0:00:14.381,0:00:15.682 my names Harsha, 0:00:15.682,0:00:17.508 um, id like to start by acknowledging we're gathered here 0:00:17.508,0:00:19.620 on unceded occupied Coast Salish Territory, 0:00:19.620,0:00:22.589 Burrard, Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Sḵwxwú7mesh land. 0:00:22.589,0:00:26.193 And thank you to the organizers for hosting this discussion. 0:00:26.193,0:00:28.996 Um, i have to admit, in terms of this debate, 0:00:28.996,0:00:30.264 i know its been going on for a week, 0:00:30.264,0:00:32.733 but ive only just read all the facebook mesages, 0:00:32.733,0:00:35.991 and all the emails that are floating around this morning, 0:00:35.991,0:00:37.604 as i was trying to prepare my thoughts, 0:00:37.604,0:00:41.808 so im really frustrated and really angry to be quite honest. 0:00:41.808,0:00:48.182 Um, and im not gonna be kind of engaging in esoteric generalizations about diversity of tactics, 0:00:48.182,0:00:51.652 because i think just that very starting point is problematic, 0:00:51.652,0:00:53.187 and ill explain why. 0:00:53.187,0:00:55.322 So ill try to be as specific as possible, 0:00:55.322,0:00:57.925 um, about what happened on saturday, 0:00:57.925,0:01:00.961 um, and what the organizing of that looked like, 0:01:00.961,0:01:02.663 so that we can be as specific as possible 0:01:02.663,0:01:04.665 rather than generally making you know 0:01:04.665,0:01:07.734 huge generalizations about diversity of tactics. 0:01:07.734,0:01:10.914 Um, i want to locate myself within this dialogue first. 0:01:10.914,0:01:12.506 i dont personally engage in black bloc tactics, 0:01:12.506,0:01:14.208 but as a long time community organizer 0:01:14.208,0:01:15.642 and as a woman of colour 0:01:15.642,0:01:19.580 i want to stand in full and firm support of diversity of tactics, 0:01:19.580,0:01:21.381 and in solidarity with those who do, 0:01:21.381,0:01:25.085 and particularly those who are facing police repression, 0:01:25.085,0:01:27.321 um, during this time. 0:01:27.321,0:01:30.836 i did march on february 13th, um, in the Heart Attack demonstration, 0:01:30.836,0:01:32.326 with other members of No One Is Illegal, 0:01:32.326,0:01:35.495 which as people know is a collective of predominantly people of colour, 0:01:35.495,0:01:37.898 and non biologically male identified members, 0:01:37.898,0:01:40.601 and in communication with other affinity groups, 0:01:40.601,0:01:42.603 which included the Indigenous Environmental Network, 0:01:42.603,0:01:44.705 some Downtown Eastside elders, 0:01:44.705,0:01:46.069 the Pink Clowns, 0:01:46.069,0:01:47.107 two members of whom were arrested, 0:01:47.107,0:01:49.443 and StopWar.ca 0:01:49.443,0:01:51.879 While i cannot speak for the personal motivations and intentions 0:01:51.879,0:01:53.347 of those who engage in black bloc tactics, 0:01:53.347,0:01:56.483 i think the distance that i do have from those tactics 0:01:56.483,0:01:59.052 is somewhat useful in this debate. 0:01:59.052,0:02:00.053 Firstly because theres this idea 0:02:00.053,0:02:03.669 that only those who engage in black bloc actions support black bloc tactics. 0:02:03.669,0:02:06.260 And this is an attempt to marginalize and isolate our comrades, 0:02:06.260,0:02:10.430 which i hope my presence and the presence of others here will counter. 0:02:10.430,0:02:12.533 Secondly, theres a dichotomy that is being created between 0:02:12.533,0:02:16.803 so-called community day-to-day organizing, and insurrectionary actions. 0:02:16.803,0:02:20.307 Critics of this past saturday have made false digs about the lack of organizing 0:02:20.307,0:02:23.010 and commitment to movement-building by anarchists. 0:02:23.010,0:02:24.878 i am a self-identified anarchist. 