Black Bloc vs. Liberal Shlock

A Critical Review of Denouncements of the Black Bloc at the Heart Attack Demonstration, 2010 Anti-Olympics Convergence in Vancouver

“I have yet to be convinced that these actions got us closer to where we want to be. Anonymous communiqués that build up the romance of arriving, attacking the cops and then taking off are all we have to understand the intent of this group” –David Eby.

The following is a response to ‘Safe Assembly’ where David Eby, head of the BC Civil Liberties Association, Chris Shaw, author of Five Ring Circus, and Derrick O’Keefe, chairman of Stopwar.ca spoke against the use of the Black Bloc at the Heart Attack Demo as part of the No 2010 Olympics Convergence in Vancouver.
Which can be seen here

Counter to Eby, Shaw and O’Keefe’s statements, the Heart Attack Demo, and the Black Bloc Action received enormous support from a much broader range of activist society Vancouver has seen is the past 10 years. This is due, to the monumental efforts of the No 2010 Convergence organizers to create a space and an atmosphere where people who are in support of direct action –whether they engage in it or not- to come together in a more integrated culture of resistance.

This article is based on news reports, personal interviews and observation. My intention with this article is to dispel myths perpetuated during this panel and add to already existing responses without too much overlap. It is also a general response to all denouncers of the Black Bloc and direct action.

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Vancouver: In Defence of the Diversity of Tactics

By Alex Hundert, Infoshop News

Judy Rebick, from her office in downtown Toronto, complained that “when a spontaneous anger against the Black Bloc emerged on social media, people berated us for ‘dividing the movement.'” She says that, in fact, “it is the Black Bloc that is dividing the movement.” She is wrong.

I have been involved in a wide array of coalitions on various issues over the past half decade, and never have I witnessed cross-movement solidarity like I have in the anti-Olympics campaign. In southern Ontario, as in Vancouver, radical groups from a variety of locations in the broader movement have come together to start to develop a shared anti-colonial analysis. This solidarity and unity, on the anti-colonial front, is deeper and stronger now than it has been at any point in the last 10 years.

Native Youth Movement Statement: Natives Celebrate Olympic Failure

Native Youth Movement

Statement to the Universe

War for Land and Freedom continues…

Indigenous Peoples are celebrating Worldwide after claiming victory over the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Invaders were warned not to enter our Lands and now they are to blame for the “worst Olympic games ever”. For the first time there is no natural snow in the host Olympic city, which sits on un-surrendered Indigenous Territories. 20,000+ tickets had to be refunded after the cancellation of many events because of no snow. A Georgian lugers’ name now stands alongside Harriet Nahanee and millions of other life forms that were killed for the Olympics. The bad outcome can be seen as a small taste to what awaits any investors, companies or civilian invaders* who enter Indigenous Territories.

Why we must Fight

Indigenous Objectives

We fight for Land and Freedom. The struggle for our Lands and way of life remains the exact same as when Crazy Horse, Geronimo, Tecumseh and Tupac Amaru were alive. The only thing different is the minds, the physical reality is that another group of humans are still imposing their beliefs and will on our Indigenous Peoples and Lands at gunpoint. Our Lands are occupied by invaders, raped for profit, war, entertainment and human comfort. The invaders have not stolen our land, the land is still here, under concrete or not, it remains, and as long as we remain we will fight to expel all invaders who destroy or seek to destroy it.

Games Over! Resistance Lives!

Celebrating Unity & Solidarity

Sunday FEB 28th, 2010 at 1:00 PM
Smithe and Cambie

Followed by celebration at 4:30 pm of 2 weeks of dignity, hope and freedom at Olympic Tent Village. [info below on tent village]

Bring the NOISE! Pots, pans, drums and noisemakers welcome! Join us in a noisy public festival to celebrate our communities and our resistance. Just because the IOC says the games are over doesn’t mean it’s over.

Our struggles for justice as indigenous, migrant, poor, working class and queer communities existed before the olympic and paralympic games and will exist after. The games have also provided a spark that we hope will inspire all effected communities to bind together in our coming struggles to attain justice.

These were not the greenest games – they were the corporate greenwash games. They were not the socially responsible games – homelessness tripled as billions were spent on highways and convention centers for the rich. And these games occurred on un-ceded territories where the indigenous communities continue to be on the front lines defending lands from industrial expansion.

RIOT 2010!

Anti-Olympic Riots and Militant Actions Rock Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories

“We love athletics” —anarchist contestants for the 2010 Olympics

A report from our friends at crimethInc.

We’re pleased to bring you breaking news from Vancouver, where united indigenous and anarchist resistance has disrupted the capitalist and nationalist triumphalism at the opening of the Olympic Games.

