There’s been a lot of excitement in the city I live in, Toronto, over the weekend. I’d largely ignored most of the G20 hype until Saturday night when friends started posting comments on facebook, angry with the destruction of businesses and police cars. By Sunday a lot of that anger was redirected towards the police and government, rather than at the activists, protesters and media.
I’d wondered when something about it would be posted on boing boing, usually Cory Doctorow is quick with stories about Toronto, but as Shannon reminded me, he does have a new book out to promote; some things are more important than social change. Then Xeni blogged a video I’d already seen.
The comments that followed it are pretty average, a lot of back and forth on all of it. Then this one, #79, that will hopefully help clarify the meaning of the black bloc for everyone:
To the people who are perplexed at why black bloc activists use militant tactics and destroy corporate property, and to those who think said activists are nothing more than “thugs” or “hooligans”:
You’re right, black bloc activists are not protesters. They aren’t there to protest, they’re there to take direct action against the machineries of oppression. Their actions are designed to cause material damage to oppressive institutions. But much more importantly, they’re intended as theatre. As a dramatized illustration that even in the face of an overwhelming police state, the people still have the power. That the cops and banks aren’t as omnipotent as they try to convince us, and it really is within our power to strike back if they turn against us. And that defying authority and subverting “law and order” doesn’t have to mean abandoning ethics, humanity, or care for your fellow man.
These are vital lessons that the public needs to be reminded of now more than ever. Even if you disagree with the particulars, I hope most people can agree that those in power (be they CEOs, heads of state or police chiefs) should fear the public. From the reports coming out of Toronto of police blatantly and smugly disregarding people’s basic rights, it seems that they have lost that healthy fear. It seems they see the public as a docile mass to be herded and controlled at will. Militant protest is an effort to keep the threat alive in a way that standing around waving signs never will, and for that we should be glad of it.
The more completely we forget our power to strike back at those who would dominate us, the more complete their domination becomes.
Thank you zikzak, whoever you are.
I love your blog; you know I read every entry.
I just wanted to take another opportunity to remind you guys (since you mentioned it) that I LOVE to proof read!
xoxo
Haha, tell me what to correct and it’ll be done!
I have enormous fear of right wing governments eroding people’s rights. The Ontario Liberals handed the police incredible powers to do pretty well as they liked. Ordinary people (who are the main protectors of property etc) were removed from the streets. The federal Conservatives, however, are the main culprits. How could anyone possibly imagine Toronto would be showcased under such conditions. The G20 should never have been held in Toronto or for that matter, in any city ever again. And for what? Oh ya – a mere 1.2 billion.
PS – Good, clear explaination of the Black Bloc which until this morning I thought was “block”. Thanks for the post. xo
And to be even more clear, there is no such ‘group’ as the black bloc, it’s merely a name for a tactic used at protests.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_bloc
Sweet crap.
What the hell is going on over there? I haven’t heard much over here. The only thing that got reported on our news was that David Cameron left a meeting to watch a world cup game.
What a scary, overwhelming, fascinating time to live in Toronto.
Wow that’s well put, thanks for sharing it with us Caitlin.
I might not have stumbled across it myself.
It was very scary and very upsetting. Laura, there are tons of videos on youtube showing the madness.
This page has good ones:
http://www.blogto.com/city/2010/06/g20_protest_videos_capture_chaos_on_toronto_streets/
It seems amazing to me that in this day and age when every person on the street has a phone equipped with a camera that the police still feel they can get away with violence against people being peaceful. I do hope there’s a public inquiry into this (although it will probably just turn into yet another enormous expense and nothing will be resolved).
That comment makes me worry about my father, who I know you’ve heard me say this about before but I fear he gets painted with the same brush as the asshole cops who ARE oppressive.
I will defend him to the death and always try to convince people that not ALL cops are like “that”. Some are honestly on our side and trying to fight against the same types of things that we are.
I agree, Ali, obviously not all cops are bastards, I know. I don’t think anyone would say that. The problem is that in situations like this it’s impossible to tell one from the other (oddly, much like the black block tactic) and they act as one force. And if the orders from above are hit first, ask questions later (or arrest first-900 last I heard!) they do as they’re told.
Canadian police have a long, unpleasant history of bad behavior. A few bad apples really do spoil the bunch, especially when they’re police, people who are paid by our tax dollars to SERVE and PROTECT.
And that’s what makes me nervous, especially since he seemed to be singling out police chiefs.
There’s a good Fark thread/flamewar about it here
Wow. I watched some of the videos and I am gobsmacked.
How are these actions being justified? I mean, there is no reasonable justification, but I assume they are saying something about why they would take such drastic, violent action and I am curious to know what kind of a spin could one possibly put on such blatant oppressive bullying?
As for Allahkat’s concerns above: In every group or organization there are people who are trying their best to stay true to what they believe in and stand up for their values. My husband paints all protesters with one brush while my brother paints all cops with the opposite brush. I can only hope that when a person holding such a brush and a person like your father find themselves in a conversation with one another that they can articulate their positions clearly and listen to what the other person has to say. I believe that one person can make a difference. Hopefully your father can have a decent conversation about his own reasons for being a cop with even one person and help to open that person’s mind…and then perhaps in kind that person could share their opinions on protests and sense of justice and your father could carry that with him also.
Who knows? Anything has to be better than this insane system of thinking that all protests or gatherings are potentially violent/harmful and therefor it’s better to strike first. Surely this only serves to solidify every gathering of people as violent and riotous? Instead of the uncontrolled riots being the rarity, these actions are ensuring that every protest will be brutal, scary, and oppressive.
Gah, I could probably go on about this for a while. Couldn’t we all? I am left feeling like I have SO much to say about the outrage of what I have just seen, but also that I am speechless at this reality.
We have been wondering what that 1.3 billion was spent upon and now we’re seeing footage of trees being replaced (they up rooted TREES because the could be used as a weapon), mail boxes put back, bike racks, parking meters, fencing by the kilometre…the list goes on and on. It’s pretty insane. Can you imagine being one of the workers that helped set up the detention centre? I’d be very ashamed.
I asked Shannon today if he thought any police would quit the force because of this and he thinks not, but I do, I still have hope for humanity.
Laura, I’ve watched endless amount of footage of the protests and there has been a lot of time where I’ve felt angry and helpless and on the verge of tears. It’s awful thinking that this is reality, this is the current state of affairs.
And the division it’s causing amongst citizens is also bad: I wound up arguing with an old man today at the gym who claimed that ‘they all should have been shot’ and I agreed with him, you mean the cops, right? And he laughed at me. I was only half joking. He claimed to know that all the people who’d caused damage were not tax payers. You know them? I asked. Do you know even ONE SINGLE PERSON WHO PROTESTED IN A PEACEFUL MANNER?
No. He did not. How could he? Why would he?
I wonder if I will ever be old and out of touch with the youth of the day. I wonder if I will ever care more about myself and my finances than the rest of the world or the greater good.
Maybe.
It may sound terrible, but I find myself often thinking that people like that old man will be dead sooner rather than later and I am glad for the world at the loss of one prejudiced soul.
I don’t think you will be an old person like that because, quite simply, you understand that one person is connected to the rest of the world. Therefor, you cannot care more for yourself and your money. Because you understand them to be part of the global.
While I get quite upset sometimes thinking “What kind of world have I brought my child into?”…gah!
I also find myself hopeful. You and Shannon have Ari, I have Ella. You and I both know many people with good values, social understanding, ethical lifestyles who are raising their children to think, question, empathize and act. I am hopeful that my daughter will be strong in the face of the world’s atrocities and take action because I have taught her to be a globally connected humanitarian.