Return to Video

Black Bloc Tactics - 10 Quick Points! (3 of 3)

  • 0:01 - 0:02
    A point on the mass movement,
  • 0:02 - 0:03
    and this is kind of an obvious one,
  • 0:03 - 0:06
    beyond that, i dont think building a mass movement is always the gauge
  • 0:06 - 0:08
    of the success of a tactic.
  • 0:08 - 0:11
    If that was the case, indigenous blockades would not be happening,
  • 0:11 - 0:12
    because we'd have to wait for every single canadian
  • 0:12 - 0:14
    to denounce canadian patriotism
  • 0:14 - 0:17
    and canadian nationalism.
  • 0:17 - 0:19
    Direct action happens because there is a need for it.
  • 0:19 - 0:22
    Direct action happens because people are fighting back.
  • 0:22 - 0:26
    And we're not waiting millions of people to stand beside us for the revolution to happen.
  • 0:32 - 0:34
    In terms of, um, 2 more points,
  • 0:34 - 0:36
    im really sorry.
  • 0:36 - 0:37
    2 more points.
  • 0:37 - 0:38
    In terms of the media and law enforcement,
  • 0:38 - 0:40
    this is probably a really obvious point,
  • 0:40 - 0:43
    but we cannot let them mediate our debates.
  • 0:43 - 0:44
    This should be really obvious,
  • 0:44 - 0:46
    but the media and law enforcement cannot,
  • 0:46 - 0:48
    cannot dictate the terms of our debates.
  • 0:48 - 0:49
    And most of what i have seen
  • 0:49 - 0:51
    is this idea that we have been denounced in the media,
  • 0:51 - 0:54
    and therefore we have lost our credibility
  • 0:54 - 0:55
    because of the media.
  • 0:55 - 0:58
    As far as im concerned the media was never on our side,
  • 0:58 - 1:01
    the media is not the gauge of the success of our protests,
  • 1:01 - 1:04
    and the corporate media and the police should not be let off the hook
  • 1:04 - 1:07
    by us replicating their smears,
  • 1:07 - 1:09
    by us replicating their denunciations.
  • 1:09 - 1:11
    Instead, we should be very very clear,
  • 1:11 - 1:16
    and we should have some more nuance than denouncing our comrades as violent.
  • 1:19 - 1:22
    And the fact that, the fact that the media is not picking up
  • 1:22 - 1:26
    on why theres property destruction against the Hudson's Bay Company
  • 1:26 - 1:29
    is not the fault of the black bloc.
  • 1:29 - 1:30
    Let's be clear, ok?
  • 1:30 - 1:35
    The media has not picked up for 7 years on why people are protesting the olympics.
  • 1:35 - 1:38
    So let's, yknow, before we're going to start denouncing our comrades,
  • 1:38 - 1:41
    let's be clear about who our allies are,
  • 1:41 - 1:42
    and who our enemies are.
  • 1:42 - 1:45
    Um, in terms of the fact that the black bloc, um,
  • 1:45 - 1:47
    reinforces and legitimizes the police state,
  • 1:47 - 1:51
    the resistance will legitimize the police state.
  • 1:51 - 1:52
    And if that argument is going to be used,
  • 1:52 - 1:54
    then we may as well never be on the streets.
  • 1:54 - 1:59
    Um, you know, so to me that kind of argument is a false one.
  • 1:59 - 2:02
    Because the police state justifies itself.
  • 2:02 - 2:03
    We cannot hold our allies accountable
  • 2:03 - 2:08
    for the increased police brutality and the increased visits from VISU we may get.
  • 2:08 - 2:09
    Final point.
  • 2:09 - 2:11
    Solidarity does not equal censorship, folks,
  • 2:11 - 2:17
    Um, so, as far as im concerned i dont think that anyone who engages in black bloc tactics
  • 2:17 - 2:19
    or supports them
  • 2:19 - 2:21
    is asking for our allies to censor themselves.
  • 2:21 - 2:22
    What i am asking for
  • 2:22 - 2:25
    is for people to not have facebook comments like
  • 2:25 - 2:28
    "silly black bloc" or "fuck the police and fuck diversity of tactics".
