Re: Fwd: AUT: Re: Re: [barricada] Account and Analysis of Inauguration Day RAAB

["Chris Wright" <cwright@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well, I am glad if I was wrong about the size of the Block, but it seemed
that everything they did happened a long way away from the main
demonstrations, and at 400 people, well, that isn't much.

But I also think there is some underestimation of the degree to which the
cops were told to play it super-cool.  A major disruption at J20 would have
meant a big smear on an inauguration which was already the most contested
since Nixon in 1973.  i think the cops allowed certain things to happen, and
the events at K and 14th would have been much nastier (well out of the
limelight) if those two marches had not luckily come in when they did.

Again, I am glad people felt they achieved a good presence and reached
people.  But I also think we need to be very realistic about the action of
small groups largely isolated from mass demonstrations.  Black Block had an
impact in Seattle that centered on it being a massive event with a lot of
popular support.

Then the question is, what next?  I don't have a sense of is coming out in
terms of organizing outside of demo actions.  Here I am simply asking to
know what is being done.  We can quibble about J20 or we can talk about
politics and perspectives.

Cheers,
Chris
----- Original Message -----
From: "dominion" <dominion@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Chuck0" <chuck@xxxxxx>
Cc: "commie zero zero" <commie00@xxxxxxxxx>;
<barricadacollective@xxxxxxxxxxx>; <nefac@xxxxxx>;
<cwright@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <action@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, February 05, 2001 12:45 PM
Subject: Re: Fwd: AUT: Re: Re: [barricada] Account and Analysis of
Inauguration Day RAAB


>
>
> > I was pretty surprised at how quickly the black bloc got up on the
> > sidewalks after the cops attacked. I saw a few brave souls fighting the
> > cops for the streets, but the rest seemed like the usual batch of
> > Leftists afraid to challenge authority.
>
>   I think you're being incredibly overpessimistic there, Chuck.  Keep in
>   mind that with every new action brings people into the Black BLoc that
>   6 months ago may have been thinking about voting for Gore.  Things are
>   changing really fast, and a lot of people are getting into things who
>   don't have much experience with challenging authority.  When I was
>   in my first Black Bloc (in Seattle, of all places), I had never been in
>   a protest before, never even held a sign and chanted.  It took me quite
>   a few situations before I could honestly look a cop dead in the eye
>   without being afraid.  Fear of authority is not something easy to
>   overcome.
>
>   And remember that while the Bloc is very good at inspiring other
>   protestors outside of the Bloc, it also inspires a lot of people inside
>   the Bloc as well.
>
> > building, then why have a secret meeting.
>
>   Agreed.  In some cases, an open meeting can be much more secure than
>   a closed one.  People get a false sense of security in a closed meeting.
>
>   All real activity should be discussed on the affinity group level,
>   anyways, and as you said, probably done outisde of Black Bloc.
>
> > I'm pessimistic about the future of the black bloc tactic. There's just
> > too much unquestioned stupidity surrounding the tactic.
> >
> > I've participated in 3 black blocs in the past 2 years. The J20 one was
> > the worse one, from my point of view.
>
>   I've participated in 5 or 6 black blocs (N30, A16, Chicago Mayday,
>   TABD, J20, etc) over the last 2 years, and I have to say that J20 was
>   one of the best ones.
>
>   Yes, we got off to a rocky start, but to understand why I say that
>   J20 was fantastic is because we reached out to people, we actually
>   pushed back two sets of riot cops (I have never seen a Bloc able
>   to do that, and we did it in a very non-violent way, linking arms
>   and forcing them back), and we broke through the largest security
>   operation in D.C. in 30 years.
>
>   Giving up on the Bloc now would be tactical suicide.  Every Bloc
>   I've ever been in has inspired people.  At J20, a young member of
>   NOW approached a member of my affinity group and said she thought
>   we were amazing and how she could join our group (don't worry, my
>   affinity group explained to her about Black Bloc).
>
>   Will we ever see a Black Bloc accomplish what it accmomplished in
>   Seattle?  Possible, but not likely.  Maybe if we could have three
>   or four Black Blocs that are at least 500-1000 each, in order to spread
>   the cops thin (this is a possibility in years to come, but not now).
>   From now on, the Bloc will probably focus mostly on dealing with police
>   lines, which is something we've shown ourselves to be really good at
>   doing.
>
>   However, the Black Bloc is such an incredibly powerful visual image
>   that we should definitely not abandon it.
>
>   Keep something in mind.  We have been doing Black Blocs in this country
>   for about 3 years now (1998, Millions for Mumia, although I know there
>   were ones before that during the Gulf War protests).  How long have
>   the German Anarchists and Anti-Fascists been doing Black Blocs?  About
>   12 years now?  We should learn from our mistakes as opposed to throwing
>   the baby out with the bathwater.
>
>   It's kind of like giving up on the idea of squatting because a few
>   squats weren't defended well enough or fell apart because of internal
>   issues.
>
>   - Dominion
>   dominion@xxxxxx
>



     --- from list aut-op-sy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---