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Bikes for Bombs are not the Black Bloc
The Black Bloc is not Bikes Not Bombs. Peaceful coincidences are in order, not molotovs.
There were reports of black bloc protestors marching tonight. Fires were set in trash cans on Market St. and of course there followed the naturally ensuing attention from police forces.
Cyclists were pulled from their bikes by violence from the SFPD. Violence begets violence. The peaceful bike protest this afternoon has no affiliation with the violent wannabe trust-baby anarchists from the black bloc. I speak as an individual. But I also speak with 7 years of peaceful use of bicycles as a form of protest and I don't appreciate the people from the black bloc involving newbies who might happen to be riding down Market Street on bikes in bullshit with the cops. We'll see how this sorts out. But keep your fucking molotovs away from us or you will learn to fear the krypto, and not because it's beating on you. We ride with no masks and no fear. Remember Ghandi and MLK had a long lasting and powerful effect partly because of the methods they used. If you want the masses to accept anarchy you'd better explain it a little better than by burning shit up and smashing windows.
And hey- lighten up and try taking off the damn black bandannas. They're so fucking serious. Try a clown mask for fucks sake. You might get more people on your side. You could be very useful if you could actually work with other people who actually espouse peace.
Cyclists were pulled from their bikes by violence from the SFPD. Violence begets violence. The peaceful bike protest this afternoon has no affiliation with the violent wannabe trust-baby anarchists from the black bloc. I speak as an individual. But I also speak with 7 years of peaceful use of bicycles as a form of protest and I don't appreciate the people from the black bloc involving newbies who might happen to be riding down Market Street on bikes in bullshit with the cops. We'll see how this sorts out. But keep your fucking molotovs away from us or you will learn to fear the krypto, and not because it's beating on you. We ride with no masks and no fear. Remember Ghandi and MLK had a long lasting and powerful effect partly because of the methods they used. If you want the masses to accept anarchy you'd better explain it a little better than by burning shit up and smashing windows.
And hey- lighten up and try taking off the damn black bandannas. They're so fucking serious. Try a clown mask for fucks sake. You might get more people on your side. You could be very useful if you could actually work with other people who actually espouse peace.
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It seems to me that anarchists participating in the Black Bloc also partipate in the IAC marches (although we are anti-Stalinist), non-violent direct action, and Critical Mass, even though these tactics are not always in line with our beliefs. We do this because we are serious about stopping this war. If a molotov is the only thing that will bring this movement to the next level of seriousness, then a molotov it will be. Now what if after the IAC marches, the non-violent direct action, and the Critical Mass, the proponents of those tactics would try out ours as we do theirs? That would be a serious movement. That would stop the war. That would be a lot of molotovs.
The bandanas are just so sexy.
But please consider:
1. Your tactics make it easy for the authorities to discredit this movement - "Violent peace protesters - what a bunch of nutcases," etc.
In fact, the CIA has commonly infiltrated movements to encourage violent tactics and the predictable public backlash.
2. The only way we can accomplish large-scale social change is if the movement continues to grow. The police want to convince the people that they need to be protected from us. It won't be long before Ashcroft starts trying to brand us all as "terrorists." Try to imagine what happens then...
3. You've shown that you can cause chaos through quick, small-scale actions. But overthrowing the government is a long way from lighting fires in garbage cans.
You will NEVER be able to match the state's capacity for violence. Their budget is astronomical AND they control the media.
Look at the history of revolutionary movements in America. The Weathermen and The Black Panthers were crushed. If you continue to escalate the violence, eventually the Black Bloc will be, too.
Our only hope is to retain the moral high ground, showing the American people how corrupt and twisted their government is. The Bloc has demonstrated courage, commitment, and exceptional organizational skill. Please use this to help us wage a campaign of strategic, non-violent resistance to the war machine.
But please consider:
1. Your tactics make it easy for the authorities to discredit this movement - "Violent peace protesters - what a bunch of nutcases," etc.
In fact, the CIA has commonly infiltrated movements to encourage violent tactics and the predictable public backlash.
2. The only way we can accomplish large-scale social change is if the movement continues to grow. The police want to convince the people that they need to be protected from us. It won't be long before Ashcroft starts trying to brand us all as "terrorists." Try to imagine what happens then...
3. You've shown that you can cause chaos through quick, small-scale actions. But overthrowing the government is a long way from lighting fires in garbage cans.
You will NEVER be able to match the state's capacity for violence. Their budget is astronomical AND they control the media.
Look at the history of revolutionary movements in America. The Weathermen and The Black Panthers were crushed. If you continue to escalate the violence, eventually the Black Bloc will be, too.
Our only hope is to retain the moral high ground, showing the American people how corrupt and twisted their government is. The Bloc has demonstrated courage, commitment, and exceptional organizational skill. Please use this to help us wage a campaign of strategic, non-violent resistance to the war machine.
A black bloc is a tactic, not an organization. They are decentralized, non-heirarchial, and anonymous. Therefore, it can't be "crushed" or neutralized. Crushing a black bloc is like crushing karate. You can't do it.