0:00:00.441,0:00:03.370 So in terms of the specifics of the Heart Attack demonstration 0:00:03.370,0:00:06.293 and the black bloc in general during the Convergence, 0:00:06.293,0:00:09.376 um, i do think, you know, one of the points that people have made 0:00:09.376,0:00:12.846 is that sometimes there are tactics that undermine other tactics. 0:00:12.846,0:00:15.482 And i think what was really specific about this convergence, 0:00:15.482,0:00:18.819 which is why i would argue Feb 13th was successful, 0:00:18.819,0:00:23.891 is the fact that the black bloc has been in commuication with the entire, 0:00:23.891,0:00:26.460 organizers of the entire Convergence. 0:00:26.460,0:00:27.528 Feb 12th, as people know, 0:00:27.528,0:00:32.499 was explicitly called as an action that was inclusive. 0:00:32.499,0:00:36.525 And in Feb 12th, lets not forget, black bloc was present. 0:00:36.525,0:00:40.507 Let's not forget, black bloc members were present in the Feb 14th Memorial March; 0:00:40.507,0:00:44.378 let's not forget as i mentioned the black bloc is present at Tent City, 0:00:44.378,0:00:46.146 has been present in every action. 0:00:46.146,0:00:47.748 And for those of us who are involved in organizing, 0:00:48.699,0:00:49.650 we know this. 0:00:49.650,0:00:51.685 We know this because we're the organizers. 0:00:51.685,0:00:53.520 We know this because we're in communication, 0:00:53.520,0:00:55.389 and therefore, you know, 0:00:55.389,0:00:56.156 including the Memorial March, 0:00:56.156,0:00:57.824 because a lot of people have, um, 0:00:57.824,0:00:59.793 have strategically kind of used the Memorial March 0:00:59.793,0:01:03.931 to say that "oh, you know, people are worried about the black bloc infiltrating the Memorial March". 0:01:03.931,0:01:05.829 im an organizer of the Memorial March, 0:01:05.829,0:01:07.334 and i can say as a member of the Memorial March Committee, 0:01:07.334,0:01:12.274 we have never had isues with the black bloc being present at the Memorial March. 0:01:12.274,0:01:16.243 The only issues in fact, for those who are are gaurdians here all know, 0:01:16.243,0:01:18.846 explicitly in our Gaurdian sheet, 0:01:18.846,0:01:22.049 we explicitly mention that if there was going to be any concerns about violence 0:01:22.049,0:01:23.851 it will come from police provocateurs, 0:01:23.851,0:01:25.719 and not from our allies in the bloc 0:01:25.719,0:01:28.455 who knew and respected the protocol of the Memorial March, 0:01:28.455,0:01:30.490 including not wearing face masks. 0:01:30.490,0:01:33.460 So in terms of the thoughtfulness of the Heart Attack demonstration, 0:01:33.460,0:01:36.930 um, i want to reiterate that there was many conversations, 0:01:36.930,0:01:38.476 and many commitments made 0:01:38.476,0:01:40.968 to respect the other days of action. 0:01:40.968,0:01:45.105 The front line on February 12th, was held by indigenous Elders 0:01:45.105,0:01:46.473 with 2 contingents behind them, 0:01:46.473,0:01:48.876 one of which was the No One Is Illegal / Canada Is Illegal contingent, 0:01:48.876,0:01:51.411 and the contingent next to it, which was the black bloc. 0:01:51.411,0:01:54.548 All of this was in consultation with the 2010 Welcoming Committee. 0:01:54.548,0:01:57.684 The organizers of that demonstration knew this. 0:01:57.684,0:02:00.721 When the black bloc took the front line on February 12th, 0:02:00.721,0:02:03.056 THAT happened in consultation with the Elders, 0:02:03.056,0:02:06.572 two of whom explicitly told us that they were gonna go to the back 0:02:06.572,0:02:09.830 so the black bloc could take the front line and push through the police line. 0:02:09.830,0:02:11.832 So before we start you know, talking about what Elders want, 0:02:11.832,0:02:17.256 let's remember they explicitly asked for the black bloc to come to the front line. 0:02:20.783,0:02:23.944 Um, in terms of, in terms of Feb 13th, 0:02:23.944,0:02:27.281 and this idea that people were somehow endangered on February 13th, 0:02:27.281,0:02:31.232 February 13th was explicitly called as a diversity of tactics. 0:02:31.232,0:02:34.588 Everyone in the movement knows what a diversity of tactics means, 0:02:34.588,0:02:37.891 and when you go out on the street you know what you are engaging in. 0:02:37.891,0:02:39.393 As far as i know, like i said, 0:02:39.393,0:02:41.228 as someone who marched on February 13th, 0:02:41.228,0:02:44.798 unmasked, in solidarity with black bloc allies, 0:02:44.798,0:02:47.067 i did not feel endangered. 