According to Wikipedia, its a tactic relying on “vandalism, rioting and street fighting, demonstrating without a permit, misleading the authorities, assisting in the escape of people arrested by the police, administering first aid to persons affected by tear gas in areas where protesters are barred from entering, building barricades, and resisting the police”.
For this 1% of the 99% movement to hijack majority of the press because of vandalism constitutes a HUGE threat to the legitimacy of this movement. Its supposed to be a MAINSTREAM movement for the people. When media reports mostly on the damage this 1% might as well be working for the top 1% because they harm the movement from growing + especially shutdown. Viewers of Occupys’ shape their understanding of the movement based on media coverage but most people dont want to join chaos.
The GA should vote to ban black bloc tactics in order to keep the movement growing. Taking their photos after removing their scarves threatens your own safety. Harassing might make it clear their not welcome. Informing protesters to step in to prevent vandalism first-hand would be better. But an enforceable method of removing them if they refuse to stop vandalism/rioting perhaps by police themselves might be a great option if possible.
I havent yet heard great coverage about the bonfires but fire is a horrible message to show to the world. The immediate symbolism is danger + that only scares away average viewers + we’re not here for anarchy we’re in this movement to send a clear message to the top that we’re against their takeover.
DONT RADICALIZE THIS POPULIST MOVEMENT!
sure, we should divide ourselves more. NOT.
maxr, your use of ‘we’ here is a clear example of allowing ego to control one’s effort. i am part of ‘we’ who have been working tirelessly, for three decades i might add, to combat the insidious attacks by those trapped in their greed to overtake our political and economic system. i am part of ‘we’ who ‘have been working tirelessly to create Occupy Oakland.’ you do not get to use the slogan ‘we are the 99%’ then do a turnabout as to whether we need to carefully include all of the 99%. you just do not get to do that. if you step between me and a police officer to disarm him/her to disallow him/her from attacking me, i will applaud you. i have done this. have you? if you step up to cause the world to see us as the thugs we hate, i will not only not applaud you, but put my body in your way, which i have already had to do.
while i do not condone destructive behavior, i also do not condone snitching to opd. i believe we need to come to terms with this problem through this type of discussion, where hopefully those who self identify as anarchist will take on the responsibility to ‘parent’ as opposed to ‘police’ the very few who do not understand that an extreme minority will have no success in this movement without the support of the vast majority.
study history. the way we garnered support of 20,000 residents to march on and close the port was by being open and honest, unafraid to publish truth. we have routinely stood firm against police brutality, and stepped up in terms of challenging opd and city authority to prevent us from peacefully protesting by occupying the space at the plaza, by feeding the hungry, etc. i feel certain you have been doing all of that as well. when we gained the most instant surge in public support wasn’t when a few misguided angry folks were bombarded by police (which police action i, of course, heartily condemn), but when police attacked us with absolutely no excuse. unfortunately, in the eyes of the general public, destruction of property gives police an excuse to attack. learn this, or these scattered destructive actions will be our undoing.
this is so well written. we do have to acknowledge every person’s point of view, while making decisions about actions that threaten the unity of our movement. for those wishing to completely tear down the system in which we now operate, please read this great explanation carefully. there are many ways to begin anew, not the least of which is working from within to change the structures by which we have been abused.
I think it’s important to draw a distinction, when using the words “anarchists” and “anarchy”, between the mass media image and years of propaganda-conditioned popular fears (the spectacle of bomb throwing, assassinations of the elite, breaking windows, mob violence, etc.) and the ideology of “the destruction of all political order based on authority, and the creation of a society of free and equal members based on a harmony of interests and the voluntary participation of all in carrying out social responsibilities” (Malatesta). This distinction is important because while we’ve witnessed how the propaganda was validated on Wednesday by Black Bloc tactics, this shouldn’t overshadow that there are, have been and will continue to be ‘anarchist’ values at work in the Occupy movement. I work at a worker-coop, which would probably define me as an ‘anarcho-syndicalist’, I am one of 15 worker-members at the Arizmendi Bakery and Pizzeria in Emeryville. We all own the coop equally, have equal voting power, and earn the same wage. We don’t have a boss or a union, our form of organization and power-sharing makes bosses and outside shareholders and unions (for the purpose of collective bargaining) unnecessary. It is a form of direct democracy, literally, at work. It is a successful enterprise, and comes with it’s own challenges and rewards. Personally, I struggle with the capitalistic aspects of a worker-coop business as it exists and functions in an oppressive and complex capitalist economy, and yet being able to participate directly in decision making and the control over the conditions of my labor underline the basic cooperative principle of valuing ‘people over profits’. My coop is part of an association of coops, which is connected to regional and national networks, which aims to establish more coops, making the opportunity for a worker-controlled economic system a growing reality. This is how I choose to participate in “the destruction of all political order based on authority, and the creation of a society of free and equal members…” Burning dumpsters validates the propaganda and feeds the cycle of violence that make the police state ‘a necessary evil’. Black Bloc, your tactic has become just another commodity, a tool of the state. Building worker-controlled economic opportunities erodes the authority of the bosses in a more effective and permanent way than a broken window pane ever will. Creating free housing by liberating foreclosed properties, or worker-takeovers of closed shops and factories, I can support. Creating more empty and boarded up small business storefronts, due to vandalism and symbolic anti-capitalism, I won’t support. It’s a waste and immature use of ‘destructive’ force.