0:02:24.878,0:02:26.146 There are countless examples, 0:02:26.146,0:02:29.116 but one that i will provide that is current is the Olympic Tent Village 0:02:29.116,0:02:32.886 because its being thrown around a whole lot in the context of this debate. 0:02:32.886,0:02:36.690 Um, as people know, the Olympic Tent Village is happening right now at 58 West Hastings, 0:02:36.690,0:02:40.360 on a Concord Pacific lot thats currently being leased out by VANOC. 0:02:40.360,0:02:44.398 And a anarchist, self-identified anarchist, members who engage in black bloc actions 0:02:44.398,0:02:45.883 have put in countless hours. 0:02:45.883,0:02:48.669 And by countless hours, i mean 16 hour days, 0:02:48.669,0:02:51.405 to contribute to the tent village. 0:02:51.405,0:02:53.640 That includes graveyard shifts to do security, 0:02:53.640,0:02:55.976 and this might, um, be a surprise to someone, 0:02:55.976,0:02:58.245 but that includes de-escalation with law enforcement, 0:02:58.245,0:03:01.394 which the black bloc is completely capable of doing; 0:03:01.394,0:03:04.218 construction, cooking, and cleanup of the site, 0:03:04.218,0:03:07.287 under the leadership of DTES residents and elders. 0:03:07.287,0:03:09.423 So i want to take a moment here to thank everyone, 0:03:09.423,0:03:13.427 particularly black bloc, and black bloc identified anarchists 0:03:13.427,0:03:16.869 who are supporting the DTES tent village. 0:03:20.601,0:03:23.732 As someone who is on the site over 20 hours a day, 0:03:23.732,0:03:26.425 i can say that sadly the same cannot be said to be true 0:03:26.425,0:03:28.809 of those who appear to be strategically utilizing actions like the tent city 0:03:28.809,0:03:31.430 and debates about movement-building. 0:03:35.899,0:03:37.050 Finally, one of the -- 0:03:37.050,0:03:38.585 im talking generally here-- 0:03:38.585,0:03:41.121 finally, one of the criticisms of the black bloc tactic 0:03:41.121,0:03:43.490 is that it is undertaken by predominantly white males 0:03:43.490,0:03:45.025 and therefore inherently oppressive, 0:03:45.025,0:03:46.827 is inherently opporessive to women of colour, 0:03:46.827,0:03:48.762 and indigenous women in particular. 0:03:48.762,0:03:51.565 As a woman of colour with a myriad of precarious systemic barriers 0:03:51.565,0:03:53.400 including legal status and health, 0:03:53.400,0:03:54.535 and i can only speak for myself, 0:03:54.535,0:03:58.005 but i can say that the black bloc tactic does not in itself oppress me, 0:03:58.005,0:04:00.741 or render me more vulnerable in protests. 0:04:00.741,0:04:04.144 So id appreciate it if other white men did not make such pronouncements on my behalf, 0:04:04.144,0:04:08.248 or decide what would keep me safe. 0:04:08.248,0:04:09.383 And perhaps instead they can focus 0:04:09.383,0:04:13.854 on their own organizational and personal patterns of dominance and privilege. 0:04:13.854,0:04:15.489 So that being said, i want to make 10 quick points 0:04:15.489,0:04:18.225 on the black bloc. 0:04:18.225,0:04:20.714 First of all, the black bloc is a tactic. 0:04:20.714,0:04:23.639 Like any other tactic, it cannot be judged in itself, 0:04:23.639,0:04:26.900 but can only be judged as part of a spectrum of a much broader movement, 0:04:26.900,0:04:30.637 and as part of a spectrum of tactics that we all engage in. 0:04:30.637,0:04:33.307 Um, the black bloc has various utilities, 0:04:33.307,0:04:35.509 both defensive and offensive. 