0:02:47.067,0:02:50.604 i cant speak for everyone else, but i can speak for myself, that i was happy to be there, 0:02:50.604,0:02:54.080 and i was happy to see the black bloc doing their thing. 0:02:54.080,0:02:59.112 um, in terms of the actual demonstration on the 13th, 0:02:59.112,0:03:00.981 there was various spokescouncils, 0:03:00.981,0:03:03.275 some of which were publicly announced, 0:03:03.275,0:03:06.453 for anyone who was interested in getting information about what the 13th would involve. 0:03:06.453,0:03:10.090 There was public meetings and public consultations 0:03:10.090,0:03:11.425 --well, consultations is not the right word-- 0:03:11.425,0:03:15.729 but public spokescouncils, which shared information about what people could expect 0:03:15.729,0:03:16.997 about the 13th. 0:03:16.997,0:03:21.835 So anyone who wanted to find out that information was able to do that. 0:03:21.835,0:03:23.937 Um, there was explanation of "green zones". 0:03:23.937,0:03:26.473 There was "green zones" within the February 13th, 0:03:26.473,0:03:30.489 and again, at no point did i see the black bloc trying 0:03:30.489,0:03:33.180 to hide under the cover of other "peaceful protesters". 0:03:33.180,0:03:35.549 We were out on the streets knowing what would happen, 0:03:35.549,0:03:39.553 and thousands of people were not at risk on February 13th. 0:03:39.553,0:03:40.854 And i think thats important to reiterate, 0:03:40.854,0:03:44.424 because the people who were actually arrested on February 13th 0:03:44.424,0:03:48.764 have not denounced the black bloc, so why are other people doing that? 0:03:54.935,0:03:58.105 Um, 5th point [laughing] only half way through... 0:03:58.105,0:03:59.640 This'll go faster... 0:03:59.640,0:04:03.477 The argument that the bloc is succeptible to police provocateurs. 0:04:03.477,0:04:07.314 The entire movement is succeptible to police provocateurs. 0:04:07.314,0:04:09.249 There's probably provocateurs in this meeting, 0:04:09.249,0:04:10.350 there's informants in this meeting, 0:04:10.350,0:04:13.724 and the actual police provocateurs who were outed 0:04:13.724,0:04:15.989 were again, as Derrick mentioned, on February 12th, 0:04:15.989,0:04:19.760 um, and those were police provocateurs who were posing as journalists. 0:04:19.760,0:04:23.030 So in my opinion, the idea that the bloc should not be masked 0:04:23.030,0:04:25.599 because that will make them more succeptible to police provocateurs 0:04:25.599,0:04:28.335 um, isnt true. 0:04:28.335,0:04:32.072 And also, uh, a very clear example is what happened in Montebelo, 0:04:32.072,0:04:37.845 which is that when police provocateurs, um, presented themselves as the black bloc, 0:04:37.845,0:04:40.848 they were first outed by the black bloc. 0:04:44.151,0:04:45.719 Um, 6th point: 0:04:45.719,0:04:48.021 Whether the black bloc tactic is effective? 0:04:48.021,0:04:52.826 And i think a lot of the, um, the debate seems to focus around this idea of effectiveness, 0:04:52.826,0:04:56.496 um, and i hope my earlier points kind of build on this point, 0:04:56.496,0:05:00.200 which is the black bloc tactic cannot be judged in and of itself, right? 0:05:00.200,0:05:04.137 Like any other mass movement, as Derrick mentioned, 0:05:04.137,0:05:07.307 you know, we have to gauge them as a longterm campaign. 0:05:07.307,0:05:09.109 So if we're going to talk about the black bloc tactic, 0:05:09.109,0:05:13.714 we have to talk about the black bloc tactic as part of the anti-olympics convergence, 0:05:13.714,0:05:16.083 as part of the anti olympics movement, 0:05:16.083,0:05:18.185 and in my opinion you cant separate those things, 0:05:18.185,0:05:21.288 and as far as i know the anti-olympic movement as a whole, 0:05:21.288,0:05:22.823 including all of its parts, 0:05:22.823,0:05:24.830 has been very successful. 0:05:26.927,0:05:29.630 Um, in terms of the black bloc tactic in and of itself, 0:05:29.630,0:05:30.998 if we are to separate it out, 0:05:30.998,0:05:34.268 i would argue that it has been effective for several reasons. 