Black bloc

An example of protesters wearing black bloc

A drawing of how a black bloc protestor would look like

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.

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.

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

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  A black bloc group participating in a march near the World Bank, in Washington, D.C., in 2009. 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.

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  Demonstration in Hamburg/Germany with Black Bloc in the front rows

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  Part of a black bloc in Hamburg during the G20 summit

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  Black bloc members spray graffiti on a wall during the Iraq War Protest in Washington, D.C., on 21 March 2009.

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  Black bloc anarchist protest in Washington, D.C., on J20 on a Civil war monument.

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  Black bloc at Berkeley, California

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  Black bloc in Mexico City organizing protests

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  Anarchist black bloc organizing in Leipzig, Germany, in 2020