0:04:35.509,0:04:37.044 I think one point thats often missed, 0:04:37.044,0:04:41.381 is the defensive strategies around the black bloc. 0:04:41.381,0:04:45.385 As people know, a lot of black bloc activity which predates the Heart Attack action, 0:04:45.385,0:04:48.222 going back to the '70's and '80's in Europe, 0:04:48.222,0:04:52.664 includes really important actions including de-arresting comrades, 0:04:52.664,0:04:56.396 and the very basic principle of "no comrade left behind", 0:04:56.396,0:05:00.652 that we do not leave people in the police lines 0:05:00.652,0:05:01.468 and decide to flee, 0:05:01.468,0:05:03.971 and for that the black bloc is deeply courageous, 0:05:03.971,0:05:07.140 and i think the idea that they are simply testosterone driven, 0:05:07.140,0:05:10.711 um, is a smear tactic that i dont think we can buy into, 0:05:10.711,0:05:12.346 because from my perspective, 0:05:12.346,0:05:16.395 whether or not i choose to engage in black bloc actions and black bloc activities, 0:05:16.395,0:05:19.089 the fact that there are comrades who are willing to stand in the front lines, 0:05:19.089,0:05:25.669 and defend other comrades is deeply courageous and absolutely demands our support. 0:05:28.562,0:05:31.131 In terms of issues, just realted to that, 0:05:31.131,0:05:34.735 i want to quote Barbara Eherenheich, 0:05:34.735,0:05:37.771 who suggests that one of the biggest utilities of the black bloc 0:05:37.771,0:05:42.409 is it really "breaks the heavily ritualized nature of modern civil disobedience". 0:05:42.409,0:05:45.913 And when we talk about tactics, 0:05:45.913,0:05:50.317 we have to be able to gauge black bloc tactic amongst many other tactics. 0:05:50.317,0:05:53.320 So the fact that other tactics may or may not be more effective 0:05:53.320,0:05:57.758 does not in itself render the black bloc tactic any less effective. 0:05:57.758,0:05:59.493 I think thats important to state. 0:05:59.493,0:06:03.163 Um, because its all been reduced to whether window smashing is effective or not, 0:06:03.163,0:06:06.200 and i think that as a starting point is fundamentally problematic 0:06:06.200,0:06:08.869 because this movement is about more than window breaking, 0:06:08.869,0:06:11.859 and is also about window breaking. 0:06:14.775,0:06:18.879 In terms of the protest tactic of the black bloc, 0:06:18.879,0:06:21.148 um, i want to touch on a second point, 0:06:21.148,0:06:24.551 or sorry, i want to finish on that point in terms of the black bloc tactic and the mask, 0:06:24.551,0:06:26.320 because Derrick brought up specifically 0:06:26.320,0:06:28.555 a point of anonymity. 0:06:28.555,0:06:30.324 And i think that the fact that people are anonymous 0:06:30.324,0:06:34.494 in not simply,um, unique to the black bloc, 0:06:34.494,0:06:36.597 as we know, people don masks around the world, 0:06:36.597,0:06:39.900 probably the most romanticized of which is the Zapatistas, 0:06:39.900,0:06:44.204 um, yknow, and if we're going to be able to have solidarity with global struggles, 0:06:44.204,0:06:48.976 we have to understand that the reasons for wearing a mask are the same, 0:06:48.976,0:06:51.178 whether its in Chiapas, in Palestine, 0:06:51.178,0:06:52.813 or its the black bloc on our streets. 0:06:52.813,0:06:55.449 State surveillance, and state policing 0:06:55.449,0:06:57.317 particularly in the context of the olympics, 0:06:57.317,0:07:01.628 where people have had visits by the vancouver integrated security unit, 0:07:01.628,0:07:03.957 means that people need to protect themselves. 0:07:03.957,0:07:06.126 To me, the black bloc is not anonymous, 0:07:06.126,0:07:07.327 it's a tactic, 0:07:07.327,0:07:09.530 and the members of the black bloc are people that are known to me, 0:07:09.530,0:07:11.098 if people want to come down to tent village, 0:07:11.098,0:07:13.382 youll prbably meet many of them. 0:07:14.334,0:07:18.505 Um, my 2nd point that i want to make in terms of the black bloc, 0:07:18.505,0:07:21.175 and i wont spend much time on it, cuz i dont think theres much debate here, 0:07:21.175,0:07:24.945 and that is if the black bloc engages in violent tactics. 