A black bloc is made up largely of anarchists or autonomists, anti-capitalist individuals or groups that gather for protests, demonstrations, or other event involving class struggle, anti-capitalism, anti-facism, or anti-globalization.
Black clothing and masks are used to avoid being identified by authorities, and to theoretically appear as one large mass, promote solidarity and create a clear revolutionary presence.
Black blocs gained significant media attention when a black bloc caused damage to property of GAP, Starbucks, Old Navy, and other retail locations in downtown Seattle during the 1999 anti-WTO demonstrations.
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Tactics of a black bloc are vandalism, rioting and street fighting, demonstrating without a permit, misleading the authorities, assisting in the escape of perpetrators arrested by the police, administering first aid to persons affected by tear gas in areas where protesters are barred from entering, building barricades, and attacking police.
Although black blocing is usually connected with some form of direct action, some black blocs also participate in wholly symbolic action, as well as actions that fall entirely within traditional definitions of nonviolent protest. Property destruction carried out by black blocs tends to have symbolic significance: common targets include banks, institutional buildings, outlets for multinational corporations, gasoline stations, video-surveillance cameras, and private property.
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There is a perception, especially among the mainstream news media, that the "Black Bloc" is an international organization of some kind. However, it is actually nothing more than a tactic used by a subset of demonstrators. There may be several black blocs within a particular protest, with different aims and tactics.
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