Black T-Shirts Make Black Bloc Protesters Stand Out

Tuesday 29th of June 2010 04:32:42 PM

Black T-Shirts Make Black Bloc Protesters Stand Out

The G-20 is met in Toronto, Canada last week. Like most gatherings of economic policymakers, the event drew a crowd of protesters. The problem is that protesters used to be fairly quiet and would carry placards stating their cause as they walked in front of the building where the meeting is held. In the last couple of years though protests have taken on a new militancy.

If you watched the news, you might have heard about a group called the Black Bloc. This group of protesters wears black sweatshirts with hoods, black pants and masks. They blend into a loud noisy group of protestors, suddenly emerge and throw fire bombs or other dangerous items; set police vehicles on fire or damage structures; and then return to the crowd just as quickly. When returning to the crowd the militants take off their black clothes making it difficult for police to find them.

The Black Bloc group formed in 2009 and represents the increasing militancy of protestors and an increasing willingness to use violence. Most of the protesters were peaceful and did not realize their group had been infiltrated. The roving militants present a danger to other protesters just there to express their opinions.

The Toronto police were taken by surprise at the G-20 summit because they were not expecting the level of vicious planned violence that was displayed. By the end of the summit, all protesters wearing black t-shirts and other black clothes were being searched. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service knew that militant groups existed but they admit it was the intensity of the attacks that surprised them. Now they better understand the new trend in protesting and other countries hosting these summits will be better prepared. The Black Bloc is protesting capitalism and the economic damage they believe it has wreaked on the world.