Black bloc
Black bloc is a protest strategy where people wear black clothes and cover up their faces. This helps them to not be recognized and to avoid pepper spray in their eyes.[1][2]
Overview
People who do black bloc wear black clothes and shoes. Usually they wear matching clothes to blend in better in a crowd. They may also wear sunglasses to protect their eyes. To cover up their faces, they might wear hoodies, ski masks, and motorcycle helmets.
History
Black bloc was developed by leftists in West Germany in the 1980s. The idea became famous in Seattle, Washington in the United States in the 1990s in protests against the World Trade Organization.[1]
Purpose
The purpose of black bloc is to not be recognized by the police and security cameras. This is because people wearing black bloc may do things that are considered wrong or illegal according to the people in power. Some of these things include rioting, vandalism, and protesting without a permit.
Black Bloc Media
A black bloc group participating in a march near the World Bank, in Washington, DC. Some black bloc protesters wear hoods, allowing their faces to be viewed, while others use such items as scarves, dark sunglasses or masks to conceal their faces as much as possible, 2009.
Black bloc Hong Kong protesters wearing personal protective equipment while building a barricade, 2019.
Demonstration in Hamburg/Germany with Black Bloc in the front rows
Part of a black bloc in Hamburg during the G20 summit
Protesters wearing black during the protests, 2019
Black bloc members spray graffiti on a wall during the Iraq War protest in Washington, D.C., 2009
Black bloc protesters using umbrellas to protect against pepper spray during the Seattle George Floyd protests, 2020
Black bloc anarchist protest in Washington, D.C. against the first inauguration of Donald Trump at the John A. Logan Monument, 2017
Black bloc at Berkeley, California, 2017
Black bloc protesters with shields and barricades during the Portland George Floyd protests, 2020
Black bloc protesters at the Delaney Hall protests using the traffic cone method to put out tear gas canisters, 2026
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sandrine Amiel (May 3, 2019). Yellow vests, Black Blocs, casseurs, what's the difference?. https://www.euronews.com/2019/05/02/yellow-vests-black-blocs-casseurs-what-s-the-difference-euronews-explains. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
- ↑ Sean Rossman (February 2, 2017). "G-20 summit protests: What is a Black Bloc?". USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/02/02/what-black-bloc/97393870/. Retrieved May 13, 2021.