  • 2:28 - 2:32
    We can emphasize communication between our allies.
  • 2:32 - 2:33
    And as far as i know,
  • 2:33 - 2:35
    i have never seen comments
  • 2:35 - 2:39
    --and im using facebook as a gauge, because thats my only gauge as of this morning
  • 2:39 - 2:41
    about these debates--
  • 2:41 - 2:43
    i have never seen comments coming from any other allies,
  • 2:43 - 2:45
    including radical allies
  • 2:45 - 2:46
    denouncing other peoples rallies.
  • 2:46 - 2:49
    i have never seen people denounce, you know,
  • 2:49 - 2:55
    "why is Svend Robinson or Libby Davies or you know Jenny Kwan speaking at rallies?"
  • 2:55 - 2:57
    Thats never happened, and ive never seen it on facebook so,
  • 2:57 - 3:02
    if we're gonna talk about some kind of equality of how we want to treat each other with respect?
  • 3:02 - 3:04
    Then lets do that.
  • 3:04 - 3:06
    Lets not denounce people publicly.
  • 3:06 - 3:09
    Lets not denounce people in vague generalizations.
  • 3:09 - 3:11
    Let's have a commitment to dialogue.
  • 3:11 - 3:15
    Let's have a commitment to doing so, um, in person.
  • 3:15 - 3:19
    So this idea that somehow um the black bloc are the ones running around denouncing people
  • 3:19 - 3:22
    i havent seent that in my experience in vancouver in 7 years,
  • 3:22 - 3:25
    but i have this week seen it going the other way around.
  • 3:25 - 3:28
    Um, i think i wanna end,
  • 3:28 - 3:32
    i unfortunately dont have permission to read this poem,
  • 3:32 - 3:36
    but i hope if Cynthia sees this on tv or otherwise, um, is out there,
  • 3:36 - 3:42
    she wont mind, because, theres nothing more that i can say.
  • 3:42 - 3:45
    And this is from a good friend, um, and a dear sister who wrote a poem,
  • 3:45 - 3:50
    and ill only read --yay! she's right here!!--
  • 3:50 - 3:55
    in honour of anti-olympic comrades of the Heart Attack action of Feb 13, these are excerpts:
  • 3:55 - 3:56
    "We are real
  • 3:56 - 3:58
    these arms they do break
  • 3:58 - 3:59
    these throats they do get parched
  • 3:59 - 4:01
    these legs they do crumble
  • 4:01 - 4:03
    these hearts they do beat
  • 4:03 - 4:04
    we do laugh
  • 4:04 - 4:05
    we do love
  • 4:05 - 4:06
    we do bleed
  • 4:06 - 4:07
    we are afraid
  • 4:07 - 4:07
    we are brave
  • 4:07 - 4:08
    we do press on
  • 4:08 - 4:10
    and are born every morning
  • 4:10 - 4:11
    thankful for the sun
  • 4:11 - 4:12
    we will not forget
  • 4:12 - 4:13
    nor abandon ourselves
  • 4:13 - 4:15
    in the face of riot gear
  • 4:15 - 4:16
    fortified condos
  • 4:16 - 4:18
    and the ambitions of the rich
  • 4:18 - 4:19
    those who would rather be assets
  • 4:19 - 4:21
    than members of a people
  • 4:21 - 4:22
    we are more than collateral
  • 4:22 - 4:26
    we will not build a pyre for our sisters and brothers to burn
  • 4:26 - 4:28
    we will not glorify our own ashes
  • 4:28 - 4:29
    we will plant trees
  • 4:29 - 4:30
    and build homes
  • 4:30 - 4:31
    and tell our stories
  • 4:31 - 4:32
    we are here
  • 4:32 - 4:34
    and we are not going anywhere"
  • 4:34 - 4:35
    Thank you.
  • 4:35 - 4:38
    [applause]
Title:
Black Bloc Tactics - 10 Quick Points! (3 of 3)
Description:

(3 of 3) No One is Illegal's Harsha Walia speaks about the diversity of tactics strategy and the black bloc tactic (10 Quick Points!) and experiences of the tactic in the context of 2010 Olympics resistance, Heart Attack.
more » « less
Video Language:
English
Duration:
05:22
Radical Access Mapping Project added a translation

English subtitles

Revisions

Our website uses cookies for analysis purposes.