The following report was collectively produced by several participants in this past weekend’s militant resistance to the 2010 Olympic games. This is not a full analysis of Olympic Resistance but rather an in-depth account of what just went down. For more background on why people are resisting these games, check no2010.com and olympicresistance.net.

Team Anarchy Wins Three Games Against Team Olympics

“So we went to a fight the other day and the Olympic games broke out.” – variation of popular Canadian hockey joke

By an independent commentator
Coast Salish Territory, Vancouver, Canada

From February 12th to 13th, 2010, Team Anarchy won three games against Team Olympics during the International Class War Championship Series in Vancouver. Team Indigenous Sovereignty also won three games against Team Olympics. The game times and outcome of the rest of the series are still to be determined but so far the Olympics have yet to win a game.

Team Anarchy started off strong on the 12th by successfully blocking the Olympic torch from coming to Commerical Drive at all. Earlier in the day Team Indigenous Sovereignty had blocked the torch from parts of the Downtown Eastside, Canada’s poorest neighborhood.

That night, another game was held, as thousands marched in protest against the Olympics. Team Indigenous Sovereignty had a strong presence at the front line, while Team Anarchy pushed against and allegedly injured two Team Olympics cops with projectiles.

In Defense of the Black Bloc: A Communique from Olympic Resisters

February 14th, 2010 – Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories

On February 12th and 13th, 2010, thousands of courageous individuals came together to resist the 2010 Olympic police state and to attack the corporations plundering the land and deepening poverty. We write this communique as participants in and organizers of the black bloc presence at these demonstrations, known as “Take Back Our City” and “2010 Heart Attack.”

On February 12th, the Vancouver Police Department pacified us with a force of mounted police. The next day during 2010 Heart Attack, they deployed riot police armed with M4 carbine assault rifles. They claim this was necessary in order to stop the march from “jeopardizing public safety” – yet the only threats to public safety were in their own hands. Participants in the demonstration only undertook strategic attacks against corporations sponsoring the Olympics and did not harm or attack bystanders.

2010 Olympic Resistance Gets Wild

On February 13, 2010 the Heart Attack March took to the streets of Vancouver aimed at blocking the vital transportation routes for the Winter Olympics, or as the organizers put it, “blocking the arteries of capitalism.” Protesters largely overwhelmed Vancouver police until riot squads moved in to suppress the demonstrators. The below video shows scenes from the day and talks to participants about what happened and why they were on the street.

no2010.com | olympicresistance.net | vancouver.mediacoop.ca | 2010.mediacoop.ca | submedia.tv | guerrillaunderground.ning.com

Olympics Riot 2010: Photos From the Frontlines *

Heart Attack Talk Back

From Beneath the Snow

Angry Bystander: “You don’t have the support of the public”
Calm Anarchist: “We are the public”

From yesterday’s anarchist presence in the “family friendly” Take Back Our City march directed against the Olympic opening ceremonies to this morning’s anarchist-organized Heart Attack directed at blocking road access to the first day of Olympic games, the anarchists and especially black bloc contingent have been a strong force of resistance here in the Unceded Coast Salish Territory. That’s often true at such convergences. What’s especially striking here, though, is how disciplined and strategically–even politically–effective they’ve been, and how much respect they’ve earned through their organizing efforts leading up to this point as well as their actions on the streets.

Click here to read the full report…

Couldn’t make it to Vancouver? Capitalism got ya’ down? Check out this list of Olympic corporate sponsors for targets you can strike almost anywhere, anytime… SOLIDARITY MEANS ATTACK!

Why oppose the Vancouver 2010 Olympics

Download

The Olympic Resistance Network has called for a convergence to protest the Vancouver Winter Olympics. This video explains some the reasons why these activists have organized the first ever anti-Olympic summit.

Join the forum discussion on this post

2010 Olympics – Call for Action

This is a call for an anti-colonial, anti-capitalist and anarchist bloc at the February 12th demo from the Vancouver Art Gallery to BC Place. This bloc is called in defiance of police and social repression that has become increasingly normalized; in struggle against the Olympics and its projects; and in continuation of a greater resistance against all forms of control.

We support family-friendly demonstrations and recognize that everyone has a different level of engagement – whether it be throwing slogans or throwing down. We support people’s decision to not partake in conflict, but let us make it clear that violence always comes from the cops. When repression comes down on those around us, we will act accordingly.

Our diversity – of tactics, of levels of engagement, of experience – should be our source of strength. We need to confront our opponents in many ways and from many angles. From direct action against corporate sponsors to postering campaigns, public meetings, protests, street actions and all other manifestations of resistance, we need it all.