Contact us at: Chapter X email: [email protected] 017: Saint Louis and Another Debate or post: October 2000 150 Black Bloc c/o Overview . 150 PO Box 563 Black Bloc! Congrats and Strategy Morgantown, WV 26507 Carbondale, Illinois, October 2000 by Treesong . 151 Chapter XI Montreal Actions Against The G20 October 2000 153 Overview . 153 Violence and Pacifism by Mathieu (translated from original French by X) . 155 Violence at protests . 155 Chapter XII N16: Cincinnati and The TABD November 2000 157 Overview . 157 6 547 Call for Anti-Capitalist Action on N16 in Cincinnati By The Columbus Anti-Racist Action . 159 N16 from a Black Bloc perspective by Yertle the Turtle November 20, 2000 . 161 Appendix November 16 . 162 November 17 . 163 CALL FOR A LARGE November 18 . 166 November 19 . 169 ANARCHIST PRESENCE AT Black Bloc Organizers Respond to Mike Dolan By Columbus Anti-Racist Action THE APRIL 24, 1999 Southern Ohio, November 21, 2000 . 170 MILLIONS FOR MUMIA N16 arrests Cincinnati “direct action” by Mike Dolan . 174 MARCH IN PHILADELPHIA, Red November, Black November: A tribute to the Black Bloc at N16 PA by Ralph Chaplin + friends. 11/22/00 . 175 Chapter XIII Some of us are calling for an anarchist ‘Black Bloc’ to march at J20: DC and Inauguration Day the Mumia rally in Philadelphia on 4.24.1999. January 2001 176 One of us came up with possible slogans (SUGGESTED only): Overview . 176 1) “Unlock Mumia Or Lock Up The System!” A Call For a United Revolutionary Presence At The Pres- 2) “Start A New Trial Or Stop Up The System!” idential Inauguration . 178 3) “Overturn the Conviction or Overturn the System!” Statements Concerning Up-Coming J20 Action We hope an assembly area will be suggested by Philly anarchists By The Barricada Collective . 180 and that we will march together and hang together for most or all Some Notes on the DC Black Bloc of the event. by a RAAB Organizer Those of us making this call are a few anarchists who used January 21, 2001 . 182 to be in Love and Rage. We call on all anarchists to get in- Account and Analysis of Inauguration Day RAAB volved (anarchist-syndicalists, anarchist-communists, anarchist- Wednesday, January 31, 2001 individualists, anarcho-punks, eco-anarchists, social anarchists, an- By The Barricada Collective . 184 archo pacifists, libertarian socialists, libertarian communists, coun- 546 7 Chapter XIV mess which is choking the human race’s potential for greatness- A20: Quebec City justice for starters. April 2001 203 SOLIDARITY Overview . 203 -X Revolutionary Anti-Capitalist Offensive Vermont, Spring 2001 Spring 2001 [The Call] . 209 [Some Final Notes From The] Revolutionary Anti- Capitalist Offensive in Quebec . 211 The Black Bloc in Quebec: An Analysis by Nicolas of The Barricada Collective . 214 The Media, the Grassroots Effort, and the Local Community . 215 The Black Bloc: Material Preparedness . 216 The Black Bloc: Tactics, Empowerment, and “Other People.” . 217 Black Bloc Spectators? . 219 Conclusion . 221 A Denunciation OF SalAMI [From Sections Of The A20 Black Bloc] . 222 Chapter XV DC and the Twin Towers: A Battle Postponed September 28-29, 2001 225 An Overview . 225 IMF/World Bank Protests - Sept 2001 Statement from NEFAC The Call . 229 Call to Action Against The War! . 232 Interview Concerning September 28th Protest Against War & Globalization . 235 8 545 side.