0:07:24.945,0:07:27.948 and you know, the only response ir eally care to make to that, 0:07:27.948,0:07:31.151 is that we're asking the wrong side the question about violence. 0:07:31.151,0:07:33.287 If we're going to talk about violence, 0:07:33.287,0:07:35.622 we need to be talking about corporate sponsors, 0:07:35.622,0:07:37.024 we need to be talking about the state, 0:07:37.024,0:07:38.458 we need to be talking about the military, 0:07:38.458,0:07:40.160 we need to be talking about the police 0:07:40.160,0:07:43.630 who daily commit violence on people. 0:07:43.630,0:07:46.433 As far as we know, not a single individual, and not a single animal 0:07:46.433,0:07:49.925 has been harmed in black bloc tactics. 0:07:49.925,0:07:52.739 What has been harmed is lifeless windows. 0:07:52.739,0:07:53.740 Ok? 0:07:53.740,0:07:56.310 So lets be very clear about what we talk about violence 0:07:56.310,0:08:00.247 before we start to perpetuate mainstream media rhetoric about violence, 0:08:00.247,0:08:04.906 and play into and feed into our enemys rhetoric. 0:08:05.808,0:08:08.255 The 3rd point, and ive already talked about this, 0:08:08.255,0:08:11.925 and that is that all tactics should be judged from the same starting point. 0:08:11.925,0:08:14.561 And i think this is for me the crux of the argument. 0:08:14.561,0:08:20.234 For me, its not that black bloc tactics in specific contexts are immune from criticism. 0:08:20.234,0:08:23.504 If people have criticisms about the 13th that are involved in organizing-- 0:08:23.504,0:08:26.604 i need water, im really worked up-- 0:08:30.410,0:08:32.379 If people have criticisms about the 13th, 0:08:32.379,0:08:34.548 then lets talk about specific criticisms, 0:08:34.548,0:08:35.967 but all that we have seen 0:08:35.967,0:08:40.153 is a general denunciation of property destruction. 0:08:40.153,0:08:43.935 And as far as im concerned every tactic is immune to criticism, 0:08:43.935,0:08:45.559 that includes if we're gonna have mass rallies, 0:08:45.559,0:08:47.494 where politicians are given a free stage to speak, 0:08:47.494,0:08:52.966 despite their daily obscenities and the daily violence that politicians in this government 0:08:52.966,0:08:54.701 are responsible for. 0:08:54.701,0:08:59.973 We can talk about the fact that, you know, symbolic rallies once a year are equally ineffective. 0:08:59.973,0:09:01.441 So if we're going to talk about ineffectiveness, 0:09:01.441,0:09:08.023 we need to be able to have the same starting point for every single tactic. 0:09:09.316,0:09:10.717 And from everything that ive seen, 0:09:11.517,0:09:13.564 we dont have these debates. 0:09:13.564,0:09:14.388 im thankful for this debate, 0:09:14.388,0:09:16.890 but the next time that theres a rally at the vancovuer art gallery 0:09:16.890,0:09:18.859 appealing for a national housing strategy, 0:09:18.859,0:09:21.128 lets talk about its effectiveness, right? 0:09:21.128,0:09:24.029 Lets not condemn it, let's talk about its effectiveness. 0:09:25.499,0:09:27.067 And i think thats important to state, 0:09:27.067,0:09:30.537 because everything that is happening in terms of denouncing black bloc tactics 0:09:30.537,0:09:34.608 relies on simplistic characatures about what it means. 0:09:34.608,0:09:38.645 All it relies on is these characatures of white, young, males who are hooded in black 0:09:38.645,0:09:40.647 and go around and smash shit. 0:09:40.647,0:09:42.749 And black bloc tactics is so much more than that, 0:09:42.749,0:09:46.153 this is a strategy that is part of a movement. 0:09:46.153,0:09:49.389 Um, and we cant romanticize or generalize either way, right? 0:09:49.389,0:09:50.290 So tactics can be effective, 0:09:50.290,0:09:51.291 they can be ineffective, 0:09:51.291,0:09:53.245 but inherently they are neither.