Resistance to Global Nationalistic Power Requires Real Diversity of Tactics
Protesters destroy a limo in front of the Washington Post, slap anti Trump sticker on what's left of a window before setting it on fire. Cory Clark -January 20, 2017 Washington, DC
In recent decades Nationalism has been on the rise globally. The rise in Nationalistic power creates a need for a powerful counter weight in the streets.
Successes at Berkeley University, the J-20 protests in Washington, DC and against the G-20 in Hamburg, Germany show the power of more militant forms of protest.
Police fire flash bang grenades at peaceful protesters during J-20. Cory Clark -January 20, 2017 Washington, DC
Black Bloc produced devastating property damage in each, pulled police resources from other non-violent forms of protest and achieved various stated goals.
The horizontally organized nature and anonymity of the Black Bloc's militancy means that actions can hold for sustained periods with reserve demonstrators able to fill lapses in the protest's defenses.
Black Bloc marches through downtown. Cory Clark -January 20, 2017 Washington, DC
Take de-arresting or street medic actions such as those that carried out during the NO-NATO protests in Chicago, IL in May,2012.
Create a defensive barrier between the police and the main body of a protest or draw the police away from non-violent portions of large organized actions.
Black Bloc does this in-spite of a general lack of support for those who choose militancy as a legitimate form of protest.
For all their talk about diversity of tactics and inclusiveness, mainstream organizers push militant elements to the fringes.
White washing radical history to suit their own reformist agenda, ignoring its long successful histories and proven usefulness.
This hypocrisy has been devastating to those endeavoring to build a strong resistance to authoritarian power and Euro-Cis Centrism, allowing a globalized nationalist movement to rise to power by allowing reformist and opportunistic centrists to dominate their movements.
Journalist photograph a limo set on fire by protesters in fronty of the Washington Post Building. Cory Clark -January 20, 2017 Washington, DC
Police move journalists, and protesters into the park after a limo is set on fire. Cory Clark -January 20, 2017 Washington, DC
Graffiti reads "Water is Life," in front of a burning limo as a firefighter works to put the blaze out. Cory Clark -January 20, 2017 Washington, DC
The mainstream media and reformists often lump militants into a single myopic group with no purpose or goal outside of indiscriminate destruction destruction.
This couldn't be further from the truth and even when property destruction is a goal, this destruction is strategic and done without harming bystanders.
Protesters smah the windows of a Starbucks. Cory Clark -January 20, 2017 Washington, DC
Protesters smah the windows of a Starbucks. Cory Clark -January 20, 2017 Washington, DC
Protesters smah the windows of a Starbucks. Cory Clark -January 20, 2017 Washington, DC
Costomers huddle in a Starbucks while protesters smash windows. Cory Clark -January 20, 2017 Washington, DC
During J-20 Black Bloc limited its property damage to major corporate and banking store fronts such as Starbucks, Bank of America, gas stations while ignoring small business, Nonprofits, medical offices and community centers along the routes used during the day long rampage that brought Washington, DC to a stand still.
Bystanders mill around outside of a Bank of America, protesters had smashed the windows out of during J-20 protests. Cory Clark -January 20, 2017 Washington, DC
Trash cans and news paper boxes are used to slow police as they follow protesters through downtown during J-20 protests. Cory Clark -January 20, 2017 Washington, DC
Protesters set off homemade smoke bombs as they enter Franklin Square.Police run toward the explosions. Cory Clark -January 20, 2017 Washington, DC
I do not suggest that confronting police and destroying private property is the correct tactic in every situation, nor that criticism of militant tactics makes one a reformist.
By denying the effectiveness of militant tactics such as black bloc, ignoring its usefulness or excluding those who choose more aggressive tactics, organizers ensure their movements can be co-opted by centrist and reformist elements within.
These elements within movements have no interest in being effective. Their goal is to capture the momentum created for their own political advancement. Creating the power vacuum gives rise to nationalist elements such as Trump administration.
