M20 Black Bloc/Breakaway & Mass Arrests

Much better Black Bloc/Breakaway march than last year's that resulted in hundreds of arrests on Mission. It was a larger group, including the INB band, probably over a thousand strong, and didn't end up being cornered on a long isolated block with no outside witnesses. This time the route was more public and most people moved to the sidewalks when ordered by police loudspeaker (last time no order was given at all and everyone on the street and sidewalks for an entire block were indiscriminately herded up for arrest, some having absolutely nothing to do with the march). This time those who chose to remain on the Market Street to defy the police or had not made it to the sidewalk in time to avoid arrest had an audience of several hundred to witness and document the events as they took place. Possibly as a result of new police techniques -- whereby roving riot cops lined both sides of the march to presumably protect storefronts from those who might want to break a window -- or possibly because most marchers wanted to continue the march as long as possible without provoking police into the final showdown any earlier than it had to be, there was little, if any, vandalism, save a dumpster being pushed around. I imagine the police saved themselves a lot of money by giving most marchers the opportunity to surrender to the sidewalks and not having to process literally hundreds of arrestees in some temporary detention center. They were also able to re-open Market street within 2 1/2 hours when last year the cops themselves probably blocked Mission Street for well over 4 hours.