0:05:34.268,0:05:38.199 Um, the 1st is that the black bloc tactic 0:05:38.199,0:05:40.641 does actually help build mass movements, 0:05:40.641,0:05:46.547 counter to kind of this idea that the black bloc movement marginalizes mass movements. 0:05:46.547,0:05:48.787 And i think that happens in several ways. 0:05:48.787,0:05:51.852 The first is, is that there is no monopoly on the mass movement. 0:05:51.852,0:05:57.357 There are a lot of people who dont engage in what is kind of the monoculture of the mass movement 0:05:57.357,0:05:58.892 in symbolic protest, 0:05:58.892,0:06:02.362 who find direct action to be very empowering, 0:06:02.362,0:06:05.265 and from that perspective the black bloc is growing, 0:06:05.265,0:06:10.204 and therefore the black bloc as part of the movement is helping the movement grow. 0:06:10.204,0:06:14.908 Um, second of all, corporate sponsors, in my experience in the past 6 years 0:06:14.908,0:06:17.344 of anti olympic organizing, 0:06:17.344,0:06:20.447 corporate sponsors have only been mentioned in mainstream media 0:06:20.447,0:06:24.318 when there has been insurrectionary attacks on them. 0:06:24.318,0:06:28.021 And a lot of these have happened in Ottawa in particular, and Montreal. 0:06:28.021,0:06:31.825 So in terms of effectiveness, the only times that ive seen Hudson's Bay Company 0:06:31.825,0:06:38.098 and Royal Bank mentioned and involved in the direct kind of, um, olympic industry, 0:06:38.098,0:06:41.201 has been when they have taken a hit. 0:06:41.201,0:06:43.804 Um, and i think thats, thats the reality. 0:06:43.804,0:06:48.462 Theres been no other times when those corporations have been held responsible 0:06:48.462,0:06:52.279 in a public way, other than when they have taken a hit. 0:06:52.279,0:06:56.617 Um, in terms of whether the black bloc tactic of smashing windows 0:06:56.617,0:06:59.720 is simply symbolic, and gains nothing, 0:06:59.720,0:07:01.388 well again back to the earlier point. 0:07:01.388,0:07:03.557 A whole lot of our protests are often symbolic, 0:07:03.557,0:07:05.792 so we can sit here and have a back and forth 0:07:05.792,0:07:08.795 about whether it's simply symbolic or effective, 0:07:08.795,0:07:10.264 but as part of a larger movement, 0:07:10.264,0:07:12.733 its certainly effective. 0:07:12.733,0:07:15.836 Um, i would also argue two other points, 0:07:15.836,0:07:21.842 which is that black bloc tactics actually help open up space for more mainstream tactics 0:07:21.842,0:07:23.710 to take place. 0:07:23.710,0:07:25.661 And thats something that i cannot emphasize enough. 0:07:25.661,0:07:28.115 i would argue that the success of the Memorial March 0:07:28.115,0:07:29.933 and the success of the Tent City 0:07:29.933,0:07:33.554 at least in part was due to Saturday Feb 13th, 0:07:33.554,0:07:36.123 and the reason for that is several-fold: 0:07:36.123,0:07:40.561 one, is that law enforcement, because they create a good protestor / bad protestor divide 0:07:40.561,0:07:43.630 have been largely absent from the Tent City, 0:07:43.630,0:07:46.066 because they know, and they wanna play up the idea 0:07:46.066,0:07:51.471 that Feb 13th is the bad proestors, and we're gonna let these other spaces go. 0:07:51.471,0:07:53.173 Um, and so i can without a doubt say 0:07:53.173,0:07:54.441 one of the successes of the Tent Village 0:07:54.441,0:07:57.054 has been the fact that Saturday Feb 13th 0:07:57.054,0:08:00.314 opened up a space for that to happen. 0:08:00.314,0:08:06.019 Um, also, yknow, the idea that we've lost credibility in mainstream media? 0:08:06.019,0:08:09.890 Um, part of, for what thats worth, 0:08:09.890,0:08:11.191 not that we ever had any to begin with, 0:08:11.191,0:08:14.928 but for what it's worth, the mainstream media 0:08:14.928,0:08:17.364 plays into the good protestor / bad protestor, 0:08:17.364,0:08:21.110 and again, part of the reason the Tent Village has gotten positive mainstream media 0:08:21.110,0:08:24.004 i their own spin, not our spin, but their own spin, 0:08:24.004,0:08:28.275 that this is a "peaceful tent village that should be defended and should be supported". 0:08:28.275,0:08:32.913 So i would argue that black bloc tactics abolutely do help build a broader movement 0:08:32.913,0:08:37.184 and absolutely do help build a space for various other tactics to take place, 0:08:37.184,0:08:39.643 and they dont exist in isolation of them.