Violent revolution is what the militias are for, but only to restore the original Constitution that our Founders created, from those that pervert it and attempt to rule us under the threat of force, tyranny. The militias are not impressed by the “End Capitalism” rhetoric and in large, believe you all to be the useful idiots of your Communist backers.
I am not one of those fooled by the mainstream media. I have seen you with boots on the ground as have a handful of others gathering intel. But most milita are using this Marxist rhetoric, not to get involved and a great rift is forming even amoungst ourselves. Support or condemn. That is the question amongst our ranks.
This Occupy movement is walking on a tight rope with all Americans and you all are wobbling all over it and can fall at any moment.
The reason this nation is in the shape it is in, is because we have drifted sooo far from the principles of our Founding Father, that most young Americans believe that we are a Democracy and we are not. We are a Constituional Republic. Our principles are based on individual freedom and a very small central federal government that is not supposed to interfere with the persuit of life, liberty and happiness of all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7cY7LfMSbk&feature=related
Let us not go that route, but instead simply restore our original Consitution, as it was supposed to be. Long live the Republic!
My larger point is contextualizing OO in the broader American Occupy movement. OO is now on centerstage globally due to Scott Olsen + the general strike was largely a success but of course SPIN easily discredits the entire movement because of some vandalism. Even though out of the tens of thousands of peaceful protesters 1% initiated some misplaced anger the media as a whole spins the story + now people all over the world have a misunderstanding about the movement that its for the anarchists, hippies + communists. ITS FOR THE 99%!
As winter comes + OWS dwindles in its outdoor action or presence, OO is a west coast hub that may be pivotal in the future growth of the movement so people must understand its global significance.
Regarding police intervention, if you read my post again I specified “if they refuse to stop vandalism/rioting” + never meant to suggest that the positive aspects of the black bloc be banned. I wonder if self policing may prove successful, with a white block + a black bloc this may all start to look like Star Wars lol. I think there’s enough rage against the black bloc to have a strong force against vandalism/rioting but would the infighting get ridiculous?
Nice maxr… except throwing rocks and bottles at the police and building bonfires in the middle of the street is NOT a “new way of making things happen for ourselves.” It’s just the same stupidity that they’ve been doing, the same foolish tactics that alienate most of the 99% from taking part in movements that would liberate them.
RE: “police are not welcome” — I would like to point out that Occupy Oakland is the ONLY encampment in the entire USA where the police are not allowed to patrol to take care of the basic safety and security needs of those involved in the Occupy movement. It is the ONLY encampment where smoking marijuana and other illegal activities are openly tolerated. What you should be asking yourself, maxr, is whether your vision of Occupy Oakland and a lot of the stuff that you and others on the scene have built have anything really to do with Occupy Wall Street as a national movement. Because generally speaking, Occupy Wall Street is about radical reform to the financial system, not about adopting a violent revolution to bring about the “death of capitalism.” That’s nothing new, it’s just the same old fantasy of the 1960s that you’re trying to bring back. It already failed. OWS is a new movement, a non-violent democratic movement. A lot of people at Occupy Oakland are doing things that will either end up in marginalizing the whole OWS movement, or more likely in isolating Occupy Oakland from the rest of the OWS movement.
pennyxxx, there is a difference between radical reform and violent revolution. Americans are not desperate enough to engage in violent revolution, and these tactics will end in failure. Anybody who thinks that the majority of the 99% are even close to being ready to take up arms against the cops is incredibly naive. So we are putting ourselves into a box here with this divisive tactic. It is the wrong way to go. “The train is leaving the station” — you’re going to find yourself on a pretty much empty train if you think that people in this country are going to rise up in violence against the oligarchy.
Groups like the Black Bloc do not belong in this movement. Their aims as anarchists are different than the 99%’ers. Their disruptive behavior, their vandalism, and their violence will negate the good work of many. Find a way to weed them out, otherwise you will find that the local public support will decrease markedly.
I don’t know where you have been while we have been working tirelessly to create Occupy Oakland, but you are out of touch. It is the radical dimensions of our movement that makes it worthwhile and contagious to us who are on the ground organizing, and to the rest of the world. Your ideas of populism sound like you want the same as before. Occupy Oakland is committed to a new way of making things happen for ourselves without parties or politicians, and emphasizing local struggles around police violence, and austerity. Most importantly police are not welcome, and giving up protesters to the police, is not tolerated.
With all do respect I believe this viewpoint is ill-informed and misleading. Please read this previous post: http://www.occupyoakland.org/2011/11/black-block-not-black-block/ to get a better informed perspective. Also, this movement is radical! Don’t radicalize this movement? Where have you been? This train is leaving the station, so if you’re not ready- you best not be on board. Lastly, if providing first aid is a Black Block technique, then I guess I’m with the Black Block. I will provide first aid to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Try and stop me.
Perhaps a White Block should be created or some sort of internal security for the Occupiers to help prevent these things. Contact your local militias or create your own for the safety of the Occupiers. If you cant find alot of sensible volunteers, then a smaller group with stun guns or tazers could be used. You could possibly talk the police into issueing some to you. Just some thoughts to build on for the future.
I am a member of the American Militia Movement and many are very concerned over such matters that could lead this movement into a really bad direction.
http://www.americanmilitiamovement.com/forum/
Until the movement makes specific demands of corporations, it’s just a sunny afternoon in Grant Plaza with free hot dogs. There is a lot of concern about the anarchists and no concern that you’ve turned off the 99% of Oaklanders who are frustrated trying to figure out what your demands are.