This is a spin-off from yesterday’s discussion of the continuing Black Block (also Black Bloc) disruption of the G20.

A quick online self-education shows the following to be likely true about the Anarchist Ninjoids:

Black Block is not an organization or movement, it is a favored tactic used by loosely-communicating organizations at the anarchist Left end of the spectrum. That is, BB isn’t the like Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee, it is like the sit-in, whether used by SNCC, Nuns Against Wallabees, or another group.

The tactic is a couple decades old, seemingly starting in German squatter-support actions and anti-nuclear efforts. The major characteristics include property-damage violence, confrontation and struggle with the police (usually claimed to be self-defensive), and co-option of demonstrations sponsored by other Left-oriented organizations—anti-war, anti-racist, environmental. I’ve not yet found examples of fatalities from BB activity, but it seems likely they would occur.

The players are very disparate, but agree on action to the exclusion of thought, the value of media images of chaos, and dedication to a spectrum of revolutionary goals. There are some sources of intercommunication online. This seems the most useful:
ainfos.ca

Note: That link and those below go direct to an the sites. For a cache image in this case, Google “A-Infos”.

The site has a good discussion of one tributary of the BB stream—they see themselves as the descendants of the Haymarket bombers and the anarchists kicked out of the First International by Marx.

Other descriptive info includes a free download of a book on the North American variant at this site:
infoshop.org

(If you feel the need, you can donate to the authors, or just buy and LGF Cookbook instead.)

The same site has a Black Block FAQ:
infoshop.org

Organized Lefty organizations have learned to hate the BB, and are learning how to keep them from hi-jacking legitimate protests:
digitaljournal.com

More to come, if it proves worth it.