On the Black Block, February, 2017

 

I have a limited familiarity with the black block phenomenon. Many lack even this basic familiarity. Here is what I saw on Wednesday before the demonstration against the fascist provocateur and paedophile who tried to speak on the UC Berkeley campus:

 

As I stopped on Southside for a tasty vegan snack, there was a small group doing the same. They were a nondescript group-- 2 young white men, one young brown woman, one skateboard. It was notable that they were wearing all black, with black caps and zipped up black jackets. Their shoes were interesting: 2 of 3 wore nylon/leather black boots, same as many law enforcement people. I did not look at them too intently, preferring to leave them some privacy. One, though, wore a body camera on his backpack strap, so they wore backpacks. I assume they also were black.

 

What they did not have is any sort of law enforcement or skinhead vibe or iconography. They also lacked any other sort of vibe.

 

On their own, they might have been just another knot of hipsters, but as i walked north on telegraph, I noticed more small knots of 3, similarly attired. There was a mix of genders. There was nothing at all flashy about them. There were some nonwhites, but no Black folks. They may have had any sort of philosophy at all in their minds, but no right wing ideation was apparent. They rapidly coalesced, pulled bandanas over their faces and threw up barricades completely blocking Bancroft with about 30 people working together. 

 

I saw no apparent right-wing action. I saw apparent anarchist coalescence, work and action. I did not see the people at the center of the crowd at Pauley Ballroom. There were fireworks including large firecrackers. These may have been different folks, though it seems a safe bet that they were the same folks.